The Rochester Institute of Technology

Personally I really enjoy RIT, especially after taking some summer classes at a state university. it was then that i realized how much more rit offers its students in the academic and future career department. But yes there are problems with the social life, but it is all dependent on the person. Regardless of what people say there are parties every weekend or whenever you want to go it is just the person has to go out and find them, and rit is rather diverse you can find any kind of activity you want to do there is more to do on a Saturday night than merely drinking. The main problem with the school that i knew about coming in to was that there is no football team, and personally i feel that athletics and school spirit is important to a college atmosphere, but with the recent success of the hockey and lacrosse them im sure a better stadium is hopefully coming.

1st Year Male -- Class 2014

Perceived Campus Safety: A+, Surrounding City: C

RIT was a great experience. I would do it agian in a heartbeat. This isnt the school to go to if you want keg partys every night. As far as tech schools go, I am happy that I chose RIT.

4th Year Male -- Class 2004

Individual Value: A+, Extracurricular Activities: C+

I'm a fourth year student and overall RIT has been a very positive experience for me. I transferred in from a public in-state party college. My first year was hardly academically challenging nor stimulating and the teachers had no idea who I was. My counselors never even bothered to respond to my emails. I decided it was time for a change and transferred into RIT's IT department.

The Department
I can't speak personally for every other major at RIT minus IT, but the program is exceptionally good. Classes are modified and updated every few quarters to make sure students are getting the most up to date information for our future careers. Teachers are generally very good with good backgrounds in the industry. Most all have PhDs or at least Masters (PhD in IT isn't offered too many places yet). From my experience all teachers were quite affable and willing to help you. The computing building is in good shape with good hardware that is updated frequently. Advisers are great and know your name after a few visits. College also provides resources every week to help you find co-ops and jobs.

The Campus
The campus itself has been spoken for by everyone else who has previously reviewed. The weather in Rochester is pretty gloomy most of the year. If you don't like cold, wind, and snow I'd recommend going elsewhere. Summers are nice, but you'll probably be on co-op. RIT loves red bricks. All the buildings are of the same design. The computing building is nicer than say, the liberal arts building, so hit or miss which buildings have been recently renovated. Grounds keeping is generally quite good. Parking is almost never a problem.

The Dorm Experience
I came in as a transfer so I lived on campus a total of one year. Half of which was in a dorm and the other half in Riverknoll apartments (which, by the way, are the biggest rat hole on campus). Dorm experience was meh. Dorms are smaller than typical universities and not all have air conditioning so be prepared to sweat a lot during warmer months. Due to increased attendance a lot of rooms meant for 2 people are now forced triples so be prepared to have no privacy. Most lounges are converted into extra dorm rooms. No microwaves are allowed in your dorm so get ready to share a busted microwave with 30 other people. Apartments on campus are ok at best. Minus UC housing, all apartments are unfurnished which is a royal pain to all students, especially those needing co-op experience. Living off campus is much preferred. Campus food isn't as bad as what everyone's been leading it up to be. There is a wide variety of food, but nothing great. Public colleges tend to have better food, in my opinion.

Social Life
If you're a guy coming into engineering or computing there will be VERY FEW WOMEN. I don't get why people complain about that while here. This is a 30% female college since it's mostly a tech college. Most of the girls are in art-related majors. I'm a female myself and the male to female ratio in IT is probably 9:1 at best. This is a pretty nerdy college abound with WoW players, anime lovers, and gamers. There are people who do not shower. That's just how it is. If this isn't your cup of tea, look elsewhere. Parties aren't announced and this is a dry campus. If you want huge parties with lots of girls, this isn't the right college.

Was It Worth It?Yes, this college is expensive, but you get what you put in. I had no trouble getting my co-ops done nor did I have much trouble finding a job because of them. I'd recommend doing well in college, getting good co-ops and rocking it out even in this bad economy. I met awesome friends here at RIT who are intelligent, outgoing, and people I'll stay in contact with for many years to come. If you're looking for a party school or bimbos, this isn't the place for you. Most majors are difficult so don't expect to be able to slack and still pass.

4th Year Female -- Class 2010

Education Quality: A+, Social Life: C