<p>Hello everybody,</p>
<p>I thought I would jump into this discussion and offer myself up for anybody seeking questions about the U of R. I'll be a rising senior next fall, and can offer my insight about anything!</p>
<p>I remember using this website way back when I was going through the college selection process, so I would like to help in any way I can-</p>
<p>Thanks for the offer. I like hearing from current students, they are the best source of intel.</p>
<p>Can you tell us a little more general info about your background? Where are you from, what’s your major? What activities you are involved in? It would help with some perspective.</p>
<p>What surprised you the most about U of R? (I am thinking from what you knew upon accepting to once you actually arrived and saw for yourself.)</p>
<p>Also, if you could change one thing about U of R, what would it be?</p>
<p>No problem, adkdad! Judging from your username, I take it you and your family are located in the Adirondacks? That’s certainly a beautiful area!</p>
<p>As for me, I’ll give a little bit of information but I would also like to remain anonymous, to an extent.</p>
<p>I’m from Syracuse, NY – about 1.5 hours to the east of Rochester. Basically, I was prepared for Upstate NY weather better than my peers from other areas. :)</p>
<p>I study Cognitive Science (B.S.) and Linguistics (B.A.). Both of these programs are TREMENDOUS (Cog Sci in particular) and I highly recommend taking classes in these two disciplines. </p>
<p>I am very involved in my work at a cognitive science laboratory, and have been since my sophomore year. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT – for students interested in getting involved in research, the U of R is quite possibly one of the best options in the nation. The Medical Center (a fantastic resource) is right across the street from campus! Any science major, willing to work their butt off, will be right at home. Due to the University’s focus on research, and the rather small size of the University, it is very easy to get your foot in the door at a lab. Almost everybody I know is involved in research (no lie…), and they enjoy the experience.</p>
<p>Also, I’ve been a tutor for the past few semesters. The process is really easy – I meet with students usually for an hour at a time (when they would like to) and feel like I help increasing their understanding of the coursework. This program is certainly a testament to how comprehensive and effective Academic Support is at the University – there’s always help if you need it!</p>
<p>My biggest surprise upon matriculating was how amazing my peers were. My background is from a rather lackluster school district, so boy was I surprised when I got to know my classmates! The typical U of R student is very determined and intelligent (and… competitive) but don’t let this deter you. If anything, getting to know them will help motivate you to continue challenging yourself. Of course, anybody can find a group of students that they enjoy being around… the diversity on campus is very impressive.</p>
<p>If I could change one thing about the U of R, I would really enjoy having an actual “college town” surrounding campus. Off campus, your options are really limited… Chipotle, Boulder Coffee, and that’s practically it. The University has made a push towards improving the surrounding area, but progress toward change has been slow-moving.</p>
<p>Hopefully that helps somebody! Let me know if you have any other questions!</p>
<p>My son is interested in U Rochester. If you don’t mind me asking, what were your GPA and SAT scores? Thanks.</p>
<p>Kmh456, I received a 1350 on the SAT (old scale) and had a 3.8 GPA. From what I hear, the acceptance rate is now around 38%-ish (does somebody have the numbers). I feel like anybody who is a well-rounded hard-working student has a legitimate shot at being admitted. I know a wide range of individuals, those with lower “numbers”, and many with higher.</p>
<p>What is your son interested in studying?</p>
<p>Physics and computer science, do you know anything about those programs?</p>
<p>I don’t know anything about Physics, really. But if your son would like to major in it, he should definitely take the 140 (Honors) series. I hear the quality of teaching is much higher in these classes than the typical level general Physics (which is hell-like, according to many pre-meds).</p>
<p>I’ve taken the first two courses in the computer science curriculum for interest. This department has a VERY challenging curriculum that is a lot of work on the students. However, I feel since the major has a low number of students (20-30 per graduating class), a student is able to get a lot of personal attention. At least in 171 and 172, there were like 5 different people with office hours to help you out with coursework if you just make the effort to meet with them. The professors routinely send e-mails to students with internship opportunities, coding competitions, and the like. I didn’t stick with Comp Sci, but I really admire the department. I would definitely recommend the idea of coming to U of R for Comp Sci to prospective students.</p>
<p>What have class sizes been like in your cognitive sciences classes? Not only the intro classes, but the classes the next level up (e.g., classes you would take as a sophomore or junior). Thanks!</p>
<p>Hey rbhhr,class enrollment in cognitive science classes varies widely depending on the course. Even since my freshman year, student interest in Cog Sci has increased a lot. This is probably due to the fact that professors are foreign (in the best way possible) and very cool. Rochester Cognitive Science has generated a lot of buzz in the academic community for their excellence in research. I typically hate rankings, but I’ll use some here to illustrate my point. The Cog Sci department has been ranked as high as 4th in the country for research (<a href=“http://graduate-school.phds.org/rankings/psychology/rank/_M______________________________________________________________U[/url]”>http://graduate-school.phds.org/rankings/psychology/rank/_M______________________________________________________________U</a>). The freshman/sophomore classes, especially, have seen a sharp rise in enrollment compared to when I took them a couple years ago.</p>
<p>As a general rule, pre-major classes are typically lecture-style and have an enrollment ~100 (but the first Cog Sci class has around 300, and Intro to Neurobiology has about 250). These classes are taken by Freshmen and Sophomores. Interestingly, there’s a lot of overlap between Cog Sci and Neuroscience, and many students go pre-med with Cog Sci (and take Neuro classes). For this reason, upper-level Neurobio/Cog Sci classes typically have ~50 students as a large contingent of the U of R population is pre-med. Larger classes are required to have TAs with office hours, and the like so support is always there. On the other hand, I take upper level Cognitive Psychology classes (read: not bio!) and these classes are discussion-based and have only around 20 students usually.</p>
<p>I recommend the Psychology/Cognitive Science/Neuroscience spectrum of departments whole heartedly. Every professor in these departments is at the cutting-edge of their research and most of them are approachable and excited to teach students about their field. (I just had to plug this at the end) :)</p>
<p>rbhhbr–D2 is on the neuroscience (bio) side and works in cognition lab. </p>
<p>[CAOs</a> Laboratory](<a href=“http://caoslab.bcs.rochester.edu/]CAOs”>http://caoslab.bcs.rochester.edu/)</p>
<p>Her classes range from 25 up to about 100 depending on the class. (Neurochem had about 40. Neuropsych had closer to 100 students.) Very few discussion oriented courses on the bio side of cognitive studies. </p>
<p>UR has received federal approval for a primate lab for use by the cognitive science dept. (The monkeys were supposed to arrive over winter break, but got infected with a fatal strain of herpes at the training facility in FL and had to be destroyed. Replacements are expected as soon as this summer.)</p>
<p>There are some really well known names in neuroscience at UR and the university has done a good deal of hiring of TT faculty in the area of cognition lately.</p>
<p>WayOutWestMom - I know your daughter! I hope she enjoys Washington. :)</p>
<p>Hollinn - any insight, suggestions or things to be aware of re:</p>
<p>BIO 110/111 vs. BIO 112/113 and/or MTH 141/142 vs MTH 161/162??</p>
<p>Hollinn–she’s actually going to Seattle to the UWash SOM instead of NINDS. Amgen Scholar!!! <alas there’s=“” no=“” icon=“” for=“” a=“” very=“” proud=“” mom=“”></alas></p>
<p>~~~~~~~~</p>
<p>BIO110/111 and BIO112/113 are both large lecture classes with enrollments in excess of 250 students. TAs for the classes are undergrads who did well in the class in previous semesters. Each lecture section will have several TAs assigned.</p>
<p>BIO 112/113 is for students that took AP Bio in high school and scored 4 or 5. Faster paced than BIO110 and taught with the assumption that the student already has a grasp of the basics. 112 also requires significant outside of the classroom reading. (Not just the textbook.)</p>
<p>BIO 110 is the Bio course for students who have not had significant exposure to college level biology. It has a lecturer who is not well liked by the students. (See past threads for a discussion. I’m not going to get into it.)</p>
<p>Both BIO 111 and BIO 113 have different instructors than do the fall portions of the class. BIO 114 has 2 sections with different emphases. Instructors change from year to year.</p>
<p>From what I’ve heard there is not lot of carry-over between the fall portion of the class and the spring–in either course sequence.</p>
<p>Both BIO 110/111 and BIO 112/113 have a huge number of pre meds and are considered “weeder” classes. </p>
<p>The math sequences are very different. MTH 160 sequence is the standard Calculus sequence which most students take. MTH 141/142/143 is 3 course sequence designed for those students who are not quite as confident in their math skills. It cover the same material as 161/162 does only over 3 semesters instead of 2. </p>
<p>Engineering, econ, CS & physical sciences majors are strongly recommended to take the MTH160 sequence. (Or the MTH 170 sequence, but that’s a whole different thing…)</p>
<p>Hollinn - do you know how the research opportunities are for students specializing in developmental psych? D visited and met with one of the profs and liked the school a lot, but it would be helpful to hear a student’s point of view. Thanks.</p>
<p>Oh, and the MTH 160 sequence also is available as Honors courses. MTH 161H–which is taught somewhat differently than MTH161.</p>
<p>All MTH sequences are taught either by professors or grad students with undergrads or grad students as TAs. Format is a large lecture class with small group recitations/workshops/study groups led by TAs.</p>
<p>Adkdad: WayOutWestMom hit a lot of the main points concerning the courses you inquired about. I’ll add a little more information on my part:</p>
<p>Generally, the experience is highly dependent on the professor. Having said that, there is no real way to utilize this information and apply it, as there is only one professor teaching a specific class per semester. Pre-major classes NEED to be done at a certain point during undergrad to allow for upper-level coursework.</p>
<p>Forgive my pessimistic tone ahead of time 
:
BIO 110/111: Garbage. 110 is taught by Olek, and I think I was like the only one out of 650 students who liked him. I thought his teaching goals were interesting (he wants us to critically analyze the scientific literature; not focus on memorization but overarching concepts, etc.) but VERY poorly implemented. I was able to ace his class, but only because I was a sophomore and knew what to expect. My only advice is to study day-by-day, and don’t cram! Going to lecture is useless, but pick your workshop TA’s brain to succeed!</p>
<p>111: Usually taught by Minckley, who is indifferent towards students. I wasn’t required to take this class so I haven’t. The story with Minckley is he’s an adjunct, and only has this job because the Biology department wanted his wife for her research. Well, the woman left the department and we are left with this guy. The guy is a little nuts, but the biggest problem I hear from my friends is that his exams are not representative at all of the important concepts in lecture. Be prepared to memorize heaps of useless information if you want to avoid surprises on exam day! Thorough studying is needed to beat the curve.</p>
<p>112/113: I don’t know too much about them so follow WayOutWestMom’s advice. One thing I do know is try to avoid Platt for 112. He runs the class like straight-up Biochemistry (he recommends you buy a Biochemistry book). Nobody I know did well in this class (except WayOutWestMom’s daughter maybe). 113 is a mystery to me.</p>
<p>MTH 141/142 vs. 161/162 vs. 170q series:</p>
<p>Here’s my recommendation: If a student only needs to complete two calculus classes for their major (or just pre-med; Biology (B.A) or unrelated major) then take MTH 141 and MTH 142!!! I don’t care how smart you think you are, everybody is here, and why should you make it harder on yourself than you need to?</p>
<p>It’s tough to know how well the class will be taught, because calculus instructors are Visiting Assistant Professors who are recycled like plastic bottles. There ARE multiple sections though, so once you can get access to course evaluations with your netID, go into the database and do your research! Going to a 9 AM section with a good professor is better than a 1230 section with a lousy one.</p>
<p>I regularly tutor MTH 161. I would say the level of instruction is slightly higher, and a little more fast-paced than Calculus AB (the 140 series is probably more on-point with the pace of AP Calc). Definitely doable, and with the right professor, can actually be enjoyable!</p>
<p>162 is usually pretty miserable.</p>
<p>The MTH 170 series is an entirely different beast. Well taught, but very rigorous theoretical proof based. Only take these if you have a serious interest in Mathematics.</p>
<p>Developmental Psychology:
There are many great opportunities available, murrowmom. If your daughter matriculates, implore her to send her resume to every lab she is interested in ASAP. Keep trying, and don’t give up if there’s no e-mail response. A lot of getting into a lab is luck (trust me). I know a couple people that were involved in an Autism lab (Prof. Bennetto), and loved the hell out of it. Also, there’s a developmental side to the lab that WayOutWestMom introduced – developmental cognitive neuroscience; this field is pretty interesting! As a general rule, if you want research, U of R has it!</p>
<p>RE: MTH 162 </p>
<p>Calc 2 is a difficult class no matter where you take the course. Probably the most universally failed class at any college or university. Teaching has nothing to do with its difficulty. It’s the material, which both conceptually difficult and which expects the student to be able to apply concepts creatively–something that’s usually not been expected before in math classes.</p>
<p>BTW, MTH 162 does include some material that is not cover by AP Calc BC so any student expecting to take the class and coast is in for a surprise. (D2 is very familiar with class since she’s TAed it 3 times now under several different instructors.)</p>
<p>RE: BIO112 Platt is not teaching this course for Fall '11. Clark is. He’s new and is not listed under the Bio dept faculty. Probably a VAP or adjunct. So a completely unknown quantity. </p>
<p>(LOL, Hollinn!! D2 did ace 112–she and TPlatt got along famously. She just took him again for Biochem this spring. And aced that too.)</p>
<p>Nice description of Bio 110/111. Jibes with my kid’s comments. Word of caution to readers: all schools, including HYP, have issues exactly like this. I’m pleased to see UR people talk openly & honestly instead of selling or trashing.</p>
<p>Hollinn, it would be great if you’d revive this thread in the fall when kids are applying. I wish things like this could be made sticky.</p>
<p>Lergnom – great advice. I’ll definitely try to keep this thread going.</p>