To all the students and recent grads, I’m curious what your favorite things are about being a student at Pitt. Academic, social, extracurriculars, life in Pittsburgh? What did you love? What didn’t you like? Would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks!
bump Really like input on this as well.
I think @awesomeopossum can give you some great input - or you might want to read the thread she started “rising senior…” where she answers alot about the pros and cons. Most of us are parents contributing on here - I can give you my persepctive from what I hear from my kids (I have two students there and another joining next fall) - they both have loved the opportunities to do research, hands-on, substantial research alongside post-docs, profs, grad students. Off-campus housing is relatively cheap (compared to other large cities like NYC, Boston) and cost of living is better for Pitt students than others while still having the pluses of living in a city. The free bus pass is great (again, both of them have friends who go to school in NYC and Boston and costs to just get around add up quickly). There’s alot of ethnic restaurants, neighborhoods like Squirrel Hill and the Strip. What my kids didn’t like - people getting drunk, being loud rowdy drunks, the "bro"s and “bro” culture. My son (sr.) was in the band - that was a big part of his experience outside of classes. My daughter spends alot of time in her lab after classes and has made alot of friends there. A few other pluses: Therapy Dog tuesdays in the cathedral, PittArts (cheap/free tickets to concerts/ballet/opera downtown), nice dorm options.
Thanks @amandakayak. I’ve been following this thread, as I am also interested in learning more about Pitt from the perspective of current students/parents of students.
Thank you, amandakayak, for that balanced answer. Hoping to hear others as well.
I’m actually still a student at Pitt (Graduate now, did my undergrad and masters here as well). Some of the things I really enjoyed:
Life outside of campus- being able to bus to places and enjoy/explore other neighborhoods (Southside Works, Squirrel Hill, Waterfront, Shadyside, Downtown). Especially downtown- taking advantage of PittArts and CheapSeats to see shows, orchestras, ballets, etc. for a fraction of the true cost. For kids who like sports, baseball tickets are abundant and cheap for one of the best views in the city (within PNC park), also student rush for hockey tickets are amazing ($35 for a seat in the lower level is unheard of anywhere else).
Life on campus- small town feel. Amazingly, with over 17,000 undergrad students, you’d think Pitt was huge and foreign, but I’ve always seen someone I know walking down the street, the compact-ness of campus makes me feel welcome any time I’m around/in any of the buildings, and overall people are so friendly it still blows my mind.
Things I don’t like- my biggest pet peeve is the celebrity status that “high end” athletes (basketball/football teams mostly) are given at Pitt. I never interacted with them much (just because I never had class with them or lived near athletes) but stories I’ve heard about their attitudes sometimes turns me off. There is a bit of a bro/party culture if you’re looking for it. But on the same note, it’s really easy to avoid and go do your own thing with your friends if you want (see above about being able to explore around/off campus). The worst part? Winter weather is absolutely awful. But once you’re through winter, spring and summer in Pittsburgh (even early fall) are just absolutely gorgeous.
Thank you so much for all of your insight. It’s helpful to hear.