University of Rochester vs RIT

[Sebastian (a lady)]

My son has been looking at University of Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology.

 

I think he's getting them muddled in his head because of the name similarity.

 

Does anyone experience or feedback with either of them?  Is RIT a good school or somewhere to avoid?  He's looking for strong Computer Science programs.

[Matryoshka]

Those are both at the top of my dd's list.  They are different (I'm pretty sure there are a bunch of old threads out there detailing them).

 

We initially were just looking at RIT.  It's got a great coop program.  It's got a whole Computer Science college (College of Computing and Information Science), rather than just a Computer Science major.  Within that college, you can major in plain ol' Computer Science or Computing Security, Game Design and Development, Information Technology, Network and Systems Administration, New Media Interactive Development, and Software Engineering.  The majors in this field all require some amount of (paid) coop experience, from a couple of summers to two semesters and a summer, in which case you're there for five years (but you don't pay for the coop semesters - you get paid).

 

Dd is also interested in Physics, which is not as strong a program at RIT, and someone suggested she go look at U Roch while we were out there.  She really liked it too!  Computer Science there is one major in the Engineering dept. (RIT has a whole separate College of Engineering).  They also emphasize the flexibility of their program, as there are no core classes.  They also have the cool 5th year free option if you can come up with an 'extra' area you'd like to study after you've finished your major studies (this option is not for finishing up your first major). 

 

Both schools emphasize that professors teach the undergraduate classes (not TAs), and that they are both very focused on undergraduate research.  The latter is a huge selling point  at URoch, but is also talked about quite a bit at RIT.

 

I think which one dd chooses (should she be accepted to both and they stay on the top of the list), would maybe have to do with whether she ends up leaning more towards the Physics (which will require grad school) or Computer Science (in which the coop job experience will be invaluable).

[Matryoshka]

They're both great schools. I think RIT is known to be skimpy on merit aid. I may be wrong, but the top award is around 15,000. ( a couple years ago) When we visited, I noticed that the kids were definitely on the geeky side. I mean that in a good way-- geeky, diverse, no cookie-cutter preppy college stereotypes. I think they have a very good science dept, too. DS was accepted into their physics but chose elsewhere.

 

LOL, RIT is definitely geeky, but that was a big plus for dd.  She went to a weekend program there this summer and finally felt like she was with people with common interests!  She had a fantastic time.

 

[creekland]

For computer science, both places are worthy of consideration.  They are very close to each other, so easy to visit on the same trip.

 

UR is far more devoted to research - using computers in research for other fields, developing programming for research, developing computers themselves, etc.

 

RIT is a bit more devoted to on the job - developing games, working against hacking,  developing programs for corporations, etc.  Their co-op program is essential with this.

 

Or so I was told by the mom of a recent CS grad from RIT when she compared the schools.

 

For the nuts and bolts, RIT is easier to get into and larger.  UR tends to be better with financial concerns.

[Matryoshka]

 

For the nuts and bolts, RIT is easier to get into and larger.  UR tends to be better with financial concerns.

 

On this note, do you have any idea how accurate RIT's NPC is?  We ran it the other day, and it indicated dd would way more aid that I expected.  No idea why -  WPI's NPC indicated we'd pay about twice the net cost to go there (WPI does start out $10K more, but their NPC's more than doubled the difference).  That seems like a huuuge discrepancy - and I didn't think RIT was that generous (but that would be great!...)

 

We haven't run UR's NPC yet...

[creekland]

On this note, do you have any idea how accurate RIT's NPC is?  We ran it the other day, and it indicated dd would way more aid that I expected.  No idea why -  WPI's NPC indicated we'd pay about twice the net cost to go there (WPI does start out $10K more, but their NPC's more than doubled the difference).  That seems like a huuuge discrepancy - and I didn't think RIT was that generous (but that would be great!...)

 

We haven't run UR's NPC yet...

 

I have not asked the students who have headed there, but they seem to end up needing to pay a bit from what they tell me.  There was no such thing as an NPC when the mom I know sent her son there.  He graduated a couple of years ago.  They were full pay.  When I see her again I can ask if her guy got any merit aid.  We're friends enough for me to be able to ask such questions without a problem, esp since she knows I often ask about places in order to share information for prospective students rather than just being nosy.

[creekland]

Oh, and RIT is preferred to WPI by students at our school.  They often mention campus and location issues.  Cost could easily factor in as well.  I can think of a few who have headed to RIT recently - all for computers, but right offhand, I can't think of any who ended up going to WPI.

[Matryoshka]

I have not asked the students who have headed there, but they seem to end up needing to pay a bit from what they tell me.  There was no such thing as an NPC when the mom I know sent her son there.  He graduated a couple of years ago.  They were full pay.  When I see her again I can ask if her guy got any merit aid.  We're friends enough for me to be able to ask such questions without a problem, esp since she knows I often ask about places in order to share information for prospective students rather than just being nosy.

 

That would be great, thanks!

 

The current plan is to apply to them both and see what happens.  Honestly, if she gets into both but one gives more aid, that will probably seal it more than anything else.  We've got two going at once (which is I think the only reason we'd get anything except merit aid at all...)

 

[Matryoshka]

Oh, and RIT is preferred to WPI by students at our school.  They often mention campus and location issues.  Cost could easily factor in as well.  I can think of a few who have headed to RIT recently - all for computers, but right offhand, I can't think of any who ended up going to WPI.

 

Such a shame, as WPI is only 40 min. away vs. 6 hours. for RIT.... :(  but seriously, I don't think the money's going to be there for WPI unless they offer extra funny money 'cause they really want her for some reason...

 

[creekland]

Such a shame, as WPI is only 40 min. away vs. 6 hours. for RIT.... :(  but seriously, I don't think the money's going to be there for WPI unless they offer extra funny money 'cause they really want her for some reason...

 

 

Since she's female, they might.  All the students I know for RIT/WPI have been male.  She's the correct gender to have that hook in her favor.

[Jen in NY]

Ooooo... You guys are playing my favorite game!! Can I watch??

[creekland]

Ooooo... You guys are playing my favorite game!! Can I watch??

 

You get no exercise whatsoever by just watching...  :glare:  Join in! 

 

 My guy might have chosen one over the other (not for cs), but that doesn't mean I need to adopt the rivalry.  It's not like Virginia Tech vs UVA after all!   :lol:

 

Besides, my guy goes to RIT a fair bit for some extra curriculars related to ASL.  He likes the place - not enough that he wishes he had gone there (esp since I doubt they have his major).

[Catherine]

My ds is also at UR.  He did not apply to RIT, but one small data point is a friend of his who majored in CS and went on to a job at Google when he graduated.

 

I know a big selling point for some students who choose UR is that they have few distribution requirements.  There are some; all students must take a semester-long writing class, and each student must choose a major and satisfy the requirements for a cluster (any 3 courses) in the 2 disciplines outside the major-humanities, social sciences, and hard sciences.  So a Chemistry major must take 3 social science courses and 3 humanities courses.  Sticking with the theme of encouraging students to pursue their interests strongly, the school also encourages students to create interdisciplinary areas of study.  

 

And, IMO, they like home schoolers.  The college magazine a few years back featured a front page article about home schooled twins who went there and seemed to definitely be reaching out to the home school community.  

[mschickie]

I know kids at both schools.  RIT would be the stronger school for Computer Sciences.  Both schools admit homeschoolers but  UofR can be a little more difficult for homeschoolers to get in to but not impossible.  Both are excellent schools.  As far as aid goes both schools do give merit aide but I think that the UofR has deeper pockets to give out financial aid.  

 

If you are familiar with Darkwind Media they started as an RIT incubator company by former RIT students.  It is a growing gaming company and hires lots of RIT graduates from what I understand.

[creekland]

 UofR can be a little more difficult for homeschoolers to get in to but not impossible.  

 

FTR, UR is more difficult for all students to get into, not just homeschoolers.  If homeschoolers have competitive stats and ec's they seem to do just fine.  

 

The ps students I know at RIT wouldn't have gotten into UR.  For what they were looking for I don't think they would have wanted UR either, but that's an entirely different issue.  The two computer programs are different.

 

On Wed I'll see the mom whose son graduated from RIT.  I'll try hard to remember to ask her about merit aid... it might not hurt if someone sends me a reminder early Wed morning!

[mschickie]

FTR, UR is more difficult for all students to get into, not just homeschoolers.  If homeschoolers have competitive stats and ec's they seem to do just fine.  

 

 

 

I was just talking to a Mom whose dd is currently applying to UR and she was saying she is finding there are more hoops to jump through for a homeschooler than a public or private school student.   UR is a highly competitive school, I know that  I was really talking about the paperwork and the application process.  

[creekland]

I was just talking to a Mom whose dd is currently applying to UR and she was saying she is finding there are more hoops to jump through for a homeschooler than a public or private school student.   UR is a highly competitive school, I know that  I was really talking about the paperwork and the application process.  

 

Her experience is the exact opposite of mine.  My guy is a senior there this year and we needed nothing extra - just the Common App.  I didn't even do any course descriptions nor did he need to officially send his AP scores (as ps students had to - so I heard).  We had no SAT II tests either.

 

I did do the counselor and school reports, but I needed the same one of those for each of the Common App schools.  I didn't need those for the non-Common App schools.  Perhaps that's the difference?  Is RIT a Common App school?

[Jen in NY]

UR and RIT both accept the common app.

[creekland]

I'm very curious now as to what specifically they want from homeschoolers that they don't need/want from ps students... it sure wasn't that way when my guy applied just three years ago.

[Matryoshka]

I'm very curious now as to what specifically they want from homeschoolers that they don't need/want from ps students... it sure wasn't that way when my guy applied just three years ago.

This thread is making me a bit relieved that my dd who's interested in the Rochester schools is my ps one...

[Teachin'Mine]

I wouldn't worry about UR for homeschoolers at all.  Admissions waived some "requirements" for her and the financial aid was good but not enough to meet our need.  She liked the campus, the students and the overall vibe.  She wasn't interested in RIT, so can't compare.

[Jen in NY]

My daughter applied to and was accepted at both last year and I don't remember anything special for homeschoolers at all.

 

She did have to sit for an admissions interview at UR, which was not the case at other schools, but everyone on the tour that day did. It was *very* laid back... just an adcom.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

This is what U Rochester lists for requirements for homeschoolers.  http://enrollment.rochester.edu/apply/freshmen/homeschool/

 

*****

Admissions counselors in Rochester’s College of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering conduct a holistic review, considering a variety of factors, including many kinds of academic records. The self-directed curriculum makes Rochester an attractive and appropriate destination for students who have been schooled at home. In keeping with the Hebrew proverb below, readers will seek to understand how applicants with a high school education centered at home have also learned from a variety of people and a range of experiences.

Requirements

To supplement the basic application components, home-educated students must submit a comprehensive description of the program of study including:

• Syllabi with textbooks, where applicable, and a list of all literary texts completed
• A description of instruction methods and assessment for laboratory sciences
• A brief (100 – 200 word) personal statement reflecting on the value of the home schooling experience
• Although these are not absolutes, most students who gain admission will have completed study in at least four years each of English, mathematics, and history/social studies, and three years each of science and foreign language
• Like all applicants, home-schooled applicants must show evidence of preparation through examination results.
• Also, submit any transcripts from accredited colleges or universities. Most successful home-schooled applicants have completed college level course work.

Subjective Requirements

• Home educated students must submit at least one, and preferably two, letters of recommendation from outside instructors, volunteer or group supervisors, or employers
• Please consider submitting a peer recommendation from someone not more than one year older or younger.
• Home-schooled applicants must initiate (before December 15 of their senior/application year) a request for an on-campus, off-campus, Skype or telephone interview with an admissions counselor.

Home schooled students, like all Rochester applicants, can qualify for need-based financial aid and/or compete for merit scholarships.

******

I find the peer recommendation suggestion unusual and a bit curious.  

 

[Sebastian (a lady)]

But at least they don't ask for a GED.  

[creekland]

This is what U Rochester lists for requirements for homeschoolers.  http://enrollment.rochester.edu/apply/freshmen/homeschool/

 

*****

Admissions counselors in Rochester’s College of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering conduct a holistic review, considering a variety of factors, including many kinds of academic records. The self-directed curriculum makes Rochester an attractive and appropriate destination for students who have been schooled at home. In keeping with the Hebrew proverb below, readers will seek to understand how applicants with a high school education centered at home have also learned from a variety of people and a range of experiences.

Requirements

To supplement the basic application components, home-educated students must submit a comprehensive description of the program of study including:

• Syllabi with textbooks, where applicable, and a list of all literary texts completed
• A description of instruction methods and assessment for laboratory sciences
• A brief (100 – 200 word) personal statement reflecting on the value of the home schooling experience
• Although these are not absolutes, most students who gain admission will have completed study in at least four years each of English, mathematics, and history/social studies, and three years each of science and foreign language
• Like all applicants, home-schooled applicants must show evidence of preparation through examination results.
• Also, submit any transcripts from accredited colleges or universities. Most successful home-schooled applicants have completed college level course work.

Subjective Requirements

• Home educated students must submit at least one, and preferably two, letters of recommendation from outside instructors, volunteer or group supervisors, or employers
• Please consider submitting a peer recommendation from someone not more than one year older or younger.
• Home-schooled applicants must initiate (before December 15 of their senior/application year) a request for an on-campus, off-campus, Skype or telephone interview with an admissions counselor.

Home schooled students, like all Rochester applicants, can qualify for need-based financial aid and/or compete for merit scholarships.

******

I find the peer recommendation suggestion unusual and a bit curious.  

 

Interesting and I have no idea if these "were" the requirements when my guy applied (and we ignored them) or if they are new in the past three years.

 

We did no course descriptions, texts or syllabi.  My guy did have an extensive "books read" list with his app.  That went to all schools he applied to with the Common App.

 

I mentioned our teaching method (to mastery) in my part of the Common App.

 

No personal statement on his part.  I explained why we chose homeschooling in my part.

 

My guy had only 3 years of social studies in his high school years, with a fourth in 8th grade.  I did e-mail ahead of time to ask if this was ok.  It was.  He also had 7 science credits instead of 3 (Bio, Chem, Advanced Bio + Chem, Microbio (DE), Anatomy and Phys, & Physics.

 

He had a tippy top ACT score and two 5s on AP exams - plus As in his 3 college courses.

 

He had two LORs with his Common App.  They also sent out a family/friend request for an LOR, but College Confidential has me believing this goes to all applicants.

 

No peer recommendation.

 

He did a phone interview, but it was optional.  We chose to do all optional interviews for all applications.  He interviews well.  I have yet to meet anyone who has interacted with him for any length of time who has not been impressed by him in person. 

 

Now I've no idea if they liked him enough anyway that they didn't care about our lack of sticking to their requirements (he got merit aid & sig fin aid to make UR our least expensive option even beating U Alabama) or if they've changed their requirements...

[mschickie]

I wonder if they did change their requirements or if the book list sufficed, who knows.  I think it is the syllabi  that she is dealing with.  They did Sonlight and as a result there is a huge list of books that they used.

[creekland]

That would be great, thanks!

 

The current plan is to apply to them both and see what happens.  Honestly, if she gets into both but one gives more aid, that will probably seal it more than anything else.  We've got two going at once (which is I think the only reason we'd get anything except merit aid at all...)

 

 

I talked with the mom today and she told me her son did get merit aid from RIT, but it wasn't a large portion of the cost.  She's thinking it was about 1/4th of the cost.  She liked it since they're full pay, but it hardly got the cost down to a super reasonable amount by most people's standards.

 

Truthfully, the same can happen for many full pay students at UR.  Merit aid alone would not have made our cost affordable for us.  It's affordable because they got down to our EFC (and that's affordable).  Pitt came in about 1K more expensive and UAlabama about 2K more (for his freshman year - not as solid of an income year for us).

 

Both schools have some full tuition and/or full ride scholarships, but those are super competitive.

[creekland]

I wonder if they did change their requirements or if the book list sufficed, who knows.  I think it is the syllabi  that she is dealing with.  They did Sonlight and as a result there is a huge list of books that they used.

 

My guy had a huge book list too as he's an avid reader.  Fortunately, due to PA's portfolio requirements, he had a list from each year that he created as he went along.  This made compiling his final list easy.

 

We didn't put textbooks on that list.  Books read for English/History & pleasure were on there.

[Luckymama]

But at least they don't ask for a GED.

:lol:

[Teachin'Mine]

We didn't even come close to meeting those UR requirements.  Talk with admissions as I'm sure they're flexible. 

[Trilliums]

Interesting:)

 

My homeschooled son was accepted to U. Rochester last year without completing the listed requirements. He didn't even do an interview of any kind. We came across these details rather late in the process.

He was, however, a very strong applicant with high test scores, university classes and glowing recommendations from instructors. He apparently also wrote a great essay because it was mentioned by a dean during convocation.

So, I suspect they are not so strict on the requirements but want to gather as much information as possible about potential students to ensure a good match.

[creekland]

Interesting:)

 

My homeschooled son was accepted to U. Rochester last year without completing the listed requirements. He didn't even do an interview of any kind. We came across these details rather late in the process.

He was, however, a very strong applicant with high test scores, university classes and glowing recommendations from instructors. He apparently also wrote a great essay because it was mentioned by a dean during convocation.

So, I suspect they are not so strict on the requirements but want to gather as much information as possible about potential students to ensure a good match.

 

Rabbit trail, but how's your guy doing?