SUNY Purchase

Purchase College Building and Sign

SUNY Purchase is a public college in suburban Westchester County, New York, about 35 miles from New York City. With roughly 3,300 undergraduates, Purchase offers an unusual combination of a liberal arts and sciences education with highly specialized conservatory training in the arts. The college has 48 undergraduate majors and 41 minors, an average class size of 18 and a 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio. About 86% of first-year students live on campus, and the 500-acre campus provides a traditional residential setting while still putting students within easy reach of New York City.

Academically, Purchase is particularly distinctive because students can move between the liberal arts and conservatory programs. The School of Natural and Social Sciences, School of Humanities and School of Liberal Studies sit alongside programs in art and design, film and media, theatre and music. Conservatory programs are substantially more intensive than a typical college major: for example, acting students can spend 27–40 hours per week working directly with faculty, in addition to preparation time. Purchase also offers interdisciplinary options for students who do not fit neatly into one academic category. BALA (Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts) allows students to design an individualized liberal arts course of study, while programs such as New Media combine areas including computer science, visual arts, culture and the sciences.

Students who are unsure of their direction have room to explore. Undeclared is the most common status among first-year students, and Purchase offers advising and an eight-semester planning process designed to help students explore majors while staying on track toward graduation. In Art and Design, students take introductory courses across different areas during their first semester before narrowing their focus. Some majors also offer concentrations within a broader field, such as different paths within psychology. Students interested in health professions may be especially interested in the sciences: 80% of its recent medical-school applicants were admitted to medical school, according to the tour guide, and the school is working on a partnership with SUNY Upstate Medical University.

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Purchase College building

Purchase also puts considerable emphasis on helping students transition successfully to college. First-year students participate in a seminar that combines college and study skills with an introduction to campus resources. The college provides advising, tutoring and career-development resources, while Cornerstone Connect offers more intensive support for students who want help with executive functioning, organization, communication or social skills. The program includes individualized sessions with a professional learning specialist, workshops, peer mentoring and social events. Unlike disability accommodations, Cornerstone Connect does not require students to have a diagnosis; it is available to college-ready students who believe they would benefit from the additional support, although the program is fee-based and space is limited.

Location is another part of the Purchase experience. The campus is close enough to NYC for students to take advantage of the city's museums, performances, internships and cultural opportunities, while remaining removed from the intensity of an urban campus. A free campus shuttle, known as The Loop, connects students with nearby White Plains and Port Chester, both of which offer restaurants, shopping and Metro-North train stations that will take students directly to NYC. Study abroad is also unusually flexible: Purchase students can participate in programs run by Purchase or choose from more than 600 SUNY programs in over 50 countries across all seven continents.

Outside the classroom, Purchase has NCAA Division III athletics, student-athlete mentoring and a wide range of organizations. The campus culture tends to attract students who are comfortable with individuality and who enjoy being around people pursuing varying interests. Students can participate in arts organizations, cultural groups, clubs, athletics and more unconventional offerings. The college's club list includes everything from an Amateur Band and Improv Club to the Mathematics and Computer Science Club, the Outdoors Club, the Purchase Game Club and the famously named Cheese Club.
 

Who would thrive at Purchase:

Purchase can be a particularly good match for students who want a college experience that doesn't require them to choose between the arts and a broader academic education. It suits students who are energized by making things, performing, experimenting or pursuing ideas in unconventional ways, but it can also work well for students in psychology, biology, economics, political science and other fields who want the arts to be part of their everyday environment. Students who like having freedom to shape their academic path, enjoy working closely with professors and are willing to take initiative are likely to get the most out of Purchase. It is also worth considering for students who want access to New York City without living in a major metropolitan campus.

Fun Fact:

The Cheese Club is one of Purchase's oldest and most popular student organizations. Its mission is remarkably straightforward: eat cheese, talk about cheese and occasionally talk about things that aren't cheese.

Notable Alumni:

  • Actors Stanley Tucci (The Devil Wears Prada & The Hunger Games), Edie Falco (“The Sopranos” & “Nurse Jackie”), Parker Posey (“The White Lotus” & Dazed and Confused) and Wesley Snipes (The Blade Trilogy & US Marshals) 

  • Musicians Regina Spektor, Ice Spice, Mitski and Grammy-Winner Samara Joy 

  • Oscar-Winning filmmaker and editor Tom Cross (Whiplash, The Greatest Showman, La La Land)

  • Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Donald Margulies (Dinner with Friends)

  • Academy Award-Winning filmmaker and animator Chris Wedge (Bunny, Ice Age, Robots)

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