The University of Rochester

Date: Nov 26 2002
Major: Anthropology (This Major's Salary over time)
The U of R can be extremely rewarding academically, but as several of the reviews below noted, there are several pitfalls. As several reviewers noted, the sense of some students being bummed thanks to having missed the Ivies is palpable. Also notable is the difference between in-state and out-of-state students. Generally, those who came from farther away have more energy for their studies and the school, whereas students from nearby often treat UR as just some place to go to school. Ditto for people for whom UR was a top choice as opposed to those who used it as a safety school. Perhaps the most irritating thing one encounters during their years in Rochester is the pervasive negativity. So UR is not an Ivy league school, so you're not in NYC anymore, GET OVER IT!!! The place will only be as fun as some people expect if those people create the framework for the school to be fun.

Anyway, it's hard to go wrong here academically. Just don't try to study something that's not really offered (not as much of a no-brainer as some might think). If you go to grad school elsewhere after UR you will be pleasantly surpised at how well you are prepared in contrast to your fellow students. No place may do as good a job in preparing future grad students—30% of rochester grads eventually earn Ph.D's, 12% get MD's and 10% get law degrees—to say nothing of those who earn other grad degrees. All in all, highly recommended