Tell Me About U of Rochester & Syracuse
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Anonymous
| We didn't have time to visit the campuses. We've never been to either city, either. What can you share that might give us greater insight than an online tour? |
Anonymous
| both pretty crappy areas off campus. oh and cold and dark make sure to visit in the winter months when they see it gets dark at 4 pm and the cold is not like the cold here it is really cold |
Anonymous
| IMO Syracuse is dreary and Rochester is beautiful |
Anonymous
| Can’t speak to Syracuse but University of Rochester is a great school with a beautiful campus. My DS applied two years ago and got a Dean’s scholarship but the amount was still too small to make it affordable for us. The weather is really not that bad up there. (Have family there.) Nobody freaks out when it snows and streets are cleared instantly. Plus, there are underground tunnels at University of Rochester that connect key buildings. |
Anonymous
|
Extremely, totally different places.
Syracuse is basically a degree-granting shopping mall for suburban kids. It’s a great place to go and accumulate some student loans. Rochester is a world-renowned research university. It is tough to get into. They are affiliated with several Nobel and MacArthur winners. They have relatively generous $$ aid and are very well funded. |
Anonymous
Nice. 
Syracuse is great for some things -- journalism, public policy, maybe a few more things. I agree that it's overpriced for what it is. But it's a good, fun, all-around kind of school. Rochester is a nice city, and seems like it is really getting better after the economic downturn that most of upstate NY has had. Nice arts & culture offerings, great parks, trails, etc. |
Anonymous
|
Newhouse (journalism) and Maxwell (IA/public policy) at Syracuse are gems, and there are some interesting dual-degree programs between schools. Hilly campus but manageable. There's a Greek presence but it doesn't dominate the social scene.
Syracuse itself is a gritty rust belt city that has never really recovered. The town-gown relations are not great, nor are race relations within the city. However, if you get out of town, there's a lot of natural beauty. It's a manageable drive to the Finger Lakes, Adirondacks, Montreal, thousand islands, etc. Four-hour train ride to NYC. The lake effect can't be overstated. October and mid-May/early June are lovely. It starts snowing around Halloween and doesn't let up until graduation, basically. But on the flipside, the city maintains the roads really well. |
Anonymous
| My DD really liked UR. It was high on her list...but the $$ was surprisingly low. They were just not competitive with similar other schools. Aside from that she liked the campus and the size. Liked the diversity and research opportunities. She considered the cold a plus. |
Anonymous
| DS enjoyed his visit to Syracuse and ended up applying there. However, the city turned him off a bit. There was plenty of school spirit and the freshmen dorms are new. Kids on the quad were having a great time so he could see himself there. Ultimately though, the price was high, the merit was meh and he couldn’t justify it. He ended up choosing a smaller school in a more “college town” type feel. |
Anonymous
|
When I was applying to college in the 1980s, my father had one requirement: he told me that I had to apply to a school that had a very good alumni network. He had gone to Washington University in St. Louis and had never gotten any help from anyone in terms of finding a job. My mother went to NYU and had the same experience.
I went to Syracuse and for the last 35 years I have had more connections in more industries than anybody else that I know. The alumni network is rabid, in a very good way. I do agree that the two best schools at SU aer Newhouse and Whitman which is the business school. I know three kids who graduated from Whitman, oneis at Goldman Sachs, one is at Louis Vuitton, and the third is working at Madison Square Garden. I think it’s important for people to think about where they will be employed after college. Rochester does not have a very enthusiastic alumni network, Syracuse does. They will hire a Syracuse alum over anybody else, and they have a very wide network across the country. Alumni help is something that should be factored in to a college decision. |
Anonymous
Same. |
Anonymous
|
I graduated from Syracuse in 1990. Best time of my life!
1) Yes, the city of Syracuse is depressing BUT you don’t go for the city of Syracuse; You go for a very active student life on a beautiful campus, sports, Greek life, etc. 2) Newhouse (!!) and management are very competitive and top notch. Architecture and visual arts also have a good reputation. Personally, I feel that I got a very good education (child development and teaching.) 3) Agree with the poster who said the alumni network is huge, and alum have a huge sense of school pride. 4) While winters can be dreary, it somehow adds to the cohesive student body on campus. It is a cozy place! |
Anonymous
This |
Anonymous
Beautiful is a stretch. Syracuse is a dump and Rochester is less depressing. Rochester is a far better school. The winters are no joke. Hard to know unless you grew up in a place like this whether it will bother you. |
Anonymous
| Cionde Naste Traveler 2920 issue voted Syracuse University most beautiful campus in USA! |