UMD vs Pitt

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maryland campus/quad looks nice. Then you realize you are living in the absolute strip mall fast food dump that is College Park. Pitt by a mile for overall experience.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand the love for Pitt here. I'm a Pennsylvania native, and my parents used to use the prospect of Pitt as a threat: "If you don't find a way to get that A, you'll end up at Pitt" and "We can't afford to pay for the schools you want to attend, so if you don't pull off that scholarship, you'll end up at Pitt." My friends' parents said similar things.

And indeed, the kids who ended up at Pitt (my brothers included) were not stupid, but were not exactly academic powerhouses. It's a school for high average kids who don't want to or can't get the grades for a truly excellent school. Sure, it's improved a bit, but it isn't a great school by any means.

Haha I hear this for sure. I think the reason it's gotten so popular is two fold:
1. rolling admissions, so alot of people apply and get in early, which helps them get connected to the school early on.
2. recently known for very good merit.

Yes, I would add
3. Pitt makes shadowing, internships, medical scribing, clinicals for nursing easy for students in the health sciences/pre-med. 5 hospitals within walking distance.

Personally, I found the area around Pitt to be rather gritty, not like Boston in that sense. Pitt does have great school spirit that shines through. The Cathedral of Learning is a unique academia building. I would personally love to see the pre-professional theatre performances at next-door Carnegie Mellon, but my tour guide didn't know anything about them. The freshman dorms look kind of gross, IMHO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand the love for Pitt here. I'm a Pennsylvania native, and my parents used to use the prospect of Pitt as a threat: "If you don't find a way to get that A, you'll end up at Pitt" and "We can't afford to pay for the schools you want to attend, so if you don't pull off that scholarship, you'll end up at Pitt." My friends' parents said similar things.

And indeed, the kids who ended up at Pitt (my brothers included) were not stupid, but were not exactly academic powerhouses. It's a school for high average kids who don't want to or can't get the grades for a truly excellent school. Sure, it's improved a bit, but it isn't a great school by any means.

Haha I hear this for sure. I think the reason it's gotten so popular is two fold:
1. rolling admissions, so alot of people apply and get in early, which helps them get connected to the school early on.
2. recently known for very good merit.

Yes, I would add
3. Pitt makes shadowing, internships, medical scribing, clinicals for nursing easy for students in the health sciences/pre-med. 5 hospitals within walking distance.

Personally, I found the area around Pitt to be rather gritty, not like Boston in that sense. Pitt does have great school spirit that shines through. The Cathedral of Learning is a unique academia building. I would personally love to see the pre-professional theatre performances at next-door Carnegie Mellon, but my tour guide didn't know anything about them. The freshman dorms look kind of gross, IMHO.

+1. Yes, I have direct experience with both Boston and Oakland, and there is no comparison. I'm the PP whose brothers had to go to Pitt; I went to college in Boston. I did visit my brothers and high school friends at Pitt, and their dorms were indeed "kind of gross", ranging from grubby and run-down to newer but charmless and a bit institutional. Yes, the Cathedral is lovely, but that is ONE building on the "campus." I would have been so very depressed if I had "ended up at Pitt", which is how my family described my brothers' path there. I attended a few classes with my best friend, and the class discussions were not particularly awe-inspiring.

[Anonymous]

Pittsburgh has changed a great deal in the decades since your brothers went to school there. Your a data point is outdated and invalid.

Mom of happy Pitt student who loves the city.

H2P

[Anonymous]

Guess Pitt is running of applicants. Rolling in!

[Anonymous]

out of

[Anonymous]

applying to pitt has a tremendous value many schools can not satisfy. having "one in the bag" relieves a lot of stress for kids (and parents). you, obviously, don't have to attend (and many don't) but still rolling admission is a stress reliever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maryland campus/quad looks nice. Then you realize you are living in the absolute strip mall fast food dump that is College Park. Pitt by a mile for overall experience.

?

Being able to hop on the metro or drive downtown for internships, shopping or clubbing is priceless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:applying to pitt has a tremendous value many schools can not satisfy. having "one in the bag" relieves a lot of stress for kids (and parents). you, obviously, don't have to attend (and many don't) but still rolling admission is a stress reliever.

Why Pitt though? There are plenty of schools with rolling admissions that will admit top students from NOVA quickly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:applying to pitt has a tremendous value many schools can not satisfy. having "one in the bag" relieves a lot of stress for kids (and parents). you, obviously, don't have to attend (and many don't) but still rolling admission is a stress reliever.

Why Pitt though? There are plenty of schools with rolling admissions that will admit top students from NOVA quickly.

The other well-known schools with rolling admission are Penn State and Michigan State. Michigan State is further away and Penn State is in a rural area. Hence Pitt is a popular choice.

OOS tuition at Pitt and Penn State are also lower than other OOS tuition (like Michigan).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pittsburgh has changed a great deal in the decades since your brothers went to school there. Your a data point is outdated and invalid.

Mom of happy Pitt student who loves the city.

H2P

My youngest brother graduated 6 years ago, so hardly “decades ago.” I was very involved in his admission process because our mother had died by then. There really was no fundamental change in Pitt it the caliber of student it attracted by then from the time the older brothers had attended. It is a good school for kids who are upper average, but not academic powerhouses. It isn’t a lovely campus, and the housing is adequate but devoid of charm, which is consistent with Pitt’s working class roots. Pitt is not an excellent school, but it is good enough. I was disappointed my youngest brother couldn’t do better, sure, but he had loads of fun and now has a good Job as an engineer. He’s happy. If your kid could have gotten into somewhere better, you would have encouraged him to go; I am sure he will get a fine education at Pitt, but let’s not pretend Pitt is excellent. It just isn’t.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand the love for Pitt here. I'm a Pennsylvania native, and my parents used to use the prospect of Pitt as a threat: "If you don't find a way to get that A, you'll end up at Pitt" and "We can't afford to pay for the schools you want to attend, so if you don't pull off that scholarship, you'll end up at Pitt." My friends' parents said similar things.

And indeed, the kids who ended up at Pitt (my brothers included) were not stupid, but were not exactly academic powerhouses. It's a school for high average kids who don't want to or can't get the grades for a truly excellent school. Sure, it's improved a bit, but it isn't a great school by any means.

Haha I hear this for sure. I think the reason it's gotten so popular is two fold:
1. rolling admissions, so alot of people apply and get in early, which helps them get connected to the school early on.
2. recently known for very good merit.

Yes, I would add
3. Pitt makes shadowing, internships, medical scribing, clinicals for nursing easy for students in the health sciences/pre-med. 5 hospitals within walking distance.

Personally, I found the area around Pitt to be rather gritty, not like Boston in that sense. Pitt does have great school spirit that shines through. The Cathedral of Learning is a unique academia building. I would personally love to see the pre-professional theatre performances at next-door Carnegie Mellon, but my tour guide didn't know anything about them. The freshman dorms look kind of gross, IMHO.

+1. Yes, I have direct experience with both Boston and Oakland, and there is no comparison. I'm the PP whose brothers had to go to Pitt; I went to college in Boston. I did visit my brothers and high school friends at Pitt, and their dorms were indeed "kind of gross", ranging from grubby and run-down to newer but charmless and a bit institutional. Yes, the Cathedral is lovely, but that is ONE building on the "campus." I would have been so very depressed if I had "ended up at Pitt", which is how my family described my brothers' path there. I attended a few classes with my best friend, and the class discussions were not particularly awe-inspiring.

Honestly, I have known some very strong students who have chosen to go to Pitt, so they must be doing something right, especially in terms of merit aid. I've heard that Pittsburgh as a whole has experienced a Renaissance. I just know that when I drove to campus (last year), the area that I drove to approaching Pitt was rather gritty, reminding me of Baltimore. The area struck me as noisy, with the sound of ambulances and even a medical helicopter overhead. When I drove away from Pitt, the other side adjacent to campus seemed a bit better. Yes, there are wonderful restaurants in Pittsburgh and much lovelier areas of the city. Every other college that I visited had nicer options for freshman dorms, though. Perhaps the private apartments that Pitt students live in as upperclassmen are better.

[Anonymous]

That is ironic, because I had never been to Pittsburgh, and was expecting it to be like Baltimore - blue collar and gritty, and was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't. There are tons of HQ companies in Pittsburgh which are great for internships, the hospital for anything medical, etc.

We get it, YOU don't like Pitt and think less of your brother for attending. Now back off and leave the rest of us, and our happy kids who graduate debt free, alone.

H2P

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pittsburgh has changed a great deal in the decades since your brothers went to school there. Your a data point is outdated and invalid.

Mom of happy Pitt student who loves the city.

H2P

My youngest brother graduated 6 years ago, so hardly “decades ago.” I was very involved in his admission process because our mother had died by then. There really was no fundamental change in Pitt it the caliber of student it attracted by then from the time the older brothers had attended. It is a good school for kids who are upper average, but not academic powerhouses. It isn’t a lovely campus, and the housing is adequate but devoid of charm, which is consistent with Pitt’s working class roots. Pitt is not an excellent school, but it is good enough. I was disappointed my youngest brother couldn’t do better, sure, but he had loads of fun and now has a good Job as an engineer. He’s happy. If your kid could have gotten into somewhere better, you would have encouraged him to go; I am sure he will get a fine education at Pitt, but let’s not pretend Pitt is excellent. It just isn’t.

Who hurt you? Let go of your “disappointment” in your brother’s education. Your weird posts about Pitt are very telling about your own insecurities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand the love for Pitt here. I'm a Pennsylvania native, and my parents used to use the prospect of Pitt as a threat: "If you don't find a way to get that A, you'll end up at Pitt" and "We can't afford to pay for the schools you want to attend, so if you don't pull off that scholarship, you'll end up at Pitt." My friends' parents said similar things.

And indeed, the kids who ended up at Pitt (my brothers included) were not stupid, but were not exactly academic powerhouses. It's a school for high average kids who don't want to or can't get the grades for a truly excellent school. Sure, it's improved a bit, but it isn't a great school by any means.

Don't worry, we're usually just as snobby as you are, but some of us have "high average kids" and would like to be somewhat enthusiastic about their futures, even if they are deciding between Pitt and Maryland rather than Penn and Swarthmore.