SUNY College at Geneseo Top Questions

Overall, Geneseo is an amazing school. The campus is gorgeous, the people are lovely, and the professors I've had so far are brilliant. The academics are challenging, and students for the most part, really know how to engage in a good intellectual discussion. Some people have a sense of being trapped here because of the small town aspect, but the school does work hard (especially for its budget) to organize activities for the students every weekend and on many school nights. You won't be bored.

The best thing about Geneseo is the people. Most people are friendly and most of the professors I've had are pretty accommodating. I think Geneseo is the perfect size. I see some of the same people walking to class every day but also a ton of people I've never seen before. Even though the school's population is taken from the upper achievers of high school, there is still great variation from people who never go to class and party every night to students who spend the entire day in the library (sometimes students are both). Geneseo is definitely a college town. It's small but not unbearably so (I'm from upstate though, so take that with a grain of salt). There's a Walmart, Wegmans, McDonald's, etc. and a small mall about 20-30 minutes away. Generally the actual residents of Geneseo are extremely friendly. The campus is right off main street and there are plenty of cute little shops and places to eat.

Geneseo is a small sized school, but not too small. You can pass people you know walking to classes, and see familiar faces, but not so small that everyone else knows everyone else's business. It is perfect in that sense- you will have good opportunity to make friends due to the size of the campus and overall friendliness of the student body. The town of Geneseo is zoned a historical landmark town. The main street is a nice mix of restaurants, unique shops and boutiques, and a bank and churches. It is literally right next to campus, thus easily accessible. The campus itself is gorgeous, overlooking the valley. However, there are hills everywhere. But once you get used to them, they aren't too terrible. The weather is generally not that bad- it doesn't snow too heavily in comparison to some local areas. The worst thing about the weather is the wind- nothing a coat and hat won't fix!

Geneseo is a great school, there's no two ways about it. It's exactly what you'd expect from a highly selective liberal arts college in the middle of nowhere western NY. Very cool, old, brick buildings, often with ivy growing up and down; a hilly but very walkable campus with everything in relatively close proximity (you could walk from the very extreme south end of campus to the extreme north in about 30 minutes - and all of the academic buildings are right in the center... very convenient); beautiful scenery outside of campus, one of the best sunsets around; quaint little college town main street with cutesy little shops, a few pizza and sub shops all basically right off campus; giant, megabox walmart and the standard fast-food joints all within a 5-minute drive (a little too close, in my opinion). I think it's a little too small of a school, personally. With a little over 5,000 students, you tend to see the same faces slightly too frequently. But perfect for those who are looking for an intimate setting. The school definitely has a good reputation, at least in New York, and probably surrounding states as an academically challenging and well-respected institution. Along with its reputation and elitism comes school pride... People are constantly rocking Geneseo gear, and the school pride is particularly evident at sporting events (hockey, mostly). Administratively, I've never had any problems - in all of my encounters they've been totally helpful, nice, and prompt. People spend a LOT of time in the library. I've personally lived there, especially during finals, for 10 hours at a time, days in a row... It's not uncommon. Don't expect to get good grades if you don't work your ass off.