The Rochester Institute of Technology

I'm a second year at RIT. I'm gonna start of by saying that I'm a girl, and that I'm an industrial design major. With that being said, it is clear that I do not have the average RIT student's experience. There aren't many girls on campus. In my major there are, and in my building there are, but if you venture to other areas you will see mostly guys. As a result the guys are frustrated and, being a girl who is in a long distance relationship, I also find it frustrating. I wouldn't say i'm the most stunning girl in the world, but with the lack of options at RIT I get far more attention from guys than I would like. Also, guys don't seem to be too great at taking a hint, probably due to the fact that there aren't many girls.

Another problem that the guys will face is that, eventually, most girls go through a stage where they think they are gods gift to men because of all the attention they get. In all fairness though, there are so few 'normal' guys at rit (there are tons of geeks, or nerds, or if you are in the art building, tons of hipsters, all of which are just fine...just a little eccentric) that those few that were average in high school feel like gods at rit and in turn think that they are gods gift to woman. Both eventually grow out of it, and it is far more common to see it from the girls, but that is another thing to be aware of.

Social life: There are parties on campus, you just have to know people. I was in a co-ed floor my freshmen year and a lot of them liked to party, so if I ever have a desire to go to a party, I know where to go. I don't tend to party though because, as RIT is notorious for, they quickly turn into sausage fests and with that guy, who perhaps normally are perfectly charming, tend to turn into creeps. As I result I avoid parties, which I suppose helps with the whole sausage party problem.

There are clubs and recreational sports that are easy to get into. I personally play on two of the indoor soccer teams, which is easy to get involved with. There is also the Greek life which, though I am not involved with, is a great opportunity for those who can handle it.

Academics: The academics, in my opinion, are phenomenal. I'm not saying that all colleges in RIT have the same level of teachers, but with my major, I find that I've gotten a great group of teachers and students. For example, when I thought that I was having issues with one of my classes, I spoke to one of my teachers. He then spoke to the head of my major to see what could be done and both those teachers and the teacher whose class I was having issues with, went out of their way to help me. For my major the grades don't really matter. it's not hard to get good grades, getting good portfolio work however...The art/design majors in general are more geared toward creating portfolio work, and not the gpas. They also offer tons of opportunities. They let you know about co-ops, and there are extra things you can do, such as a portfolio review we just had. It gives you a chance to talk to professionals about your work and see where to go with it. one of my friends even got a job offer through this event. So long story short, it's self driven, but if you ask for help the teachers will go out of their way.

So recap: Sausage fest. Guys can't take a hint. Girls get big egos. In my major academics are self driven.

2nd Year Female -- Class 2013

Education Quality: A+, University Resource Use/ spending: D-

I was accepteed to Cornell, Brown, University of Rochester, and RIT. After numerous college visits and thorough pros and cons lists, I decided on RIT. I am totally and completely happy with my decision and I wouldn't change it for anything.

Being in the college of liberal arts at RIT, I get small class sizes and one-on-one time with professors. But I still am apart of the large RIT community. You get the best of both worlds. As a double major in Political Science & International Studies, I thought the workload would be overwhelming. But the professors are always there if you need help and there are many resources available to you.

The dorms here are a lot nicer than others I've seen. My boyfriend goes to SUNY Brockport and his dorm is half the size of mine and his is a triple, where as mine is a double. I was extremely nervous about sharing a room because I have never had a roomate before. But my roomate and I get along great! I would suggest sharing your schedule with your roomate before classes start,so that your schedules don't overlap and you're not fighting over a shower or waking one another up too early. I got licky with a nice, friendly roomate. But if you are not, you can easily request a change from your RA.

Most people complain about the social life here, but I have had no problem making friends and finding things to do. Sure, there aren't as many huge parties as a state school. But you can definitely find them here. There is a big shopping center and a mall right down the street from campus. The city of Rochester always has a lot going on too. Overall, I am extremely happy with my time so far at RIT. I'm looking forward to the next three years here :)

1st Year Female -- Class 2014

Education Quality: A+, Innovation: C+

1st Year Female -- Class 2014

Education Quality: A+, Useful Schoolwork: C