The Rochester Institute of Technology

Stay away from RIT unless you want to be bitterly disappointed. Of course, not everyone dislikes it here, but many do. In fact, this school is infamous for its horrid retention rates. Student morale and school spirit sits at rock bottom.

I don't need to discuss in depth the abysmal social life here--just search through the other reviews and you'll find plenty on that matter. I'll merely simplify it: there is nothing to do, and the student body in general is lame and/or shut-in. I've visited friends at other universities--the environment is completely different. There, at real college campuses, you see people enjoying themselves and interacting with one another. At isolated RIT, that is not the case.

Obviously, this isn't the only reason why this school is a disappointment. Don't get me wrong; college is primarily a learning institution. But it's not just the social aspect that sucks here, the academics and other intangibles blow as well. So far, my professors have, for the most part, proven incompetent and, above all, unable to teach and impart information effectively on the students. In the film and animation department, the supposedly most prestigious program at RIT, I have encountered the worst of my teachers. I feel most of what I've learned has been through self trial and error. I'm at least lucky, though, that all my profs so far have been able to speak clear English, for I have heard many horror stories of teachers here who cannot.

The pain-in-the-ass bureaucracy will drive you nuts. Everything from housing, to the quarter system, to eating, to campus transportation, etc. always seems painfully difficult and inefficient. For example, after a roommate withdrew and moved out mid-quarter (there goes that retention rate again) I was assigned another roommate without even being notified and after being told that no one else would move in until after the quarter ended. The other day, I waited in the cold for a shuttle to take me to the movie theater. An RIT website designated the time of arrival and destination for the shuttle. One finally showed up fifteen minutes later than scheduled, but it wasn't going to the movie theater (or half the places the website claimed) as the site had stated. I didn't need an answer as to why this discrepancy existed--this is RIT, random, inexplicable inconveniences are their policy. Did I mention that our vacation breaks are shorter than most schools', and that we attend more total days than most other colleges as well?

Transferring from here is very difficult, given the quarter system. Credits count as only 2/3 of what they did at RIT when transferred to schools on the semester system (most every college), leaving you with messy fractions you can't do anything with (which means wasted time).I'll just leave you with this final thought: notice on the main page of this website, RIT, a school of moderate size, is listed as the third-most reviewed college on this site. It isn't because students here are brimming with happiness. Oh, well, at least we still have a leg up on Pensacola Christian College!

1st Year Male -- Class 2009

Perceived Campus Safety: A-, Campus Aesthetics: D-

Rit's biotech program was generally pretty good. The teachers are mostly good, there are some that barely speak English and it is awful at times. I thought there was plenty to do around Rochester. WARNING: RIT does not care about you, all they care about is your money. That's it. Year by year i found myself hating RIT as a whole, but liking the College of Science more and more. RIT takes in more students than they can house, which forces a good percent of students to live in the "RIT Inn" which is located miles and miles off campus. The on campus housing is pretty terrible, small rooms to be shared by two people in the only affordable ones. We will see how well I was trained to enter the workforce - I feel like the program did a good job but it was just not worth all the money this vampire university sucks from you.

3rd Year Male -- Class 2015

Faculty Accessibility: A, Individual Value: F

RIT is the worst educational mistake I could have possibly made. I went into this school bright eyed and happy, and now I cry practically every night because I dread returning after the summer, or after a break. RIT essentially sucked the life out of me. My enthusiasm and friendliness towards others has also been downgraded, and I don't feel that I can relate to anyone outside of my major (and not that many in it either). If you want to have a happy, normal college existance, DO NOT GO TO RIT. The social life is slim (and people will tell you there are parties if you look, but they usually consist of the same 20 people), the students are not friendly, and the course work is abundant (which would be ok, however 50% of it seems unnecessary.) Don't make the same mistake I did. Allow yourself a normal life in college; go elsewhere.

3rd Year Female -- Class 2007

Useful Schoolwork: A, Individual Value: F