Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pitt is clearly superior in every single way. Pittsburgh is wonderful, Buffalo is not. Pitt is much stronger in academics and has a great vibe. How is this even a question?

I should add merit for SUNY, and none for Pitt. Should merit even factor if both can still be affordable.

If the parents are fine with the finances, why wouldn't they choose the better school if the kid prefers it, too?

Going to a SUNY school as someone from outside of NY can be kind of rough. It will be almost all in-state kids. Pitt is not like that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pitt is clearly superior in every single way. Pittsburgh is wonderful, Buffalo is not. Pitt is much stronger in academics and has a great vibe. How is this even a question?

I should add merit for SUNY, and none for Pitt. Should merit even factor if both can still be affordable.

What is the annual cost of attendance for both, with the merit included?

For Pitt w/o merit it’s about $55k/y

I know a biology grad from NY who went to Pitt instead of Buffalo. She regretted it when she was applying to medical schools. She didn't feel the extra cost of Pitt was worth it although she did enjoy her time there.

Anonymous wrote:Pitt is clearly superior in every single way. Pittsburgh is wonderful, Buffalo is not. Pitt is much stronger in academics and has a great vibe. How is this even a question?

+100

My daughter has Pitt and SUNY Buffalo on her explore list (wonder if we are using same counselor)
Buffalo did not move to her apply list mostly due to the % of students from instate. My DD wants a more diverse student body (defined as ability to meet people from different parts of the country)
I know some very accomplished SUNY Buffalo grads (shout out to NHL announcer Liam McHugh) - but that 97% of students being in state was a deal breaker when compared to other schools.

Anonymous wrote:Went to UB and also worked there. Familiar with Pitt, which has long been an aspirational peer for UB. Both schools are AAU members with strong focus on research and service. Pitt gets the nod in the rankings, but UB is an academically strong school without the widespread exposure outside NYS. While Pitt is an urban campus, the majority of UB activity is on the sprawling, suburban North Campus in Amherst built in the 1970s-1980s. Think modernism and brutalism with lots of indoor walkways. Some students live on the more traditional Main Street campus, which is on the edge of the city, and then the new downtown campus is primarily medical school and hospitals.

Another factor is that while Pitt courts a lot of OOS kids, UB undergrads are almost all bright students from New York State. (The grad school is very different and more international.)

I agree with this 100%.

Pitt has been SO hot in the DMV lately. You will hardly find anyone from this area in Buffalo. But they and Binghamton get the top students from most of New York state.

I’m from Pittsburgh with numerous colleagues and neighbors who have kids at Pitt. We toured Buffalo this past summer on our way up to Canada to get a feel for the SUNY system.

Pitt doesn’t have much green space; it’s urban like GW, and very hilly, as is everything in Pittsburgh. It is in the heart of the Oakland neighborhood, though, so any services a kid could possibly want are steps away as are many of the UPMC hospitals. Downtown Pittsburgh is about a 10 minute bus ride away. CMU is right up the street, and there’s a small, not very selective Catholic university in the area as well. Most kids love it, and I think it’s generally considered the better university for most majors. Plus, it’s in the ACC, so the level of athletic competition is higher than at Buffalo, if creating camaraderie through shared rooting interest is of importance. The cafeteria food is apparently awful, though.

Buffalo does have a campus (two undergrad, actually, as others have mentioned) and I believe they try to place students in dorms on the campus where they will take most classes. Architecture was one major on the smaller, more urban (but prettier) campus, if I recall correctly. The main campus is in suburban Amherst, and it isn’t the most picturesque, but it is designed for Buffalo winters with many indoor/undeground passages between buildings. There is a big lake in the center with free kayaks and canoes available in the warmer months. There’s an esports arena at Buffalo if that makes a difference to anyone’s kid.

Anonymous wrote:Aside: they've had numerous name changes over the years. "SUNY Buffalo" is a bit outdated.

Yes, I realize we aren't employees and required to use their branding/styling, but it's "University at Buffalo" and "UB" these days.

https://www.buffalo.edu/brand/identity/Naming/our-name.html

I hear people say "Albany" to refer to the university of albany (suny)

Aside: they've had numerous name changes over the years. "SUNY Buffalo" is a bit outdated.

Yes, I realize we aren't employees and required to use their branding/styling, but it's "University at Buffalo" and "UB" these days.

https://www.buffalo.edu/brand/identity/Naming/our-name.html

Went to UB and also worked there. Familiar with Pitt, which has long been an aspirational peer for UB. Both schools are AAU members with strong focus on research and service. Pitt gets the nod in the rankings, but UB is an academically strong school without the widespread exposure outside NYS. While Pitt is an urban campus, the majority of UB activity is on the sprawling, suburban North Campus in Amherst built in the 1970s-1980s. Think modernism and brutalism with lots of indoor walkways. Some students live on the more traditional Main Street campus, which is on the edge of the city, and then the new downtown campus is primarily medical school and hospitals.

Another factor is that while Pitt courts a lot of OOS kids, UB undergrads are almost all bright students from New York State. (The grad school is very different and more international.)

Anonymous wrote:Pitt is clearly superior in every single way. Pittsburgh is wonderful, Buffalo is not. Pitt is much stronger in academics and has a great vibe. How is this even a question?

I should add merit for SUNY, and none for Pitt. Should merit even factor if both can still be affordable.

I’m in NY and I know 4 families I’m friends with that have kids at Buffalo. Two engineer majors, two accounting majors, different years. They are all happy and doing well according to their parents. I’ve heard it’s mainly two campuses, fairly close, one is in Buffalo and the other (where these kids are) are in a large suburban area. Lots to do in the area but I get the idea not a huge party school. Would be in state or OOS? SUNY is a great deal for in state.

Pitt is clearly superior in every single way. Pittsburgh is wonderful, Buffalo is not. Pitt is much stronger in academics and has a great vibe. How is this even a question?

SUNY Buffalo or Pitt from NoVa. Would like some pros and cons between the two schools mainly vibe, campus, proximity to city. Bio major.