U of Rochester

[plansrme]

I'd never heard of this school until y'all kept mentioning it, but in my desperate attempt to get my daughter interested in something besides Georgia Tech, I have done some poking around on their website and am intrigued.  I feel very strongly that she needs a change of scenery, not that there is anything wrong with Tech.  So, tell me, UR fans, how can I sell her on it besides force her to visit in July while Atlanta is still a sauna?  She wants to major in math or double major in math and economics.

 

 

Thanks for any input.  (I feel like S.J. in Blind Side:  "Coach, help me help you.")

[creekland]

She will get merit aid, but whether it's enough merit aid for you or not will be the question.  I think 20K tends to be their top "regular" award, but then there are some competitive awards that are far above that amount.  It would depend upon how much they wanted her.  

 

I don't have time right now as I've got to shower (was out doing chores) and have a dentist appt in less than 2 hours, but I'd be looking to see how many students they get from GA.  I know URoc loves geographical diversity, so that might work in your favor.

 

To get her interested?  The vast majority of students I've talked with fell in love (or hated it) with a visit.  It seems to be pretty good at showing itself off and kids either like it or not.  My guy almost didn't apply because he was sure he didn't want their tough winter.  After he heard from "one more" person talking about what a good school it is, he applied literally last minute to qualify for merit aid his year.  Later we visited in Feb during a small snow storm.  He was sold from that point on and solidified that with another visit in April after we found it was affordable for us.  He now considers it the best decision he almost didn't get to make.

 

Winter?  He doesn't care about that due to loving his school.  He also says it makes it much easier to study rather than goof off.   ;)

 

But I can't guarantee your dd will love it.  Some kids don't.  It all depends upon who they are and what they are looking for.  My guy loves his opportunities, the diversity, his fellow students, and the whole campus.  It easily beat out all of his other options once he visited.  He's at Stanford now (summer internship) and told us he appreciates URoc's "campus" even more (not as spread out as Stanford).   ;)

[Catherine]

My son is a rising senior and math major there.  His stats were not as impressive as your daughter's, though he did have good test scores (If I remember correctly combined SAT of about 2250) and he had one AP and a handful of DE courses-not all A's either.  He got excellent aid there.  Not a full ride though, or even close to one.  We can afford it because of a combination of savings and our employer's generous tuition remission program.  

 

Kathy in Richmond was a math major at UR.  Hopefully, she will weigh in.  And Creekland's son is also a rising senior at UR, neither math nor economics but he studies neuroscience, if I remember correctly.  He was both a better high school and college student than my son so she may be able to comment about aid for a kid more similar to yours.  Good luck!!  Rochester is beautiful in the summer.

 

Also, IMO, UR loves home schoolers.  

[Hoggirl]

O/T, but her scores are excellent. No need to push for 800s on math and critical reading when she already has a 770 in each section! Depending on schools she is considering, you might look into whether or not any of them require SAT Subject Tests.

[plansrme]

My son is a rising senior and math major there.  His stats were not as impressive as your daughter's, though he did have good test scores (If I remember correctly combined SAT of about 2250) and he had one AP and a handful of DE courses-not all A's either.  He got excellent aid there.  Not a full ride though, or even close to one.  We can afford it because of a combination of savings and our employer's generous tuition remission program.  

 

Kathy in Richmond was a math major at UR.  Hopefully, she will weigh in.  And Creekland's son is also a rising senior at UR, neither math nor economics but he studies neuroscience, if I remember correctly.  He was both a better high school and college student than my son so she may be able to comment about aid for a kid more similar to yours.  Good luck!!  Rochester is beautiful in the summer.

 

Also, IMO, UR loves home schoolers.  

 

Good to know on merit aid.  Part of why I want to get our OOP down so low is that we will have two in college her final two years, so a $25K OOP is $50K by the time we attempt to make that available to two.  Of course, at that point, maybe we qualify for need-based aid.  Hmmm.  Thanks for weighing in.

[wapiti]

Here's an admissions video that Kathy posted a long while back.

[plansrme]

Here's an admissions video that Kathy posted a long while back.

 

(Two of my brothers went to UR, one for economics.)

 

That was great!  

[creekland]

I love that video.  It definitely catches the vibe of the school. 

 

We took a trip up there to watch middle son dance in his club dance troupe's performance this past spring, then stayed to catch the Ramblers that weekend.  The Ramblers also did a cameo couple of songs in the dance performance.  It was fun, though slightly sad as they also did honor songs for their seniors who will be moving on.  The majors those kids have (and those in the dance troupe)...many have more than one major and all were impressive. I don't recall a single graduate with "no idea" what they are doing next year. 

 

It's nice to see really terrific academic kids also having fun (and doing well) outside the academic world.

 

I agree that there's no need to press for the 800s, BUT when we were there for orientation freshman year, they did have a stat with how many entering freshmen had aced at least one part of the SAT or ACT.  My guy was one of them.  For the super competitive scholarships, there will be competition.  Take that for whatever it's worth.  You won't need higher stats for admission or general merit aid, but the school isn't filled with students to where top stats are abnormal either.

 

When I thanked the Dean of Admissions for considering my homeschooler he told me personally that they love homeschoolers AS LONG AS the homeschooler can prove they can operate well outside of their home environment - not just get great grades/scores in it.  I would think your Dd's DE classes and her hours put into her sport (doing it + coaching) would do that easily.

 

I honestly do not see a problem with her getting admitted if she decides she likes the school. It's only the financial end of it.  Who gets top merit aid can be difficult to predict.

[Gwen in VA]

Dd applied to the dual-degree program at Eastman / U of R and received generous merit aid. I was quite impressed at how much merit aid they offered dd2.

 

So generous merit aid is definitely available -- as others have testified!

[Jen in NY]

Go Yellowjackets!

 

I love UR. <3 It's is one of our hometown Unis.

 

My dd#2 got merit and finaid. UR was very generous! (I may or may not be hoping somewhere deep down inside that she will transfer in next year......)

 

No additional information, just editorial commentary. :)

[plansrme]

Thanks, everyone!  I'll try to spark an interest.  It sounds like it would potentially be a good match for her personality.  Or what I remember her personality as being before she got so angry at me for suggesting she consider other schools.   :glare:

[Hoggirl]

Just to play devil's advocate a bit here...

 

There is absolutely nothing wrong with being one and done. If you are in-state for Georgia Tech, and your dd is headed for engineering, that's gonna be tough to be beat in many ways. She doesn't *have* to come home. Would she live on-campus there? Our state flagship is local, and many of the local kids who attend don't see their parents any more than the kids who went "away" to college. I have a childhood friend who lives in Georgia. His ds applied to several other schools in addition to Georgia Tech. There were deferrals, stress levels, etc. that really all could have been avoided. He wound up going to Georgia Tech in the end anyway. Now, if he'd gotten *into* MIT things might have been different. But, he had a great freshman year at Geogia Tech. If your dd likes it, and it meets all the necessary criteria, I'm not sure I would push *too* hard. Just free advice - which is worth what you pay for it. Ha ha! Nothing againt UR AT ALL! I know it's a great school, too.

 

Additionally, I don't know how your dd is, but my ds often says "black" just because I say "white." The more you try to spark an interest the more she may dig in her heels.

 

There is not much very fun about the college admissions process. Keeping it simple might keep everyone happy.

 

Just a different perspective.

[Teachin'Mine]

My guess is that they will very much want your daughter and will offer some great merit aid.  Dd felt it would be a very good fit and one of the things she especially liked was the flexibility in courses.  No heavy core, so students have a lot of freedom in what they choose to study while there.  Good research and research grants and a very friendly student body and having the city nearby were also draws for her.  Would definitely recommend visiting overnight.  She had gotten a sense that they are trying to attract more women in STEM fields.  Seems to have a nice balance of academics and fun. 

[Kathy in Richmond]

I'm a proud U Rochester alumna (math and chemical engineering) & former GA Tech math prof, and I love both schools.

 

Even though I haven't been on campus in a while, I still read U of R's alumni & departmental newsletters. I'm always impressed with the extent of the undergraduates' involvement in research and pre-professional activities and competitions. The college is large enough to offer lots of opportunities, but still small enough that a motivated and advanced student can get a lot of personal attention.

 

The honors math track (170 series) at Rochester uses Michael Spivak's text, which tells me they're still doing things right in my old department. I took that sequence back in the day when they used Apostol, (even though I'd aced AP calculus) & it was my 1st really rigorous proof-based math course. Not for the faint of heart! I later taught the honors introductory math sequence at GA Tech, and it was simply not at the same level as Rochester's (Ga Tech required that I use the same text as the regular classes with some extra theory thrown in). Of course, that might be different today, so check it out.

 

I was also able to arrange a two-person seminar with one of the math profs during my senior year on a topic of interest. There was an atmosphere of wonderful personal (if not warm & fuzzy) attention to the undergrads.

 

All of UR's current promotional materials go on & on about research opportunities, and they really do offer lots, especially for motivated students. I worked on a theoretical project with a chem eng prof who was interested in math applications, and we produced a publishable paper at the end of the summer. I also worked part-time as a TA in the chem and math departments, & I know Creekland has said her son does the same kind of work now. My advisor helped me in finding terrific summer internships (one at CMU in their math dept and one at Xerox - the math modeling of xerox machines :) ) and also helped me extensively with grad school selections & applications. Grad school is not the same as applying to undergrad & it helps tremendously to have faculty that know you who can phone future grad schools & talk directly about your abilities and interests.

 

From what I understand, merit aid awards today are commonly in the $8 to $25k range per year, but they do go up to full tuition for a handful of kids each year (I think that these are called Renaissance Scholars?) Your daughter should be as competitive an applicant as anyone!  In case you haven't yet found these links:

 

types of merit aid at Rochester

typical merit aid profiles

admissions and financial aid office blogs

 

The admissions office does like to see demonstrated interest from prospective applicants, so if she does apply, I'd recommend either visiting and/or staying in touch with her admissions counselor.

 

Meliora!

[Sunshine State Sue]

Or what I remember her personality as being before she got so angry at me for suggesting she consider other schools.   :glare:

 

:grouphug: This comment reminds me of my son.

 

He was so resistant to trying new things, even things I had no doubt he would love.

 

One day, we went kayaking on the Rainbow River (first time).  He was so resistant.  He absolutely LOVED it.  When I asked him afterwards why he was so resistant, he said that he thought that there would be trees hanging over the river and it would be dark.  He was also afraid they would tip the kayak (they did and it was fine).

 

I can remember when I was a young adult learning to roller skate backwards and do some of the dances.  I was so mad at the man who turned me around while we were skating.  Had he waited until I was ready, I probably never would have learned.

 

Sometimes I think it was my job as a parent to push my son when he was capable but afraid to leave his comfort zone. 

 

Not saying this is like your dd.  Not sure I should even post this.

 

Good luck!

[plansrme]

:grouphug: This comment reminds me of my son.

 

He was so resistant to trying new things, even things I had no doubt he would love.

 

One day, we went kayaking on the Rainbow River (first time).  He was so resistant.  He absolutely LOVED it.  When I asked him afterwards why he was so resistant, he said that he thought that there would be trees hanging over the river and it would be dark.  He was also afraid they would tip the kayak (they did and it was fine).

 

I can remember when I was a young adult learning to roller skate backwards and do some of the dances.  I was so mad at the man who turned me around while we were skating.  Had he waited until I was ready, I probably never would have learned.

 

Sometimes I think it was my job as a parent to push my son when he was capable but afraid to leave his comfort zone. 

 

Not saying this is like your dd.  Not sure I should even post this.

 

Good luck!

 

Thanks for this perspective.  I don't think the issue is that she is afraid; she's never been afraid of anything.  She's just always been one to make up her mind early, even without having enough information to make an informed decision.  For many reasons, I thinks she needs to get the heck out of Dodge, so to speak, and have a true freshman experience.

[justasque]

Hmmm.  A little bit of a different view - take what you like and leave the rest.  One of my kids got into UR, and two of their friends graduated from there.  It's a good school for a certain kind of kid (esp. those interested in liberal arts subjects, and those likely to go on to grad school), however we had reservations regarding the engineering program specifically.  The caliber of students didn't seem as high as other schools we visited (Rensselaer, Rochester Institute of Technology, Drexel, Penn State), and we weren't impressed with their post-graduation stats.  The engineering students couldn't take advantage of some of the school's strengths (such as the opportunity to take a broad range of classes in a variety of fields) because they needed to get in the required classes.  There wasn't as much opportunity to do cross-discipline projects with students from other majors.

Georgia Tech is a very, very good school for engineering - don't minimize that just because it's the local state school.  

Look at UR if it appeals to you, but while you're there, take a peek at RIT (minutes away from UR and headed by a homeschool dad), which we found had a stronger engineering program and consider looking at Rensselaer too if it's convenient (about 4 hours away).

[Hoggirl]

How much emphasis has to be placed on the cost factor?

[Sunshine State Sue]

Thanks for this perspective.  I don't think the issue is that she is afraid; she's never been afraid of anything.  She's just always been one to make up her mind early, even without having enough information to make an informed decision.  For many reasons, I thinks she needs to get the heck out of Dodge, so to speak, and have a true freshman experience.

Both dh and ds have an easy time making decisions.  I, on the other hand, like to look at ALL the options.  Then, there must be great angst over which option to choose.  :svengo: 

 

What I wanted to say above is that it takes a whole lot of love to suggest a positive alternative path suspecting that it will result in the wrath of the dc.  Kudos to you.  Your dd is blessed.

[Caroline]

 

 

Georgia Tech is a very, very good school for engineering - don't minimize that just because it's the local state school.

 

 

It isn't that she doesn't thin GT is a great engineering school. This student will have already essentially done two years at GT as a dual enrolled student. I think Plans is just looking for different opportunities for her dd and a freshman experience elsewhere. GT is nothing new for her dd.

 

Sorry to talk for you Plansrme.

[wapiti]

It's a good school for a certain kind of kid (esp. those interested in liberal arts subjects, and those likely to go on to grad school), however we had reservations regarding the engineering program specifically.

 

I think the dd is shooting for math and/or econ rather than engineering, unless I misunderstand.

 

The engineering students couldn't take advantage of some of the school's strengths (such as the opportunity to take a broad range of classes in a variety of fields) because they needed to get in the required classes.  There wasn't as much opportunity to do cross-discipline projects with students from other majors

 

Off-topic question for anyone:  is this often true of engineering as a major at many schools?  Most or just some schools?

[creekland]

Off-topic question for anyone:  is this often true of engineering as a major at many schools?  Most or just some schools?

 

It's true at any school I've encountered.  Even at VT (my Alma mater) engineers (like hubby) had fewer classes they had to (or could) take in order to get their engineering requirements in.  It's the nature of the field and all its demands.

 

I wouldn't discount URoc for engineering for anyone interested (don't think it's the OP, but rather a rabbit trail).  If I recall correctly, Engineering was the most popular major there for incoming freshmen last year.  It certainly isn't Liberal Arts.  This is a science based research school that also has good liberal arts departments.

 

I don't want to bash RIT though as I know students who have gone there and done well too.  They are totally different schools and should be visited by anyone considering engineering to see which "type" they align with more.

 

But... caliber of students-wise, URoc wins easily - just check stats.  Those I know personally who went or are going to RIT likely would not have gotten in to URoc, BUT stats aren't everything.  Fit is far more important.  Since each are different they are worth comparing to any future engineer.  One or the other should appeal more.  If RIT does, then yes, Drexel or RPI are also other schools to consider with similar ways of doing things.

 

RIT 57% admitted, 65% graduate within 6 years

 

SAT M: 570-680

SAT CR: 540-640

ACT: 26-31 (40% 30-36)

 

URoc 36% admitted, 84% graduate within 6 years

 

SAT M: 640-760

SAT CR: 600-700

ACT: 29-33 (70% 30-36)

[wapiti]

. 

 

[8filltheheart]

How much emphasis has to be placed on the cost factor?

 

My kind of question. :tongue_smilie: 

[justasque]

It's true at any school I've encountered.  Even at VT (my Alma mater) engineers (like hubby) had fewer classes they had to (or could) take in order to get their engineering requirements in.  It's the nature of the field and all its demands.

 

I wouldn't discount URoc for engineering for anyone interested (don't think it's the OP, but rather a rabbit trail).  If I recall correctly, Engineering was the most popular major there for incoming freshmen last year.  It certainly isn't Liberal Arts.  This is a science based research school that also has good liberal arts departments.

 

I don't want to bash RIT though as I know students who have gone there and done well too.  They are totally different schools and should be visited by anyone considering engineering to see which "type" they align with more.

 

But... caliber of students-wise, URoc wins easily - just check stats.  Those I know personally who went or are going to RIT likely would not have gotten in to URoc, BUT stats aren't everything.  Fit is far more important.  Since each are different they are worth comparing to any future engineer.  One or the other should appeal more.  If RIT does, then yes, Drexel or RPI are also other schools to consider with similar ways of doing things.

 

RIT 57% admitted, 65% graduate within 6 years

 

SAT M: 570-680

SAT CR: 540-640

ACT: 26-31 (40% 30-36)

 

URoc 36% admitted, 84% graduate within 6 years

 

SAT M: 640-760

SAT CR: 600-700

ACT: 29-33 (70% 30-36)

Agreed on the engineering required courses, where ever you go.

 

Didn't grasp that the OP's dd was going for math/econ - in that case, ignore my comments re engineering!!!  An extended family member did math at UofR (as well as a bazillion other things), and they are about 3 years out and doing very well.  (We also have a friend who did econ there, but I haven't caught up with them post-graduation.)

 

Agreed that UofR and RIT are utterly different schools; we have had extended family at each and in all four cases, the student loved their school.  

You do have to be careful with the stats - at RIT, the school's overall stats aren't accurately representative of any given program; the SAT scores vary *widely* for different programs within the school.  Photography majors have lower stats than engineers or computer science majors.  In addition, the National Technical Institute for the Deaf students at RIT may have lower scores, for complex reasons.  To average the stats of these diverse programs produces a meaningless number.  Pres. Destler (a homeschool dad) touches on this issue here.

 

In the end, as Creekland (my fellow Hokie) said, it's all about fit.  I've toured three schools in the last eight days (none of the ones mentioned in this discussion; yesterday we looked at the New School in NYC, earlier this week we toured Univ. of MD and Catholic University).  They are all so, so different!!!  And every student's personality and educational goals are very different.  Our family's UofR kids weren't a good fit for RIT, and vice versa.  And that's OK!!!

[Matryoshka]

Agreed on the engineering required courses, where ever you go.

 

Didn't grasp that the OP's dd was going for math/econ - in that case, ignore my comments re engineering!!! An extended family member did math at UofR (as well as a bazillion other things), and they are about 3 years out and doing very well. (We also have a friend who did econ there, but I haven't caught up with them post-graduation.)

 

Agreed that UofR and RIT are utterly different schools;... And every student's personality and educational goals are very different. Our family's UofR kids weren't a good fit for RIT, and vice versa. And that's OK!!!

Any way you could sum up the difference, and what kind of personality fits better in each? Dd's top choice is RIT, we did go out for a visit, and we didn't get over to UofR. She wants to major in Computer Science with a concentration in artificial intelligence and maybe minor in Physics.

 

We're going to be out there again this summer, and I'm trying to figure out if UofR is worth a visit too...

[plansrme]

It isn't that she doesn't thin GT is a great engineering school. This student will have already essentially done two years at GT as a dual enrolled student. I think Plans is just looking for different opportunities for her dd and a freshman experience elsewhere. GT is nothing new for her dd.

 

Sorry to talk for you Plansrme.

This is exactly right.

[Jen in NY]

Any way you could sum up the difference, and what kind of personality fits better in each? Dd's top choice is RIT, we did go out for a visit, and we didn't get over to UofR. She wants to major in Computer Science with a concentration in artificial intelligence and maybe minor in Physics.

 

We're going to be out there again this summer, and I'm trying to figure out if UofR is worth a visit too...

 

LOL... my not so serious, highly oversimplified response....

 

UR is like the first child who does amazingly well on standardized tests, reads research papers for fun and likes to hit the jazz clubs for a sophisticated evening out. RIT is like the second child who is a whiz at math but doesn't want to teach it, would rather make a video game about math, promote it on social media, and spend friday night at a nerf battle. ;oP

 

 

Love them both......

 

Have a sec to write: ETA... they are, as Creekland points out... just really different. My kids have had amazing academic experiences at both. RIT is much more of a co-op school, and if you do a co-op, you will most likely be 'in school' longer... although many of the kids on co-op make a good salary, and somehow it doesn't negatively impact your financial aid (I called to ask!), so they end up having money to finish up their schooling. My dh has supervised and subsequently hired outright a few co-op peeps from RIT... they have all been great.

 

The major would be really important... in my pea brain it goes something like:

hands on engineering/science.... RIT. Theoretical/research science/engineering... UR. Imaging Science ... RIT. Optics...UR. Straight up science... UR. Film or Gaming.... RIT. Computer Science.... RIT? Anything Liberal Arts ... UR. Medicine... UR. Music... UR. Like to focus on building your racecar exclusively? RIT. Want to be widely read and be required to study outside of your discipline? UR. Want to stay an extra year to study something completely unrelated to your major tuition free?? Definitely UR.

 

RIT was not as good a fit financially for us. UR was extremely generous and met our EFC. RIT may or may not have worked out closer than we thought in the end, since they start out cheaper and then there's a co-op... but the gap looked pretty wide to start out. YMMV for finaid.

 

 

 

 

[Matryoshka]

LOL... my not so serious, highly oversimplified response....

 

UR is like the first child who does amazingly well on standardized tests, reads research papers for fun and likes to hit the jazz clubs for a sophisticated evening out. RIT is like the second child who is a whiz at math but doesn't want to teach it, would rather make a video game about math, promote it on social media, and spend friday night at a nerf battle. ;oP

 

 

Love them both......

 

Ah, so my instinct that RIT is a better fit for this dd is spot-on. ;)  She does do very well on standardized tests, but she's much more of the introvert nerd profile than a research-reading jazz club type.  She loved the nerdy vibe at RIT.  She also thinks it's very cool that there's such a large deaf presence (even though she knows zero ASL - but she thinks she might like to learn it).

[creekland]

Ah, so my instinct that RIT is a better fit for this dd is spot-on. ;)  She does do very well on standardized tests, but she's much more of the introvert nerd profile than a research-reading jazz club type.  She loved the nerdy vibe at RIT.  She also thinks it's very cool that there's such a large deaf presence (even though she knows zero ASL - but she thinks she might like to learn it).

 

FWIW, one of the things that sold my guy on UR on his first visit was a home made sign in one of the dorms:

 

"We're not nerds.  We're intellectual bad a___s."

 

My guy also chose to start learning ASL in college, and now has it as one of his minors.  There isn't a deaf presence at UR, but the club there often does things at RIT.

 

The big difference I see between the schools (acknowledging that we've never visited RIT as it didn't fit my guy's needs, so just going off the couple of students I know who went there) is RIT's Co-op program.  The kids attracted to the school liked the idea of Co-op - working while going through college.  UR is more of a traditional 4 year experience where most of the kids are into doing research during their 4 years there.  UR seems to build more in peer relationships through the years.  RIT doesn't get that as much due to kids coming and going with the Co-op.

 

The graduate of RIT I know IRL (son of a fellow co-worker at school) went to work immediately after graduation for the company he co-op'd with and that seems pretty common according to his mom.  The students I know attending there (or accepted there if they went elsewhere) always told me about co-op as a reason for applying.

 

Graduates of UR my son knows (he's a junior) are either working for companies, going to grad school (planned - not "because they couldn't find a job"), or going to med school.  He stays in touch with many of them due to bonds they've built.

 

They really are two different experiences - both good, just different.

 

[Grantmom]

Wow, the president of RIT is a homeschool parent?  That is awesome.

[Grantmom]

That's interesting, Dotwithaperiod.  That would make sense that this generation sees and manages friendships differently.  Talking on instagram, connecting on twitter, all of the online connections that they make, that even we make now (hence the hive!), I bet it probably is a lot different.  You don't need to see people every day to form those bonds.  I think it actually is a really good thing.  It broadens our world and connects us with people we never would have met otherwise.  It also places less emphasis on fitting in with the group you find yourselves in at any given moment, maybe even makes life less clique-y, because they tend to have a wider range of friends.  Just thinking out loud.

[creekland]

 On both we listened to a student panel describing their experiences. One father asked a question pertaining to this, about maintaining peer relationships. They just shook their heads and claimed not to see that at all. Because of the hands-on aspect, they even suggested that they had more opportunities to interact and form friendships. Maybe it's easier for their generation; I know my son has several people he considers close who are doing semesters abroad, who don't have trouble fitting back in with their tribe. Also, at least at his school, his peers are all over the place in terms of age, class, and majors. Someone's always graduating and moving on.

 

I wonder how much the students actually know though since they can't compare.  They only "know" their situation - what they've experienced.

 

I don't doubt that they make friends, but there's a definite difference between the grads I see (not just RIT, but include Drexel as I know more from there) and how "close" they end up being vs just whether they have friends.

 

Specifically with UR, I think their emphasis on research is fairly close to the same hands-on bit.  Even when we visit VT there's a huge difference there now with an emphasis on research (and students participating in it) that wasn't there a couple of decades ago.  At that time only selected seniors got to be involved in research.  Times change.  

 

At UR, the video says 80% of undergrads participate in research. I don't doubt the number. I often wonder why students go there who aren't interested in it!  And for that reason alone, the school would not have interested my oldest as he has no interest in research whatsoever.  He might have liked a co-op situation, but his biggie was wanting a Christian college, so neither school fit his desires.

 

In short, different strokes for different folks - and many options in colleges.

[justasque]

LOL... my not so serious, highly oversimplified response....

 

...

 

The major would be really important... in my pea brain it goes something like:

...

 

RIT was not as good a fit financially for us. UR was extremely generous and met our EFC. RIT may or may not have worked out closer than we thought in the end, since they start out cheaper and then there's a co-op... but the gap looked pretty wide to start out. YMMV for finaid.

 

This is a great summary, and spot-on!!!  

Our experience was the opposite for financial aid; RIT was very generous with merit aid, UR not so much.  I think that can vary widely depending on the student, the major, and the family financial picture.

 

 

Wow, the president of RIT is a homeschool parent?  That is awesome.

And he collects vintage banjos.  I think his kids have graduated high school at this point, but I used to see his wife post on homeschooing boards now and again.  I see a homeschool sensibility in much of the writing he's done about education.

[creekland]

Have a sec to write: ETA... they are, as Creekland points out... just really different. My kids have had amazing academic experiences at both. RIT is much more of a co-op school, and if you do a co-op, you will most likely be 'in school' longer... although many of the kids on co-op make a good salary, and somehow it doesn't negatively impact your financial aid (I called to ask!), so they end up having money to finish up their schooling. My dh has supervised and subsequently hired outright a few co-op peeps from RIT... they have all been great.

 

The major would be really important... in my pea brain it goes something like:

hands on engineering/science.... RIT. Theoretical/research science/engineering... UR. Imaging Science ... RIT. Optics...UR. Straight up science... UR. Film or Gaming.... RIT. Computer Science.... RIT? Anything Liberal Arts ... UR. Medicine... UR. Music... UR. Like to focus on building your racecar exclusively? RIT. Want to be widely read and be required to study outside of your discipline? UR. Want to stay an extra year to study something completely unrelated to your major tuition free?? Definitely UR.

 

RIT was not as good a fit financially for us. UR was extremely generous and met our EFC. RIT may or may not have worked out closer than we thought in the end, since they start out cheaper and then there's a co-op... but the gap looked pretty wide to start out. YMMV for finaid.

 

Great summary!  Although I'm not up on as many majors as you are, your conclusions sound reasonable.  UR doesn't require much outside your discipline though - hardly any compared to my LAC boys - and there's far more variety in options.

 

Statistically, need based aid tends to be better at UR, but this will depend upon the individual family finances.  I'm not sure about merit aid between the schools.  Since RITs stats are lower, chances are one could get merit aid with lower stats there (assuming they offer merit aid).

 

The grad I know from RIT works with computers.  Those I know who are attending there went for computers.