Tell me about U Rochester

[Anonymous]

Good school, bad weather. Springtime in Rochester is wonderful!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s a great place with motivated students. But hard to justify the cost of comparing with a good public school like Pitt or UC Davis.

Pitt is not public

Yes it is.

[Anonymous]

This was my daughter's first choice, until she interacted with an athletic coach who was a bit...manipulative? Weird? Anyway, the campus in warm weather is lovely. Can walk to some nice things. One strange aspect is that the fraternities have houses on campus but the sororities do not. This also turned off daughter who has no objection to sororities but found it pretty 1950s. Academics seemed great. Tour was fantastic. Weather is so subjective. Didn't bother my daughter at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are better schools... but if you're happy, I'm happy.

What an assholish comment.

DP
Assholier than thou, even.

[Anonymous]

Surrounding neighborhood is not very good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s a great place with motivated students. But hard to justify the cost of comparing with a good public school like Pitt or UC Davis.

Pitt is not public

Yes it is.

[Anonymous]

Very pretty campus. Sheltered and safe - not actually “in the city”. It’s adjacent, which I see as a plus because the students are not isolated. They have off-campus options if they want them or can live a very campus-focused life if they prefer. Greek life is an option but not at all dominant or required.

Smart kids, excellent academics, and real opportunities to connect with faculty. Lots of clubs and activities for kids who want to try new things and get involved.

I think it’s the weather that seems to keep people away. Rochester gets a bad rap that way. So here’s my take:

The snow and cold weather are real, and yet completely manageable. Kids don’t let it slow them down at all. (Get them a warm coat, good boots, plus a hat and gloves, and they’ll be just fine!) The tunnels are truly for people’s convenience, not a necessity.

But the grey skies during Jan, Feb, and March are rough. It’s less about the snow and more that during those months, it can be completely cloudy for days on end. This, to me, is the only thing Rochester has going against it.

But people live for the spring, and April and May are beautiful. Same for September, October, November, and December. (Snow tends to be light those last two months of the year and is new enough to feel festive.)

Finally, if your kid enjoys skiing or wants to learn, that’s super convenient. Bristol mountain is 45 minutes south, and there’s a bigger mountain with more trails 1.5 hours west near Buffalo.

[Anonymous]

OP again-
All very helpful- thank you!

[Anonymous]

Pitt is public

[Anonymous]

Pitt is actually a “state-related” school. Same for Penn State and Temple. They are only funded partially by the state. PA’s true state schools are:

https://www.passhe.edu/universities/index.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Very pretty campus. Sheltered and safe - not actually “in the city”. It’s adjacent, which I see as a plus because the students are not isolated. They have off-campus options if they want them or can live a very campus-focused life if they prefer. Greek life is an option but not at all dominant or required.

Smart kids, excellent academics, and real opportunities to connect with faculty. Lots of clubs and activities for kids who want to try new things and get involved.

I think it’s the weather that seems to keep people away. Rochester gets a bad rap that way. So here’s my take:

The snow and cold weather are real, and yet completely manageable. Kids don’t let it slow them down at all. (Get them a warm coat, good boots, plus a hat and gloves, and they’ll be just fine!) The tunnels are truly for people’s convenience, not a necessity.

But the grey skies during Jan, Feb, and March are rough. It’s less about the snow and more that during those months, it can be completely cloudy for days on end. This, to me, is the only thing Rochester has going against it.

But people live for the spring, and April and May are beautiful. Same for September, October, November, and December. (Snow tends to be light those last two months of the year and is new enough to feel festive.)

Finally, if your kid enjoys skiing or wants to learn, that’s super convenient. Bristol mountain is 45 minutes south, and there’s a bigger mountain with more trails 1.5 hours west near Buffalo.

I was curious about the same thing, OP. The school seems to have a lot going for it and bad weather doesn't seem to keep tons of kids around here from applying to Cornell, Syracuse, Colgate, and UVM...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pitt is actually a “state-related” school. Same for Penn State and Temple. They are only funded partially by the state. PA’s true state schools are:

https://www.passhe.edu/universities/index.html

Let’s not split hairs. Those three schools have in state and out of state tuition. They are state schools for anyone applying to college.

[Anonymous]

Ontario Lake in spring and summer is wonderful!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ontario Lake in spring and summer is wonderful!

Yes! And Canandaigua (45 minutes south) and the other Finger Lakes. Great AirBNB rentals there in May and September, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Very pretty campus. Sheltered and safe - not actually “in the city”. It’s adjacent, which I see as a plus because the students are not isolated. They have off-campus options if they want them or can live a very campus-focused life if they prefer. Greek life is an option but not at all dominant or required.

Smart kids, excellent academics, and real opportunities to connect with faculty. Lots of clubs and activities for kids who want to try new things and get involved.

I think it’s the weather that seems to keep people away. Rochester gets a bad rap that way. So here’s my take:

The snow and cold weather are real, and yet completely manageable. Kids don’t let it slow them down at all. (Get them a warm coat, good boots, plus a hat and gloves, and they’ll be just fine!) The tunnels are truly for people’s convenience, not a necessity.

But the grey skies during Jan, Feb, and March are rough. It’s less about the snow and more that during those months, it can be completely cloudy for days on end. This, to me, is the only thing Rochester has going against it.

But people live for the spring, and April and May are beautiful. Same for September, October, November, and December. (Snow tends to be light those last two months of the year and is new enough to feel festive.)

Finally, if your kid enjoys skiing or wants to learn, that’s super convenient. Bristol mountain is 45 minutes south, and there’s a bigger mountain with more trails 1.5 hours west near Buffalo.

I was curious about the same thing, OP. The school seems to have a lot going for it and bad weather doesn't seem to keep tons of kids around here from applying to Cornell, Syracuse, Colgate, and UVM...

Cornell and Syracuse have way bigger name recognition.

Cornell is an Ivy, for those who care about that.

Syracuse has big D1 sports and a real school spirit vibe. (U if R is DIII.)

It’s also a numbers thing. Both Cornell and Syracuse are much bigger - about 20,000 undergrad compared to about 10,00 at the University of Rochester. So more applications heading their way, too.

I think University of Rochester is a relatively hidden gem for the DC area. (In terms of access, it’s an easy drive - 6 hours or so - or a short plane ride away. The school is very close to the airport, too.)