What about University of Pittsburgh?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, I have a question about Pitt and their rolling admissions. It seems like EVERYONE applies there now. So …

1.) Is this damaging to kids like mine, who I would call a TRUE fit for Pitt? Not top of the class, just a solid student.

2.) Is this messing up their yield? Like, are the kids who might also get into UVa or Penn, etc., using it as a safety school, getting in, then deciding on better colleges?

As to 1, I don’t think so. Go to College Confidential. Lots of kids reporting they already have offers with GPAs below a 4.0:weighted and SATs below a 1400, especially for Dietrich.

As to 2, yes. I think it messes with their yield. It would have to. The point of rolling admissions is to be a safety school. But they are huge, and can absorb it better than a small school. But maybe not as much as you think. What they are doing very well for a large public is recruiting, creating goodwill, treating the kids like they are really wanted, giving money, giving honors college, and selling the school. Last year they had 110 apply (average 4.12 W/1511) 109 accepted and low 30s attend. That’s not a bad yield for a school that nearly all applicants consider a safety. GMU is also a safety, and it’s yield is awful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We were very surprised at how much we liked it when DC visited. Good academics, nicer campus than we imagined, and a very positive vibe from the students. It reminded me of Richmond to the extent that both are working aggressively to break into more of a national ranking, except Pitt seems more generous with aid which is probably a function of size. Give it 4-5 years and Pitt will probably be much more difficult to get into.

This was us to. We went as a nearby possible safety. I did not expect to like it as much as I did.

[Anonymous]

If I was a PA resident, I would be pissed that our state school was recruiting and sending merit money OOS. But hey— I’m not, so bring it on.

[Anonymous]

^thanks PP..

We went to Pittsburgh as a stopover, and we were actually impressed with the city. I like that UPitt students can take classes an CMU. I didn't know that. Honors college is a good option, especially if they offer merit aid. USNWR ranked it as #57. Ranked higher than VT or UMDCP. Out of state tuition is actually not that bad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We were very surprised at how much we liked it when DC visited. Good academics, nicer campus than we imagined, and a very positive vibe from the students. It reminded me of Richmond to the extent that both are working aggressively to break into more of a national ranking, except Pitt seems more generous with aid which is probably a function of size. Give it 4-5 years and Pitt will probably be much more difficult to get into.

A quick glance at both common data sets demonstrates that Pitt isn’t even close to being as generous with aid of either the need- or merit-based variety.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Aren't there approximately 100 threads on this very topic? Seems like there is one a week. Have you searched the forum?

NP, there are tons of mentions of Pitt on this forum as an admissions strategy bc DC can get that rolling admission in his/her back pocket. From what I can tell, most of these mentions say kid liked it on the tour, applied early got-in, kid went somewhere else. So there is actually a dearth of real substance info. about what its like to attend Pitt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We were very surprised at how much we liked it when DC visited. Good academics, nicer campus than we imagined, and a very positive vibe from the students. It reminded me of Richmond to the extent that both are working aggressively to break into more of a national ranking, except Pitt seems more generous with aid which is probably a function of size. Give it 4-5 years and Pitt will probably be much more difficult to get into.

Richmond has been a nationally ranked school for a long time. Hard to get merit there, though.

[Anonymous]

We were super impressed. My kid ended up elsewhere, but Swanson was fantastic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We were very surprised at how much we liked it when DC visited. Good academics, nicer campus than we imagined, and a very positive vibe from the students. It reminded me of Richmond to the extent that both are working aggressively to break into more of a national ranking, except Pitt seems more generous with aid which is probably a function of size. Give it 4-5 years and Pitt will probably be much more difficult to get into.

A quick glance at both common data sets demonstrates that Pitt isn’t even close to being as generous with aid of either the need- or merit-based variety.

Again, don't let the facts get in the way.

[Anonymous]

I've got a kid here, and he loves it.

It's got good academics, but is not a place where kids seem stressed (the downside of that I suspect is that non-motivated kids could just do the bare minimum to get through). Lots of really strong majors.

It's big, and has something for everyone, whether they are frat bros, sports fans, science geeks, or artists. My child has discovered several subject areas that he has unexpectedly enjoyed, and is now in a major that he did not foresee.

Location is great - the Oakland neighborhood is safe and fun, and the city as a whole has tons more and is a perfect size for kids on their own for the first time.

And, as others have noted, it is a school that is trying hard - to provide a good experience for students, and to recruit more good students to attend.

I'm really glad my child ended up at Pitt.

[Anonymous]

My kid attended Pitt.

The positives were that it’s a good school with lots of solid kids in a very student-friendly area in an interesting city that is convenient to the DC area. There are many different majors. There is a sizable contingent of students from the area and Pitt runs buses from Pitt to Montgomery Mall before and after major holidays. For the most part, the kids seem happy to be there.

The kids are less spoiled than at some of the public and private high schools in the DC region. DS started working part-time while there, because he saw his friends working part-time, even though we hadn’t pushed him to get a job. That work ethic stayed with him post-Pitt.

The negatives were that it wasn’t always easy to get the classes he wanted; some classes were taught by grad students who lacked teaching skills; the weather can be very gloomy; and some of the off-campus housing in Oakland exemplifies a “student ghetto.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid attended Pitt.

The positives were that it’s a good school with lots of solid kids in a very student-friendly area in an interesting city that is convenient to the DC area. There are many different majors. There is a sizable contingent of students from the area and Pitt runs buses from Pitt to Montgomery Mall before and after major holidays. For the most part, the kids seem happy to be there.

The kids are less spoiled than at some of the public and private high schools in the DC region. DS started working part-time while there, because he saw his friends working part-time, even though we hadn’t pushed him to get a job. That work ethic stayed with him post-Pitt.

The negatives were that it wasn’t always easy to get the classes he wanted; some classes were taught by grad students who lacked teaching skills; the weather can be very gloomy; and some of the off-campus housing in Oakland exemplifies a “student ghetto.”

PP do you know if dorms are available for 4 yrs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We were very surprised at how much we liked it when DC visited. Good academics, nicer campus than we imagined, and a very positive vibe from the students. It reminded me of Richmond to the extent that both are working aggressively to break into more of a national ranking, except Pitt seems more generous with aid which is probably a function of size. Give it 4-5 years and Pitt will probably be much more difficult to get into.

A quick glance at both common data sets demonstrates that Pitt isn’t even close to being as generous with aid of either the need- or merit-based variety.

Well, Richmond is private, so it costs twice as much...

[Anonymous]

I went there and loved it. I'd love my kids to go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“Full tuition to TJ kids who apply”? Did you intend to make it sound like every TJ kid was offered this? Because that’s not true.

Don't let the facts get in the way.

Okay. To be clear, every kid is not getting full tuition. But it seems that every kid I know who applied got an initial offer that undercut VT. Superstars maxed out. And kids who were in the top 2/3 or so (say 4.0w/1500) and who hung on until April and evaluated their options— just didn’t give them an early answer— got an unsolicited merit offer raise in the spring, often to full tuition. They being aggressive with merit aid. And most (but not all) get an honors college offer.

Better?

NP here. All your info was so helpful PP. Thank you!