Frequently Asked Questions about SUNY Buffalo State
This article was written based on the information and opinions presented by Chevagne McAlmont-Winston in a CollegeVine livestream. You can watch the full livestream for more info.
What’s Covered:
Academics and Student Activities
What are some common campus activities at Buffalo State?
There are a lot of things to do around Buffalo State, especially in the summertime. There are festivals for art and food. Most notably, the largest one is WingFest. In Buffalo, many residents take pride in chicken wings. Two of students’ favorite places to get wings are Duffs and Anchor Bar, the latter of which is the creator of the original buffalo wing.
The local football team, the Buffalo Bills, also generates a lot of pride among students. Additional things to do in the area include restaurants, art galleries, and parks, all within walking distance of the school.
Some popular clubs at Buffalo State include organizations such as the Caribbean Student Organization, for students of Caribbean descent or background to represent the traditions of their country, and The Ink Club, for students interested in spoken or slam poetry. If you don’t see a particular club you are interested in, you can always start your own as well by going through the United Students Government (USG).
Does Buffalo State have an honors college?
Buffalo State has an honors program: the Muriel A. Howard Honors Program. There is no separate application for students as the admissions committee reviews applications for the honors college as part of the admissions process. The admission officers have a target GPA in mind for applicants, of around 93 or higher.
The Perks of being in the honors program include having your own cohort, the ability to take specific honors courses, and going on different tours here. The majority of honors students also live in a designated dorm, Bishop Hall.
Honors students also get first dibs on registering for classes, which is especially important at a large school like Buffalo, where enrollment can be difficult as classes fill up quickly.
There are also related scholarship opportunities with the application that you don’t have to apply for – the President, Provost, and Honors scholarships. The honor scholarship is $2,500 annually and is renewable for each school year if the applicant maintains a certain GPA. It’s very competitive but it is open to every student that applies.
What are some traditions at Buffalo State?
First year convocation: This is when all the first year students gather together and are introduced to the campus.
First football game: This tradition gets the blood pumping! Students love attending the kickoff game to start the season of games against other private schools and other schools. The Buffalo Bills, a local football team, also generates a lot of pride among students.
Wing Fest: This is a summertime festival to celebrate Buffalo chicken wings! During the school year, students love getting wings at Duffs and Anchor Bar, the latter of which is the creator of the original buffalo wing.
What athletic programs are offered for non-varsity athletes at Buffalo State?
If you are not interested in sports, that’s perfectly fine! Buffalo State has a sports arena and a sports center, where you can stay active by utilizing the ellipticals, treadmills, and weights. There is also a gym open to students who are not on the basketball team, but may want to participate in the occasional pick-up game. There are also racketball courts, an ice rink, where you can go for free skate, and a pool for open swim too.
There are also some clubs and intramural sports teams, such as the rowing club or men’s and women’s rugby teams. There are definitely plenty of options for you to still stay involved in athletics and active at Buffalo State, even if you aren’t on one of the varsity teams.
Campus Living
What are the dorms like at SUNY Buffalo State?
There are 11 residence halls on campus, including corridor style, suite style, and apartment style.
The corridor style is mainly geared toward first-year students. It’s the typical two bedroom — you would be sharing a room with another individual. It has free wifi and free laundry. There are 360-view tours of these rooms available, so make sure to visit the website. This will give you some insight into the rooms.
It’s not going to be the Hilton Hotel or something in New York City, but it’s a good place you can decorate and make your own.
Are students required to live on campus at Buffalo State?
For students who live outside of a 35 mile radius of campus, it is a requirement to live on campus for your first two years. After that, you can live off campus if you choose. There’s a lot of housing in the area, and the university has a couple of liaisons to help, called Campus Walk and Monarch.
We do recommend living on campus — it’s very convenient. If you do have an eight o’clock class, for example, you don’t want to have to commute and trek from back and forth from those areas to get to class. And bear in mind that 8:00 am classes are common.
What is the food like at Buffalo State?
The food on campus at Buffalo State is great, and most if it is on the nucleus on campus – the Student Union.
First, there’s the Bengal kitchen, which is a free-for-all, buffet-style establishment. There’s also something called retail dining, which includes chain locations such as Subway, a to-go sushi spot, and even an Anchor Bar. And there are also two Starbucks locations: one in the bookstore and one in the library.
Your meal plan lives in your student ID card in the form of Bengal bucks, and you swipe it for dining services. There are different tiers of meal plans. Students choose one with their housing application and can change it mid-year if they’d like.
Does Buffalo State offer study abroad programs?
Yes! They offer over 50 programs in 20 countries. They have programs in countries such as Italy, Australia, or England, with the latter two being the most popular since they are English speaking countries.
They also are part of the National Student Exchange, which provides an option to study away even if you don’t want to go outside of the United States. They have partnerships with other schools in states such as California, Florida, or South Carolina. Through this program, you can study at another school for a semester, the whole year, or even just a summer session. These are also good opportunities to study in a different location, and an added benefit is that the cost is the same amount in tuition or fees, aside from flights and miscellaneous purchases.
What are Your Chances of Acceptance?
While you might know Buffalo State’s acceptance rate, that percentage might be higher or lower than your personal chances of acceptance. To better understand your chances at Buffalo State, you can try our free admissions calculator. Using various factors such as your grades, test scores, and extracurriculars, we’ll estimate your odds of acceptance, and give you tips on improving your profile.
Based on your chances, you can also search for best-fit schools and filter them by size, location, majors and more. You can build an informed strategy for your college application process, all for free.
