The University of Rochester

Date: Dec 30 2003
Major: Political Science (This Major's Salary over time)
I'm in my third year at U of R, and I can't help but feel regretful for what might have been. I did not look very far in my college search, and only applied to two schools, so in terms of comparison, I have little to offer, but there are some problems/concerns I've noticed worth mentioning. When I was a prospective student, the big downside of the school was that the opposite sex was not very attractive, but this should be the least of your worries. I'll try to keep these observations as fair as possible:

WEATHER

AWFUL. No one is kidding about this, please consider this before coming here. It is worse than the rest of the the Northeast or even Upstate New York; mainly due to cloud cover (Seasonal Affective Distorder or "Rochester blues" are no myth!). Winter is long and students get kinda bummed when the sun is out of sight for months at a time. You can notice a general change in the student body during the winter months.

STUDENT ATTITUDE/SOCIAL SCENE

I wish I had understood how the college social scene works before coming to school. Some schools are blessed with a "college town", with great shops, clubs, and restaurants clustered right around campus. UR is wedged between a cemetary, a polluted river, and an occasionally hostile residential community. While there are some neat areas similar to a "college town" environment, they are not easily accessible to most of the student body. The administrations simultaneously cracks down on Greek life (the source of on-campus social life) while discouraging off campus development. U of R is a "residential campus" - 85% of its undergrads live on campus all four years. Students of the Class of 2006 and beyond are required to have a meal plan all four years - this is in effect chaining students to a campus that is socially inadequate. Thank you administration…

Further, they is a sort of broken, regretful attitude among most of the students. Many students feel ripped off, for one reason or another (common complaints include meal plans, paper printing fees, and parking). People still enjoy themselves (it's still college!), but you don't have to look far to find someone who in retrospect would've gone somewhere else (I'd say this percentage of the student body is above 25% - think about that). Transferring IS a difficult process and most of the disenchanted students stick around because the education is good and they've already made close friendships. Too many people at this school are "just getting by".

I'm getting kind of depressed just writing this, so I think I'll wrap it up. I've met people here who I'm glad to have met. I've learned things here about myself and about the world that I'm glad to have learned. This is what college is all about, but college applicants have the chance to find the right school for them if they're willing to look. I only know a handful of upperclassmen who still believe they chose the right school. I've had a lot of fun and learned a lot too, but in May 2005 I will graduate wishing I had done it all somewhere else.

Please consider the things I've said. I'm not trying to bash the school because of my own unique circumstances… I believe these problems are endemic within the University and you should think about them before committing yourself to UR.