Why Oneonta?

Students choose SUNY Oneonta for lots of reasons: Our diverse and challenging curriculum. An academic environment where faculty members get to know their students, in and out of the classroom.Our beautiful and welcoming campus. But what really distinguishes us from other mid-sized colleges is our commitment to offering exceptional opportunities for learning, scholarship and service.

Whether it’s an internship in Washington D.C., a semester abroad or an original research project, students at SUNY Oneonta have outstanding opportunities for hands-on learning. It’s one of the reasons students excel here. Take, Diane Mancini, for example. As a freshman last year, she received a $1,500 grant to do anthropology research on a Caribbean island.Then there’s David Loveless, one of just 115 meteorology students across the country selected to receive a $16,000 Hollings Scholarship, which includes a 10-week paid summer internship at the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.

Outside of academics, SUNY Oneonta students are actively engaged in community service – from charity walks on campus to service-learning missions on another continent. And with a vibrant student life scene — including hundreds of hours of entertainment, athletic events and social programming each semester and more than 100 student clubs and organizations — there are plenty of opportunities to have fun, make friends and find your niche.

Important Dates

January 1	Financial Aid Application Complete your taxes and then your 2012 Free Application for Federal Student Aid as soon as possible (but no later than March 1, 2013). Complete your FAFSA online; for detailed instructions go here.
March 1	First Financial Aid Award Notifications Notification is emailed to your inbox.
April 6	Academic Exploration Day Talk with faculty and staff and take a guided tour of campus.
April	Deposited students may enroll in an orientation session using myOneonta
May 1	Enrollment Deposit Deadline $100 tuition deposit and $100 housing deposit due.
June	Graduation for high school seniors… Congratulations!
July & August	Summer Orientation for New Students
July 1	Billing Date Bills for tuition, room and board, and fees mailed to students.
August 1	Billing Deadline Payment for tuition, room and board,and fees due.
August 25	Residence Halls Open
August 28	Classes Begin

What's Next

Accept your enrollment

• Deposit: $100.00 tuition, $100.00 housing, $200.00 for both.
• You can pay your tuition and housing deposits online. You will need your username and password.
• Check or money orders can be mailed to the Office of Admissions.
  • Deposits must be postmarked by May 1, 2013.

Complete the Financial Aid Process

• Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

  • FAFSA Code – 002847

  • TAP Code – 0930

• Respond promptly to any inquiries from our Financial Aid Office. Visit Financial Aid for more information and assistance.

Send your transcripts

• Final High School Transcripts – an official final transcript (with signature or seal and date of graduation) must be forwarded to the Office of Admissions. Please request your school counselor to forward upon graduation.
• College Transcripts – an official transcript from all colleges you have attended must be sent directly from the college(s).
• Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) scores - have your test scores sent directly from the appropriate testing agency to the Office of Admissions.

Join O-town, our exclusive community for Admitted Students

Visit O-Town and enter a community created just for you. Meet other accepted students, join groups, express yourself and more!

register at myOneonta

Once you have paid your deposit, be sure to register at myOneonta, a student portal created for you, to complete important enrollment steps.

• Register for Orientation
• Complete your Housing Application
• Submit your required Student Health Form
• Register for your new Oneonta email account
• Review our online fitness video
• And much, much more!

Decline or defer your offer of admission

• If you choose to decline your acceptance or would like to defer your application, please contact the Office of Admissions for instruction.
• Refund requests should be made in writing to the Office of Admissions prior to May 1, 2013 or 30 days from the date of your acceptance if admitted after April 1, 2013.

SUNY Oneonta's Anthropology department was deemed one of the best in the country during a recent evaluation by two highly respected anthropologists.

Dr. A.H. Peter Castro of Syracuse University and Dr. Michael A. Little of Binghamton University completed an external review of the department last year. In their evaluation, they noted the "stellar quality" of "what surely is one of the best undergraduate Anthropology programs in our country" and singled out the high quality of the faculty as a distinguishing characteristic.

Courses are taught by six full-time and three part-time faculty with expertise in a variety of specialties. Small class sizes allow faculty members to establish relationships with their students. Outside of class, students collaborate with faculty on research and participate in experiential learning. For example, students in Associate Professor Renee Walker's summer Archeological Field School spend four weeks excavating and documenting Native American artifacts at a field site 20 minutes from campus. Last spring, Walker led students through the ruins of Stonehenge during a field course in Great Britain.

Opportunities like these are the reason Diane Mancini of Rochester chose SUNY Oneonta over the University of Michigan. A sophomore majoring in Anthropology and Spanish, Diane credits Assistant Professor Sallie Han with helping her secure an incredible research opportunity. After receiving a $1,500 SUNY research grant, Diane traveled to the Caribbean island of Providencia last July to study the Raizal culture.

"I've just been amazed by how supportive the faculty is and how many opportunities I'm getting, at 19," she said. "That one-on-one attention is something I couldn't get at a bigger school."

One of the hottest DJs on the electronic dance music scene returned to SUNY Oneonta in November to share his experience with students in our popular Music Industry program.

In just five years, Chris Manik has developed an international following as a DJ, producer and remix artist. A 2007 graduate of SUNY Oneonta's Music Industry program, Chris, who uses the artist name MANIK, has completed three fully-booked European club tours as well as performing in cities throughout North America, Asia and Australia. His debut album on the prestigious Ovum label, Armies of the Night was voted by both Mixmag and DJMag as one of the top 40 albums of 2011, and DJMag named MANIK to its "Hot to Watch" list.

Chris returned to campus with his manager, Dan Mullins, also a SUNY Oneonta Music Industry graduate, to talk with students and give a demonstration on the art of remixing. In a competitive industry where relationships and networking can make the difference between success and failure, interactions like these are a valuable part of Oneonta's nationally accredited Music Industry program.

For Julian Nottage of Syracuse, who graduated in December with a Music Industry degree, meeting two successful alumni in the field he's about to enter was inspiring. A drummer in a traditional metal band, Julian hopes to make a living performing. If that doesn't pan out, he will draw on the sound engineering skills he developed during an internship at the 2012 New York Summer Music Festival and as production manager for the college's Music Industry Club—including running sound for MANIK's performance on campus.

"It was motivating to see somebody who was in my shoes just a few years ago be able to travel all over the world like he does" Julian said. "It's really cool to see that that kind of success is possible in such a short time frame."

Twelve first-year SUNY Oneonta students got six days' worth of hands-on geology lessons—before they'd even moved into their dorms.

As participants in GEOFYRST (Geologic Experience Outdoors: the First Year Regional Summer Trip), 11 freshmen and one transfer student explored the geology and hydrology of the Catskill Mountains, the Berkshire Hills and Cape Cod from August 14–19, 2012.

You don't have to be especially interested in earth science to go on the annual trip, which gives students a head start earning lab credit for the Introduction to Geology course they'll take in the fall. All incoming freshmen are invited to apply to go on the trip, which costs about $100, and the 2012 group included students with academic interests ranging from biology to music industry.

For most students, it's their first real field experience. While hiking in the Catskills, studying soil erosion at a Cape Cod beach and examining dinosaur tracks in Massachusetts, students gain valuable skills, including recording observations in field notebooks and using tools such as ground-penetrating radar.

In between field experiences, they bond with other new students, faculty members and peer mentors while setting up tents, cooking meals and roasting marshmallows over the campfire.

Olatunbosun (Ola) Oyenuga, a freshman from Brooklyn who camped and hiked for the first time ever on the trip, said there's no substitute for standing at the top of a waterfall or discovering a piece of basalt (his favorite rock from the trip). "You've gotta go out there and actually see it for yourself."

Members of the Mask and Hammer theatre club get experience in everything from acting and directing to set construction and lighting design. Funded by the Student Association and run by students with support from our Theatre Department faculty, the club stages several productions each year.

Mask and Hammer is one of 100+ student-run organizations that complement academics (plus a variety of others that are just plain fun). Interested in computer programming? Fashion? Creative writing? Meteorology? We've got a club for that.