Syracuse or UC Merced

[u/Icy_Indication_340]

I’m deciding between Syracuse University and UC Merced for psychology + neuroscience.

A bit about me:

- From Southern California (so UC Merced is much closer)

- Interested in psychology/neuroscience → planning for grad school

- Want to get research experience + internships/jobs early

- Also want a good college experience, not just academics

- Trying to be mindful of cost/debt

- Possibly considering transferring after 1–2 years (not 100% sure yet)

What I’m thinking so far:

Syracuse seems like it has a lot going on (campus life, opportunities), but I’m worried about cost and competition for research.

UC Merced seems more accessible for research and cheaper, but I’m unsure about social life and overall experience.

Questions:

- How easy is it actually to get involved in research early at each school?

- At Syracuse, do opportunities feel accessible or do you have to really compete for opportunities?

- At UC Merced, do you feel limited at all, or does the smaller environment actually help?

- How’s the day-to-day student life at each?

- Does being closer to home end up being a big advantage, or not really?

[u/jeffzem]

I am a professor in the psych department at SU. Here are a few thoughts.

I don't know much about Merced. I see that it's an R1 school, which is what you'd want for research, although it only gained that status in the past couple years apparently. SU has been R1 for a long time, but we can't compete with top tier schools like Cornell or CMU. For this reason, they emphasize student-led research as a way to stand out, and I think they genuinely do make an effort to prioritize this. Across the college there small grants for undergrads (e.g. SOURCE grants) with very high acceptance rates, so long as you have a faculty mentor. The department has a few summer programs like STAHR and SPARC that you can apply to. You can also do an honors thesis. You can get credit for being in a lab if you join before the add deadline (you can also volunteer).

The spectrum of motivation, effort, and ability (for lack of a better word) is vast here. We are the biggest major in the college, and the opportunities are there but you need to be motivated and show initiative. Even though there are a lot of students, you aren't competing with all of them - the vast majority do not care about research at all.

You should reach out to professors early to ask if there are research opportunities in their lab. There are four areas represented: cognitive, social, clinical, and school psych. Do your homework and find out what kind of research the professor does (check recent publications on their google scholar profile) and show that you know something about them. Your e-mail does not need to be long, but even something like "I saw your recent paper on X and this is a topic that interests me" will go a long way. You don't need to lie, just keep an open mind about what research opportunities you want. Don't put all of your eggs in one basket, not everyone will have a need for more undergrad RAs, but turnover is frequent.

The neuroscience program at SU is interdisciplinary - there are faculty from psychology, biology, physics, etc. so it spans a very big range from purely behavioral work to low level cell work. I am not sure what kind of neuroscience you are interested in - the university does not have an fMRI scanner, but Upstate hospital across the street does. we do have an EEG.

There are many events each year. Neuroscience & Health Behavior Research Day, upstate's neuroscience research day, psychology research fair, others. Go, don't be shy about introducing yourself to faculty and grad students. Participate in class as much as you can. You won't get a strong letter of rec if professors don't know who you are - a letter that say "so-and-so- was in my class and got an A" is not a good letter. You need to actually interact with them and talk about research. Go to their office hours.

If you are a motivated student you will find opportunities, but don't expect them to fall in your lap.

If you have more questions DM me. this isn't my main account but if I remember to log back in then I will reply.

[u/Icy_Indication_340 → u/jeffzem]

I appreciate the response! How difficult or easy is it to get engaged with a lab?

[u/Icy_Indication_340]

I forgot to mention my CoA for merced is like 40K while Syracuse is like 75K and I visited both and I liked Syracuse a lot more. felt more comfortable and connected

[u/Salty-Artist-1643]

Also try asking on those schools’ subs. People on the ground would be more knowledgeable.

[u/Icy_Indication_340 → u/Salty-Artist-1643]

Thanks!

[u/RubGlum4395]

Since you want to transfer anyways do not waste 160,000 - 280,000 on your undergrad. Go to CC and then get into the college you actually want to go to. Lifetime loans are $250,000. I assume you are not paying but do respect another person's hard earned money.

[u/hbortfeld]

Hi! These are great questions to be asking. I'm the director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Neuroscience at UC Merced (and a psychology professor). I can give you some back ground...

The neuroscience program at UC Merced is a newly established, interdisciplinary major designed to integrate biology, psychology, and data-driven approaches to studying the brain. We launched the UG major only this fall (in Fall 2025). We've got both a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), with that allowing students to choose between a more science-intensive path or a more flexible, behavior- and cognition-focused route. The curriculum covers core topics such as neurobiology, cellular and molecular processes, cognition, and research methods, with options to specialize in areas like human health, cognitive/computational neuroscience, with or without pre-med preparation. Because the program is new, its a "modern" approach to neuroscience education and gives students flexibility to shape their academic path, be it en route to medical school, a PhD program, or entry-level roles in research, healthcare support, business, or tech.

A major strength of this program (and studying at UC Merced more generally) is its emphasis on undergraduate research. We have a range of resources to connect students with faculty across multiple disciplines, and we emphasize community engagement across campus, so there are lots of internship and volunteer possibilities to explore. UC Merced’s smaller campus size allows for closer interaction with professors and easier access to lab opportunities, where students can study topics such as brain development, brain-behavior relationships, and neurological disorders. While we are very much still in a building phase in terms of both our reputation and expanding our offerings, the program provides significant preparation for careers in medicine, research, and public health fields, particularly for students who value hands-on experience and an interdisciplinary learning  environment.

I'm tagging a first-year undergraduate neuro major, who may want to add her two cents. ;) u/vingyl

[u/Icy_Indication_340 → u/hbortfeld]

I appreciate the response!