University of Rochester - thoughts or opinions?

[Anonymous]

what do you mean, crime is not good? I thought it was going great!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would suggest visiting the school first.

Snow aside, the location (Rochester) is less than desireable to put it kindly. It is a dirty, depressed, former industrial town that had its heyday in the post WW2 era and has been declining ever since. The crime is not good. The city was once pretty but is empty and a shell of itself.

My kid was accepted there and was offered a ton of merit, almost full pay. But they couldn't get past the dinginess of the town and the crime. For example, we saw a homeless guy threatening to kill someone they blocked into a bus shelter, at around noon on the perimeter of campus. It is unfortunate that the town of Rochester is such a disappointment, because if it had been any other location with that program and the amount of merit given, my kid would have loved to attend the school.

You might not mind the town, but for us it was a deal breaker.

I really recommend visiting this school before putting it on your list, especially coming from a well run state like Florida.

Interesting. I found Rochester (the city and school) so much nicer than syracuse

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would suggest visiting the school first.

Snow aside, the location (Rochester) is less than desireable to put it kindly. It is a dirty, depressed, former industrial town that had its heyday in the post WW2 era and has been declining ever since. The crime is not good. The city was once pretty but is empty and a shell of itself.

My kid was accepted there and was offered a ton of merit, almost full pay. But they couldn't get past the dinginess of the town and the crime. For example, we saw a homeless guy threatening to kill someone they blocked into a bus shelter, at around noon on the perimeter of campus. It is unfortunate that the town of Rochester is such a disappointment, because if it had been any other location with that program and the amount of merit given, my kid would have loved to attend the school.

You might not mind the town, but for us it was a deal breaker.

I really recommend visiting this school before putting it on your list, especially coming from a well run state like Florida.

Interesting. I found Rochester (the city and school) so much nicer than syracuse

Agree but that's not saying much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would suggest visiting the school first.

Snow aside, the location (Rochester) is less than desireable to put it kindly. It is a dirty, depressed, former industrial town that had its heyday in the post WW2 era and has been declining ever since. The crime is not good. The city was once pretty but is empty and a shell of itself.

My kid was accepted there and was offered a ton of merit, almost full pay. But they couldn't get past the dinginess of the town and the crime. For example, we saw a homeless guy threatening to kill someone they blocked into a bus shelter, at around noon on the perimeter of campus. It is unfortunate that the town of Rochester is such a disappointment, because if it had been any other location with that program and the amount of merit given, my kid would have loved to attend the school.

You might not mind the town, but for us it was a deal breaker.

I really recommend visiting this school before putting it on your list, especially coming from a well run state like Florida.

Interesting. I found Rochester (the city and school) so much nicer than syracuse

Both school and city are nicer than Syracuse. Syracuse is an excellent school as well but a very different experience than Rochester.

[Anonymous]

Rochester is R1 (this is a huge deal!), medium sized, great for music and STEM kids both, and offers great merit aid. Kids are smart and motivated. It has a LOT going for it.

Things that aren't so great:

Rochester the city is depressing.

30+percent of the undergraduates are international students. They are keeping the school afloat, financially, but changing the dynamic of the student body. I have read about undergrads literally flying home to Hong Kong or whatever on private jets.

Cold, grey, yes. But if you can handle that, it seems like a great option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would suggest visiting the school first.

Snow aside, the location (Rochester) is less than desireable to put it kindly. It is a dirty, depressed, former industrial town that had its heyday in the post WW2 era and has been declining ever since. The crime is not good. The city was once pretty but is empty and a shell of itself.

My kid was accepted there and was offered a ton of merit, almost full pay. But they couldn't get past the dinginess of the town and the crime. For example, we saw a homeless guy threatening to kill someone they blocked into a bus shelter, at around noon on the perimeter of campus. It is unfortunate that the town of Rochester is such a disappointment, because if it had been any other location with that program and the amount of merit given, my kid would have loved to attend the school.

You might not mind the town, but for us it was a deal breaker.

I really recommend visiting this school before putting it on your list, especially coming from a well run state like Florida.

Interesting. I found Rochester (the city and school) so much nicer than syracuse

My kid is at rochester and loves it! That being said when we toured initially, our prior day was RPI (Troy NY ) and Cornell. My kid hated those (and I agree I would not subject my kid to even a day at RPI---it was miserable the town is rundown and so tiny.).
So initially, I thought they liked rochester because in comparison it was SO SO SO much nicer of a city and campus. But then I realized they liked it because it is an amazing fit for them. The cluster system allows them to study what they want---they get to dance for one of their clusters (which they would be doing anyhow). It's filled with lots of really smart, really motivated kids who applied to many T25s and just didn't get fall freshman year admission (most of them got 1-3+ versions of transfer/spring start/WL at those T25 schools). Does my kid want to stay in Rochester post graduation? hell no, but it's a great city for 4 years, and the school is amazing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would suggest visiting the school first.

Snow aside, the location (Rochester) is less than desireable to put it kindly. It is a dirty, depressed, former industrial town that had its heyday in the post WW2 era and has been declining ever since. The crime is not good. The city was once pretty but is empty and a shell of itself.

My kid was accepted there and was offered a ton of merit, almost full pay. But they couldn't get past the dinginess of the town and the crime. For example, we saw a homeless guy threatening to kill someone they blocked into a bus shelter, at around noon on the perimeter of campus. It is unfortunate that the town of Rochester is such a disappointment, because if it had been any other location with that program and the amount of merit given, my kid would have loved to attend the school.

You might not mind the town, but for us it was a deal breaker.

I really recommend visiting this school before putting it on your list, especially coming from a well run state like Florida.

Interesting. I found Rochester (the city and school) so much nicer than syracuse

My kid is at rochester and loves it! That being said when we toured initially, our prior day was RPI (Troy NY ) and Cornell. My kid hated those (and I agree I would not subject my kid to even a day at RPI---it was miserable the town is rundown and so tiny.).
So initially, I thought they liked rochester because in comparison it was SO SO SO much nicer of a city and campus. But then I realized they liked it because it is an amazing fit for them. The cluster system allows them to study what they want---they get to dance for one of their clusters (which they would be doing anyhow). It's filled with lots of really smart, really motivated kids who applied to many T25s and just didn't get fall freshman year admission (most of them got 1-3+ versions of transfer/spring start/WL at those T25 schools). Does my kid want to stay in Rochester post graduation? hell no, but it's a great city for 4 years, and the school is amazing.

Thanks for posting!

My DC has applied RD and is very much hoping to be accepted. Could you say what your DC is studying? Os there much flexibilty for changing majors (outside of the medical school)?

[Anonymous]

In my DC's year the kid who really ended up punching above weight went to Rochester. Landed great internships and permanent job. I'll assume this largely reflects the individual, but the school provided support and mentorship every step of the way.

[Anonymous]

Rochester is a great school, but it is in Rochester. For many that is a deal breaker.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would suggest visiting the school first.

Snow aside, the location (Rochester) is less than desireable to put it kindly. It is a dirty, depressed, former industrial town that had its heyday in the post WW2 era and has been declining ever since. The crime is not good. The city was once pretty but is empty and a shell of itself.

My kid was accepted there and was offered a ton of merit, almost full pay. But they couldn't get past the dinginess of the town and the crime. For example, we saw a homeless guy threatening to kill someone they blocked into a bus shelter, at around noon on the perimeter of campus. It is unfortunate that the town of Rochester is such a disappointment, because if it had been any other location with that program and the amount of merit given, my kid would have loved to attend the school.

You might not mind the town, but for us it was a deal breaker.

I really recommend visiting this school before putting it on your list, especially coming from a well run state like Florida.

Interesting. I found Rochester (the city and school) so much nicer than syracuse

My kid is at rochester and loves it! That being said when we toured initially, our prior day was RPI (Troy NY ) and Cornell. My kid hated those (and I agree I would not subject my kid to even a day at RPI---it was miserable the town is rundown and so tiny.).
So initially, I thought they liked rochester because in comparison it was SO SO SO much nicer of a city and campus. But then I realized they liked it because it is an amazing fit for them. The cluster system allows them to study what they want---they get to dance for one of their clusters (which they would be doing anyhow). It's filled with lots of really smart, really motivated kids who applied to many T25s and just didn't get fall freshman year admission (most of them got 1-3+ versions of transfer/spring start/WL at those T25 schools). Does my kid want to stay in Rochester post graduation? hell no, but it's a great city for 4 years, and the school is amazing.

Thanks for posting!

My DC has applied RD and is very much hoping to be accepted. Could you say what your DC is studying? Os there much flexibilty for changing majors (outside of the medical school)?

My kid is an engineering major. There is a ton of flexibility for changing majors. Outside of Music (and possibly Nursing--not sure) your kid can switch to ANY major. You are not admitted to a specific major, you can enter undeclared. However, if you want engineering, it's best to start as "engineering" because you need the basic math and sciences to be on track to finish in 4 years. At Rochester, many of the engineering specific courses are only offered one semester, so to stay on track by fall sophomore year, you need to be in your specific engineering major or you would need an extra year.

But that is the beauty of UR, you can switch majors easily. The cluster system allows you to try new areas and then go more in depth learning for things you enjoy. Most Humanities/Social Science majors have 2-3 minors, simply because you are 40-50% of the way towards a minor with a cluster. So why not finish the minor off with the rest of your "free courses" (H/SS majors have a lot of open electives)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rochester is a great school, but it is in Rochester. For many that is a deal breaker.

Yes, my kid is there, they love it. But the city of Rochester is not why they selected it. They were able to overlook that and see how amazing the school itself and all the opportunities you get is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would suggest visiting the school first.

Snow aside, the location (Rochester) is less than desireable to put it kindly. It is a dirty, depressed, former industrial town that had its heyday in the post WW2 era and has been declining ever since. The crime is not good. The city was once pretty but is empty and a shell of itself.

My kid was accepted there and was offered a ton of merit, almost full pay. But they couldn't get past the dinginess of the town and the crime. For example, we saw a homeless guy threatening to kill someone they blocked into a bus shelter, at around noon on the perimeter of campus. It is unfortunate that the town of Rochester is such a disappointment, because if it had been any other location with that program and the amount of merit given, my kid would have loved to attend the school.

You might not mind the town, but for us it was a deal breaker.

I really recommend visiting this school before putting it on your list, especially coming from a well run state like Florida.

Interesting. I found Rochester (the city and school) so much nicer than syracuse

My kid is at rochester and loves it! That being said when we toured initially, our prior day was RPI (Troy NY ) and Cornell. My kid hated those (and I agree I would not subject my kid to even a day at RPI---it was miserable the town is rundown and so tiny.).
So initially, I thought they liked rochester because in comparison it was SO SO SO much nicer of a city and campus. But then I realized they liked it because it is an amazing fit for them. The cluster system allows them to study what they want---they get to dance for one of their clusters (which they would be doing anyhow). It's filled with lots of really smart, really motivated kids who applied to many T25s and just didn't get fall freshman year admission (most of them got 1-3+ versions of transfer/spring start/WL at those T25 schools). Does my kid want to stay in Rochester post graduation? hell no, but it's a great city for 4 years, and the school is amazing.

Thanks for posting!

My DC has applied RD and is very much hoping to be accepted. Could you say what your DC is studying? Os there much flexibilty for changing majors (outside of the medical school)?

My kid is an engineering major. There is a ton of flexibility for changing majors. Outside of Music (and possibly Nursing--not sure) your kid can switch to ANY major. You are not admitted to a specific major, you can enter undeclared. However, if you want engineering, it's best to start as "engineering" because you need the basic math and sciences to be on track to finish in 4 years. At Rochester, many of the engineering specific courses are only offered one semester, so to stay on track by fall sophomore year, you need to be in your specific engineering major or you would need an extra year.

But that is the beauty of UR, you can switch majors easily. The cluster system allows you to try new areas and then go more in depth learning for things you enjoy. Most Humanities/Social Science majors have 2-3 minors, simply because you are 40-50% of the way towards a minor with a cluster. So why not finish the minor off with the rest of your "free courses" (H/SS majors have a lot of open electives)?

Thank you. my DC is looking at quant heavy SS or math. Good to hear the flexibility is real.

[Anonymous]

Definitely check out College Confidential for some honest feedback: https://talk.collegeconfidential.com/t/our-review-thumbs-down/3673849
We won't be considering it for our daughter, the crime rate around campus is just too high for our comfort level (and she attends a HS that's located downtown in a mid-sized city, so she does know how to navigate a metropolitan area, but it's still off our list)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would suggest visiting the school first.

Snow aside, the location (Rochester) is less than desireable to put it kindly. It is a dirty, depressed, former industrial town that had its heyday in the post WW2 era and has been declining ever since. The crime is not good. The city was once pretty but is empty and a shell of itself.

My kid was accepted there and was offered a ton of merit, almost full pay. But they couldn't get past the dinginess of the town and the crime. For example, we saw a homeless guy threatening to kill someone they blocked into a bus shelter, at around noon on the perimeter of campus. It is unfortunate that the town of Rochester is such a disappointment, because if it had been any other location with that program and the amount of merit given, my kid would have loved to attend the school.

You might not mind the town, but for us it was a deal breaker.

I really recommend visiting this school before putting it on your list, especially coming from a well run state like Florida.

Interesting. I found Rochester (the city and school) so much nicer than syracuse

My kid is at rochester and loves it! That being said when we toured initially, our prior day was RPI (Troy NY ) and Cornell. My kid hated those (and I agree I would not subject my kid to even a day at RPI---it was miserable the town is rundown and so tiny.).
So initially, I thought they liked rochester because in comparison it was SO SO SO much nicer of a city and campus. But then I realized they liked it because it is an amazing fit for them. The cluster system allows them to study what they want---they get to dance for one of their clusters (which they would be doing anyhow). It's filled with lots of really smart, really motivated kids who applied to many T25s and just didn't get fall freshman year admission (most of them got 1-3+ versions of transfer/spring start/WL at those T25 schools). Does my kid want to stay in Rochester post graduation? hell no, but it's a great city for 4 years, and the school is amazing.

Thanks for posting!

My DC has applied RD and is very much hoping to be accepted. Could you say what your DC is studying? Os there much flexibilty for changing majors (outside of the medical school)?

If you are applying for music ir dual degree, Eastman gives incredible music scholarships.

My kid (did not attend) was awarded one of the named scholarships for Eastman. It covered enough tuition (needs blind) that I think we would have paid less than $10,000/year tuition plus dorm, cheaper than going to a Virginia state university. They would have been able to earn degrees in both music at the conservatory and engineering at the university.

They ended up turning it down because of the town and an acceptance at a higher ranked school, but if the location had been more attractive they would have jumped at the opportunity to train at Eastman.

If your kid is music, watch for scholarships. Eastman is VERY generous, and only considers talent for the music scholarships. A CSS or FAFSA is not required to be considered for a music scholarship.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would suggest visiting the school first.

Snow aside, the location (Rochester) is less than desireable to put it kindly. It is a dirty, depressed, former industrial town that had its heyday in the post WW2 era and has been declining ever since. The crime is not good. The city was once pretty but is empty and a shell of itself.

My kid was accepted there and was offered a ton of merit, almost full pay. But they couldn't get past the dinginess of the town and the crime. For example, we saw a homeless guy threatening to kill someone they blocked into a bus shelter, at around noon on the perimeter of campus. It is unfortunate that the town of Rochester is such a disappointment, because if it had been any other location with that program and the amount of merit given, my kid would have loved to attend the school.

You might not mind the town, but for us it was a deal breaker.

I really recommend visiting this school before putting it on your list, especially coming from a well run state like Florida.

Interesting. I found Rochester (the city and school) so much nicer than syracuse

My kid is at rochester and loves it! That being said when we toured initially, our prior day was RPI (Troy NY ) and Cornell. My kid hated those (and I agree I would not subject my kid to even a day at RPI---it was miserable the town is rundown and so tiny.).
So initially, I thought they liked rochester because in comparison it was SO SO SO much nicer of a city and campus. But then I realized they liked it because it is an amazing fit for them. The cluster system allows them to study what they want---they get to dance for one of their clusters (which they would be doing anyhow). It's filled with lots of really smart, really motivated kids who applied to many T25s and just didn't get fall freshman year admission (most of them got 1-3+ versions of transfer/spring start/WL at those T25 schools). Does my kid want to stay in Rochester post graduation? hell no, but it's a great city for 4 years, and the school is amazing.

Thanks for posting!

My DC has applied RD and is very much hoping to be accepted. Could you say what your DC is studying? Os there much flexibilty for changing majors (outside of the medical school)?

My kid is an engineering major. There is a ton of flexibility for changing majors. Outside of Music (and possibly Nursing--not sure) your kid can switch to ANY major. You are not admitted to a specific major, you can enter undeclared. However, if you want engineering, it's best to start as "engineering" because you need the basic math and sciences to be on track to finish in 4 years. At Rochester, many of the engineering specific courses are only offered one semester, so to stay on track by fall sophomore year, you need to be in your specific engineering major or you would need an extra year.

But that is the beauty of UR, you can switch majors easily. The cluster system allows you to try new areas and then go more in depth learning for things you enjoy. Most Humanities/Social Science majors have 2-3 minors, simply because you are 40-50% of the way towards a minor with a cluster. So why not finish the minor off with the rest of your "free courses" (H/SS majors have a lot of open electives)?

Thank you. my DC is looking at quant heavy SS or math. Good to hear the flexibility is real.

Freshman year, my kid decided to minor in CS. Took the first 3 courses (retook first despite having AP credit). No issues at all, easy to get into the classes, you don't declare major/minors until spring sophomore year (and can change after that, if you want, just might be difficult to complete it in 4 years). They decided not to minor in CS after all, no issues either, they were able to explore it and decided their interest lie elsewhere, so no harm. Now have 3 CS courses on their transcript.

Yes, the flexibility is real and part of why so many love the school. My kid took Freshman writing (got into a Taylor swift course) and their sophomore "writing for engineering" and those are the only required courses outside their major. They get to pick the rest and enjoy them. No history, or literature or religion or philosophy required, unless that interests you.