1...2...3...Don't Cut SUNY!

As my body temperature is slowly returning back to normal, I am getting ready to go outside again to try to rally students to contact their legislators and Governor Paterson that SUNY cannot take another hit.

You may be wondering what I am talking about. I planned a rally on campus for students to voice their opposition against the SUNY tuition increase. Although I understand that tuition must increase somehow, I do not see why we must increase tuition next semester by approximately $500. The Student Assembly, comprised of SUNY students all across the state, voiced their opinion on the issue and said that if tuition is to be raised, then we should raise it according to the Higher Education Price Index scale....and if we did that the figure would be around $80. I don't understand why the Governor and the SUNY presidents inflated the figure, but according to HEPI, if we all paid around $80 next semester, the school would be just fine.

Take your pick. Those who work to pay to school- would you rather shell out $80 or $500 extra next semester. Those whose parents have been scrimping and saving just so they can put you through school- what figure do you think they would rather pay? And for those of you on financial aid (myself included), I'm pretty sure you are wondering if you will be receiving the same aid next semester.

It is IMPORTANT to raise your voice. Although it is your choice to participate in government or not, this is something that affects us all, and if you are like the students who said to me that they're not interested in writing to the Governor or Legislature to show their opposition to these absurd increases...I don't have anything to say. If we all participated in showing our opposition against this- we could make a difference.

It's time to go outside again. I'm not stopping until 11:30AM. As much as I would love to stay out all day and bring a voice to my fellow students, unfortunately I have a doctor's appointment after this.

SUNY Admissions and the Economic Situation

One thing I have noticed in many major and local newspapers is that they have been reporting about how SUNYs have been forced to become more selective because of the current economic situation. So many students of many different academic backgrounds are applying to SUNYs, and respectively, the schools will accept the best of the best. I know for a fact that if I was to apply to Oneonta now with my high school grades...I don't even know if I would have got in. Of course, this is great for our school system, we have many talented people coming over to our schools...

however, it's scary when you don't know if you're the one who will make the cut. Applying to grad school isn't that far away for me. You may recall in an earlier post of mine that I was planning to go to law school...I still don't know if I want to or not. So I'm looking at MPA (Master of Public Administration) programs, and for a long time, I have been eyeing SUNY Albany's program because it is one of the best programs in the country and last year when I called up the Admissions office, they assured me that as long as I had 3.2 and a good score on the GREs, I should be fine...

When I went to the graduate fair this year and visited their table, they told me that their median GPA for the program is a 3.6. My jaw dropped when I heard that, how could they increase their selectivity so fast? And then I remembered the phrase "it's the economy, stupid."

Now even though I do consider myself to be a good student, what worries me is that I'm going to be competing against people who are applying with 4.0s and of course they'll take those people over me. To me, there isn't a better situation that studying for my MPA in Albany. It's the state capital, one really can't ask for more connections and exciting internships in that city. I know that so far, it looks like I should be good for Binghamton because they accept 3.2 as a median GPA but still...I know that the MPA experience in Binghamton would never amount to the experience I would have if I was accepted at Albany.

Ohh you have to love these little dilemmas.