The Rochester Institute of Technology

This school was absolutely horrible. I transferred in from a liberal arts school as I wanted more practical experience. I was sold on the co-op program and other "merits" of RIT. From day one, I felt as if I had to turn in my personality and individual sense of importance. I was treated as an inmate on work release. The campus, faculty and administration spends an inordinate amount of time ensuring that they are paid every last dollar. I had to negotiate at the student aid office EVERY semester for dollars that I had been promised at the beginning. In addition, the cost of this school is way too high to justify the quality of education, instruction or motivation that I received. (By the way, I am now reasonably successful with a six figure income that RIT had NOTHING to do with). RIT is full of continuing education students each of them from Kodak, Xerox, Bausch and Lomb and the likes. As these students are from corporations giving dollars to RIT, RIT caters its education to these corporations. I received a corporate cookie cutter education geared to helping me rise to the middle of corporations like these. I can't urge people enough to not spend their money at RIT and instead attend a State school and use the money you save to launch a business or attend an excellent graduate school.

4th Year Male -- Class 1997

Collaboration/Competitive: B-, Individual Value: F

RIT has a lot of good things about it. It is very focused and very intensive. But the most important thing I have to say is, do NOT (and I repeat) DO NOT come to RIt if you are unsure of what you want to do. Just about the only people who are happy here are the ones who knew without a doubt what they wanted to do and didnt change majors. Furthurmore, make sure you have taken classes in whatever major you are going for. If you think you know what you want, but later change your major... thats when RIT becomes a really bad school for you. RIT is the worst college to "find yourself". The majors are so structured that if you are not sure what you want, you may have to spend an extra year or two to figure it out. If you come here "undeclared" then you will most likely spend an extra year here or at least an extra quarter or two. (and it's really expensive here). I thought I knew what I wanted, but after a year in the major I realized that I didnt like it and it wasnt for me. At that point, RIT became an academic nightmare. I wasn't sure what I wanted and you get no help whatsoever in finding out. (you can enroll in the explortary program, but I only found that out a year or so later). YOu have very little time to find out as well, because the more time you spend lookings, the more off track that puts you in just about every major. I'm really coasting along in RIT and I'm almost depressed about the major I am getting... (Interdiscplinary major...essentially I design my own major). I'm upset because, I want to do Art, (i figured it out a bit too late) and I can't even incorperate it into my major (thats the one subject that I can't include in the interdicplary major. All other subjects at RIT can be part of the interdiscplinary major. Mostly this is becaues the Art school is rather snotty and stuck up. YOu can't minor in art or art history if you are outside of the college of imaging arts and sciences. they are like a bubble. You can't even register for classes in the arts throught he normal means if your outside of the art school) I dont have the money to spend another few years here to do art. (I had way more money coming in than most...I didnt even need financial aid because I could pay all of it. RIT has been a total waste of my money)

Some people end up hating their major but going through with the degree anyway and that is quite common. Other people hate it here because of the "if it doesnt kill you it makes you stronger" attitude. Focus on the killing you part and you got RIT. Another problem with RIT is the skimpy liberal arts program. There are about 4 liberal arts majors.

Of course, if you know what you want, (and it's a math or science, or even art) you know you wont change your mind (because you've already had LOTS and LOTS of exposure to it) and you like the crazy crazy, intensity of this school, than I'd say go for it. Of course, for those majors requiring co-ops, make sure you are prepared...getting a co-op can be difficult and you can't leave without a certain number (anywhere from 2 to 5 or 6). They dont give you much help at all, either, except on how to write a resume. Thats seriously about all the help you'll get with finding a co-op.

I really should have left after my first year, or at LEAsT after my second. I can kick myself for sticking with it this far. Again, the main problem is that it's too structured and there isn't much time for students to find themselves. Switching majors more than once is only possible if your last stop is the interdicplinary major (or you are willing to shell out the extra bucks.)

RIT also has a 40% drop out rate.
Think about that! Nearly half the people here dont like it. (probably because they want to switch majors and realize that it's easier to transfer schools than to transfer majors. (they just recently created an ENTIRE position to deal with switching majors. That's how much crud you need to get through to do it....)

Even people who like their major somtimes dont like the attidude that RIT has towards students. Anyway, I really really really hate RIT... almost passionatly... I think it'd be cool to write slanderous articles in the paper about RIT, thats how much I hate it. I wish I had had some guidance and help finding (and getting into) the major I was interested in before it became too late. Acadamically, I hate this school. Socially, I have a lot of friends here and if you look, there is a lot to do. But dont count on having the time to have much fun outside of the classroom, especially if your in a very intensvie major (unless your super good at it). Also, the campus is terribly ugly, except during the summer when the gardens bloom. (just dont look at the buildings and your eyes wont hurt) Only problem is, Winter is almost the whole school year. (very few classes are offered during the summer quarter) Also, Even for someone from CT, it gets COLD here. During Jan. it snows just about every other day. More postivly, the faculty tend to be really nice people. (but it isn't uncommon for the art teachers to make students cry in class quite often. I lived with a bunch of art majors and I took a few classes when I was a Film major myself). Otherwise, the teachers, in my opinion, are often nice and helpful. They usually have good office hours as well. They dont know very much about other majors or other schools, though. The whole school is rather segregated by major and unless you join clubs and such, you might never know anyone except those people in your major.

3rd Year Female -- Class 2006

Faculty Accessibility: A, Education Quality: F

3rd Year Female -- Class 2005

Scholastic Success: A, Social Life: C