The Rochester Institute of Technology

As a 2008 grad, I have to say RIT is a great academic school.. but it is very challenging. The school is based on a quarter system so the classes change every 3 months. If you are looking to attend with a Computer Science major, I would recommend taking a course or two in highschool to make sure you like it first.. otherwise you may want to drop it.

The social life is pretty non existant.. You will make friends, but it wont be the whole "college" lifestyle. I was OK with this, but if you are a partier, you may want to look at other schools.

Overall, I recommend RIT. I learned a lot and am using what I learned directly toward my career. The co-op program is also unbeatable.

Pros: Education, Job OpportunitiesCons: Social Life, Weather, Challenging

Alumnus Male -- Class 2000

RIT is a school for a specific type of student. If you fit the RIT mold, you will love it; or at least tolerate it. If not, you probably won't have a very good time. Additionally, as it is a big school, some aspects rely on the luck of the draw - being in a big dorm, getting good classes first quarter (or, even other quarters, as the registration system ended up being fairly random for newer students).

I finished one year as a software engineering major before transferring out. I was extremely displeased with the school, on nearly every point. However, that isn't to say it is without merit.

My first comment is on social life. People who say that there is no social life aren't entirely correct, but people who say that the lack of social life is a lie also aren't correct. There is a specific style of social life found at RIT. Unfortunately, if you don't mesh well with it (which, does generally involve playing video games and such), then you will most likely see it as nonexistent. There are a number of clubs, but they tend to feel as though they are mostly centered around the same genre of activity (big clubs include the electronic gaming club, and the anime club), while the smaller, more diverse clubs, can often feel intimidating if you aren't good friends with the standing members. I understand frats and sports teams are good ways to meet people, but if they aren't your thing, then you're out of luck on that regard. Add into this climate a really cold winter, and cabin fever, and it's not hard to see why many people don't like it. If you do find a good group of friends, though, it would be easy to see that it would be bearable or even fun.

I came from a great high school, where although I didn't like all my classes, I at least could tell I was learning things in them. This was not the case here. I noticed my best classes were almost entirely taught by adjunct (not professors, but other professionals teaching classes in their own field). The most dismaying problem with my classes, though, was the ineptitude of teachers in the technical fields. To this day, I still don't know of a good math professor at RIT. My CS professors were also jokes - my first quarter professor didn't actually know the language he was teaching (JAVA), and my second quarter teacher couldn't answer questions asked of him in/after class.

While RIT does tend to treat you like a number if you let it, there is something to be said if you make the effort to try to speak to anyone. Most everyone I approached (with the exception of my technical professors) were extreemly helpful; a number of them helped me with the transfer process, even though I was leaving their school.All in all, make sure you are a student that would like RIT before you go there. My biggest issue was the number of students who seemed just to be going to RIT so they could use it's name to get a job. RIT, to me, isn't a place to learn, it's a place to get a diploma.

1st Year Male -- Class 2011

Campus Maintenance: A, Education Quality: F

I you want a school that will give you a good job with good pay than RIT is your school. The connections you build here, and the projects students take on and complete are quite impressive. I'm a physics major, and I've had multiple research and study abroud oppurtunities. In addition, we spent a good part of our last year doing a capstone project which has helped us tremendously. If you do do physics be prepared for a lot of astrophysics/astronomy

because that is what the majority of the faculty who do active research specialize in.
The most interesting part of this university is the social life, and that is a double edged sword. There is a lot of depression here, but there are also a lot of cool people. Don't come expecting major frats or parties. And definately don't expect any drinking. Campus and the police crack hard on that. However, the clubs here are really diverse, varied, and interesting. Student government is kind of beauroucratic, but they can be dealt with. In my onpinion you can be an outgoing person and make lots of friends without drinking. There are two big negatives I have for this college. First is the city. It is incredibly innaccesible. The bus system is terrible. There are a couple of things that go on, but they are impossible to get to without a car. Forget about biking anyhere except maybe the mall. The second major point are the women. The ratio has a negative effect on many things. They are less patient and open, because guys cater to them. There are a lot of guys that are not very social, so it balances out a little, but a lot of women respond to guys that are not very nice. One final note about the social scene is that it is not diverse enough. There students here from all over the world, and I encourage you to learn about them. However, it is mostly caucasianAnyway this school will prepare you for the real world and teach you a lot about yourself. You will become and adult here or fail trying. RIT has good and bad. The academics are serious. Pound you in the ass, but you will appreciate it in the end. The social scene is what you make of it. And it has a few surprises up its sleave. Come here to find out who you are.

4th Year Female -- Class 2008

Education Quality: A, Surrounding City: F