My third and last trip here for a high school graduation. Unlike the previous 2 times, there is construction galore and the parking lots are a mess. The walkway to the theater is also crumbling and the girls and women in heels were all lurching around. I'm sure at some point it will be worth it, but I will be long gone. BTW, inside is very nice and maybe at some point I'll get here for a performance of some kind. read more

Purchase College - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Purchase, New York

This place was pretty chill. Wait, I mean chilly. Because it was raining. Yeah. Other than that, it was easy to get around and the staff was very helpful. I'm fact, they were much more helpful than I expected. This one guy, I think his name was Jeff? Geoff? Anyway, he gave us directions and tips around campus. If you see him, give him a high-five. read more

Purchase College - FEAR ME!!! - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Purchase, New York

I applied to SUNY Purchase twice: once in 1992 as an undergrad (it was the ONLY SUNY campus I applied to) since I wanted to concentrate in Theater & Film. I then re-applied to Purchase again in 1998 as an MFA Candidate for Grad School (Purchase and UMass/Amherst were my two back-up grad school choices) & both times I didn't end up attending. I also applied to CUNY Hunter College down in the city (which was the one CUNY I applied to as an undergrad) and my parents taught at Brooklyn College, so I had literally "grown up" in and around the CUNY/SUNY system and had also attended a public high school in Brooklyn as well, so I was WELL-VERSED in public education and both it's advantages and disadvantages, and I just knew it wasn't a system of education that was going to work for me. I ended up attending Hampshire College up in Amherst, MA as an undergrad which was MUCH MORE to my liking as far as the small liberal arts college environment I was truly looking for, (and as a NYC native) I was looking to completely get out of an urban environment to pursue my Bachelor's in. I will say this: Purchase is an EXCELLENT economical college choice for the performing arts however. The campus is BUTT UGLY architecturally, and it was the sub-standard on campus undergraduate housing that steered me off of Purchase as a viable option in the end. The performing arts facilities at Purchase though, are first-rate, and I felt the education I would have gotten there would have been extremely enriched; especially because of the proximity of the campus to NYC. However, I wanted a completely different college experience than the one that Purchase would have offered me, and I was dead-set on attending college in New England. Purchase is the ONLY SUNY I applied to though, and honestly, if you are a performing arts concentrator it's the BEST SUNY option to study at. I just wish they would provide better on-campus housing for undergraduates. Even back in 1992, it was pretty shitty. I'm seeing that hasn't really improved unfortunately. read more

Long but should be read in entirety: It's difficult for me to give this college such a low rating because I truly appreciate most of the staff and faculty at Purchase and am grateful for the academic and out of the ordinary opportunities I was given. However, I would be doing my fellow disabled people a disservice if I did not share the despicable ways in which I was treated at this institution. My first year I was temporarily kicked out of the dorms because I chose to ask for help when suicidal. The next year I was kicked out of the dorms again and, with the help of a pro bono lawyer, it was brought to our attention that I was specifically kicked out because I'm on the autism spectrum which is illegal (with the lawyer's help I was able to move back in). The dean who knowingly broke the law was never fired and I never received an apology. The 2 times I was kicked out of the dorms I became so depressed I had to be hospitalized (the first time for over a month) because I was a danger to myself. My 3rd year I was kicked out of the dorms AGAIN because I'd been driven to self-harm and was sent to the ER. I was allowed back in at the beginning of my 4th year but was THREATENED with not being allowed back in the dorms if I ever again was taken to the hospital. At the beginning of my 5th year I was moved to freshman housing because Purchase College pretended to be shocked when my new roommate disclosed I'd told him I was in self-harm recovery. My 5th year at Purchase was the year another law was broken (confidential info was shared without my consent) and a major school rule was broken (the head of the disabilities dept. censored me and my fellow autistic students on a group FB page when I rightly voiced my opinion on the horrible treatment we were receiving). I stayed the full 5 years because I felt hopeless about finding a college where I would not be made to feel inhuman for having a mental illness. I did not feel safe at the college because I knew people like me were not wanted there. read more

Decent school I suppose. Campus life is pretty good. Just looking forward to graduation.

OK so this review is for when I was a student from 96-2003 (dont ask why it took me so long). So in the mid 90s, this school was still searching for its place in the Suny system. Most people still to this day have never heard of the school. It boasts a Dance, Music and Acting conservatory for which its most known for. The other things here are liberal arts, visual arts, political science and science to mention a few. The school is completely brick with the exception of some of the sleeping quarters such as Alumni Village and the commons. At times the campus can be dreary and with its close proximity to Manhattan, many students rarely remain on campus during the weekend which unfortunately makes the school abysmal Friday through Sunday. Recently they have been making headway with new developments and designs for the campus layout. Still, the campus itself is very big but everything is centralized meaning everything is mainly with a 15 minute walking distance (Furthest distance being Alumni Village and the Commons). They have improved the dining experience by using student and staff input over the years. Currently the school is undergoing some construction to make way for a welcome building which will be located behind the Performing Arts center and the book store (formerly known as theater X") They created a Eco-system in the middle of campus, and I mean literally in the middle, up and down the walk ways by the library. The streets are still damaged as they once were when I was there, so there hasn't been any improvement in that area. The school has 5 dorms and 3 apartment complexes. The most famous of the apartment complexes is the "olde" where most of the parties are held still to this day. The school just started to get their sports program underway but sadly the school still has little to no school spirit. This is a non greek school which means there are no fraternities or sororities. The have many student organizations from Latinos Unidos, Asian Student Association, Organization of African People In America, LGBTQ and at one point even a cheese club. Once a year they have culture shock which is intended to be a celebration of cultures and contributions of culture, this is a 3 day weekend and some compare it to a small Woodstock. Various acts have performed here such as destiny's child, biz markie, J Cole, , Ghost Face Killa just to name a few ( i only named hip hop because that the only time I came out to listen sadly) The school is patrolled by state troopers and not flashlight security guards. They have EOP educational opportunity program, SEEK, MAPP and an obudsman. The school has a wonderful museum called the Neuberger Museum and is often not used by students for some odd reason. The gym is pretty good, not sure if they still have the bowling alley, but they do have basketball courts, tennis and raquetball courts, a weightroom and a pool. This college does not fit the typical stereotype. It is a school in of its own, it is different for so many reasons, but mainly because of its students. The school is what you make of it, get involved and have a great time, or stay low and be left out. In any case, its a school that will get many subjective statements and the only way to know if you like it is to attend or just visit for a few days. read more

Purchase College - The best shot I could get due to all the construction going on. - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Purchase, New York

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As the 1st College grad in an immigrant family (in USA, since mid-1970s), I cherish my memories of school / working towards a Bachelor's Degree in Literature. It wasn't perfect, but glad I attended in a pre-Internet world. read more

The roads require better upkeep, and there is constantly too much construction going on all over the place. Trying to find an 'appropriate' parking spot is also difficult. read more

World class violinist on stage for an open rehearsal - Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg truly is amazing! The location is showing some serious wear and the school looks under funded in many regards - weeds everywhere, parking lots not well maintained, and it looks like a construction site as well. This doesn't take away from the options for live entertainment and I only bring it up as a concern that it might trickle into the options for creative arts in the future... read more

I believe that SUNY Purchase College was a much better experience with obtaining my Bachelor's Degree in Communications. I hope SUNY Purchase College continues to get better. I just wish that the Dorms would be fixed into the 21st Century and I really want to help in the future as an alumnus. I also hope that Post-Neu Inferno that people realize that SUNY Purchase Needs to get updated architecturally living-wise and will in time. read more

OK, now that I've spent more time here, I am convinced this school is hell on earth. Let me start by explaining my initial experience with SUNY Purchase. I applied to this school and SUNY New Paltz in the same day. New Paltz got back to me within two weeks (with a rejection letter, but a prompt response nonetheless), Purchase was totally radio-silent for two months. It took e-mailing the office of admissions to tell me they needed an updated transcript in. I had to e-mail them, even New Paltz would send me e-mails informing me of missing material after a certain number of days, Purchase sent me nothing. I send them the transcript the next day, then another month and a half of silence. It takes that long to make a decision based on one missing transcript? So I get accepted and the problems of Purchase become more and more apparent. I applied to be a New Media major, as it seemed somewhat similar to Purchase's non-existent Communications program. It was not until I started classes that I realized it was an art major more than it was communications. By the end of the first week of classes, I was ready to switch majors. I went to the registar's office to tell them of my plight. They directed me to an adviser who's office hours were not noted anywhere. It took a game of e-mail tag to find out that he went away on vacation the first week of classes.... WHAT? So I found a different adviser however by this time it was too late to switch classes because her office hours are so limited so I was stuck in my art classes for a semester (currently going on now). I wouldn't mind this so much if these classes weren't totally useless towards my degree and taught by very bizarre, abrasive, opinionated professors. Another major problem is scheduling. With the exception of two classes I have, classes are four hours a day... most of which go into the evening. There is no opportunity for me to have a life because of this. I'm always in class or doing work for class. It's very overwhelming. I come out of most of my classes everyday and sit in my car and cry because they are that stressful. I am attempting to transfer out at the end of the semester and even if I don't get into any new schools, I'm not coming back to SUNY Purchase. I would not recommend this school to my worst enemy. This school has nothing to offer anyone. Look elsewhere for your education, they don't deserve your money. read more