When I was a senior in high school and in the process of choosing a college, I received many mixed opinions on choosing a SUNY school. Here are just a few of the comments I came across during my time in high school.

"The SUNY colleges are a complete joke, you don't even do work there."
"You'll never get a job if you graduate from a SUNY school."
"Going to a SUNY school is unimpressive, it's way too easy."

Once I chose to attend a SUNY school, many people I knew who chose to attend a private college where underwhelmed by my choice, to say the least. In fact, many people I know thought I chose my college because I wanted to be able to do no work and have fun all the time, which is absolutely not the case.

SUNY colleges are just as difficult as private schools. Just because SUNY students are not paying nearly as much as students who attend private universities does not mean that their education is not of good quality. We stay up until 2 in the morning studying, we stress over midterms and finals, and we certainly have our fair share of work to do.

There is no shame in attending a SUNY college, and there is no student out there who is "too good" to go to one of the several schools under the SUNY system. Every single day I am so happy I chose to attend a SUNY school; I've never felt more comfortable in a learning environment. The professors are absolutely brilliant, the students are welcoming and friendly, and the campus (every SUNY campus is pretty beautiful) makes me feel completely at home.

SUNY schools not only provide an amazing education for their students, they also create and unmatched sense of community at each campus. Every student is completely equal, we are all treated with respect, while still receiving a considerable amount of work. Not to mention the value of SUNY schools is outstanding.

Choosing a SUNY college has been one of the best decisions of my life, I urge every high school student to consider SUNY. Don't listen to people who have nothing nice to say about the SUNY system. A SUNY education is like no other, and every day I'm proud to say: "Yes, I go to a SUNY school, no I am not embarrassed."