The University of Rochester

I like the structure of the Rochester curriculum (good amount of freedom, but not a free-for-all; wide selection compared to other universities), and the university is quite intensive academically. However, I feel that the atmosphere radiated by the student body could be described as...disappointed. Many students here were also accepted into other prestigious universities (or at least applied to them), and feel that Rochester is just something they settled for. Soooo many people complain about the weather, the surrounding city, the amount of work required to even get by in their courses, etc. Honestly, if you are planning on being a science major here, you better be brilliant, or have amazing access to external resources. I would say that for the amount of work and time I put into my classes, I am not satisfied by the results (but then again, one could argue that maybe it's just me). The intensity of the school is well above its perceived prestige, and I have had many people ask me if the U of R is a public or SUNY school- quite depressing actually. Why should I work this hard only to get mediocre results, and then potentially have an employer see me as second rate among the dozens of other applicants from schools with a "bigger name"?

2nd Year Male -- Class 2012

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