I’m a finalist for a full ride scholarship (30 finalists, 10-12 get scholarship) to UofR and I have a few questions before I go in for an interview with the Dean of admissions.
[QUOTE=""]
I’m an African American male and I’m kind of worried about diversity on campus. Is it more/less diverse than most colleges?
I am looking into majoring in Biology and a minor in ASL on a premed track, is the pre-med track hard/rigorous?
Is school spirit a big thing on campus and do students usually have things to do off campus on the weekends?
[/QUOTE]
I’ll post more if I think of them. Overall, I really like UofR and think it will be a good fit for me.
Congrats to you on being selected as a finalist! Best wishes on your interview too.
I’m the mom of a lad who graduated from URoc and is now in their second year of med school, so my answers come from that position rather than direct.
You can probably look up stats, but we've always been impressed by the diversity on campus. It's definitely more diverse than the colleges my other two lads went to (both LACs).
My lad double majored in Brain & Cognitive/Bio and minored in ASL/Psych - all with med school on his mind. He definitely had to work for his grades, so yes I would call it rigorous. On the plus side, now that he's in med school he's found himself with better foundational knowledge than most of his med school peers. Med school teaches you everything you need to know in its own classes, but his foundation of already knowing some of the topics well due to undergrad classes has been very helpful.
NOTE: U Roc’s pre-med advising leaves a lot to be desired. It’s the one thing I would change about the university if I could (him too - we all were pissed to put it bluntly). Make sure you get your pre-med advising from the internet or folks who have BTDT NOT URoc. Still go to whatever events they offer as you need a recommendation from them, but run EVERYTHING they tell you past another source for confirmation or rebuttal. That said, my lad is happily in med school and many other students get accepted too. If you’re smart enough to be a finalist for the full ride and have a good work ethic for the classes, etc, you’re smart enough to look up the info you need on med school, so it’s just a note - not a caution to stop considering URoc.
Their med school is superb BTW. The college is too. It’s just the pre-med advising that leaves one scratching their head muttering WTH. Have you read their med school profile to see what they look for in undergrads? I’ll link the newest one on here, but you can change the year in the URL to see it’s a template (except for the “new” part):
My lad opted to get involved with clubs on campus. He joined dance, chess, ASL, juggling, and Christian clubs. Chess later fell by the wayside as he also worked and was later an RA + TA + did outside tutoring, but the rest he stuck with eventually becoming President of some of them various years. Then add in shadowing/volunteering/research, etc. We often wondered if he slept, but finding things to do was never a problem. He loved college life. ;)
Once again - best wishes to you on your future - wherever it leads. You sound like an intelligent lad. Who knows what your world has in store? Make the most of it and do great things where it leads!
Hi - just wondering how you were offered the full ride to U of R. Did you apply early decision, and then were told you were a finalist for a full ride? Thanks.
@papabear77 I’m a finalist for the posse scholarship to UofR. It’s an organization that provides scholarships to certain schools outside your immediate area. I live in Maryland and got nominated for the overall scholarship at the ending of my junior year. It was around 1,500 of us in the beginning. Then came semifinalist(600ish) and now there are 25 finalists in the DC, Maryland, Virginia area. Posse is unique in that if I am not awarded the scholarship, the ED agreement breaks.
@Creekland Wow, thanks for linking that! A really interesting and enjoyable read. 5 from XULA is interesting; I actually know of someone who went there and I didn’t know their pre-med prep was that great.
[QUOTE=""]
This class has an unnatural love of zebrafish and nematodes… I propose this as a fantastic name for your class
band.
@mic347 The new writer certainly has a sense of humor! It was a more fun than usual read this year - but I’ve liked reading several years even though it’s mainly a template. 'Tis nice of them to publish it so future pre-med wannabes can get a grasp of what admissions are looking for in a med school. It means far more to students (and parents) to see it in print than if I say it. I can also dispel some myths too (like almost all spots go to foreigners or it’s not that hard to get in).
Hello friend! congratulations on getting accepted to UofR! I am a Sophomore at UofR from Egypt, majoring in computer science and environmental science. I have been to different schools in the US and I have friends at many different colleges in different states. and UofR is the most diverse among them all.
and for your last question, not all students have something to do on the weekends. there is always something to do during the weekends. It only depends on how you wanna spend it.
@Andretulloch AWESOME!!! Best wishes to you and thanks for coming back to share the fantastic information! I hope you have a great time on your journey toward med school (or if you change your mind on that, wherever you end up). If you ever find yourself wanting some advice, let me know and I’ll pm you my lad’s contact info. (He’s told me he doesn’t mind - he enjoys helping fellow students and prospective med students out.)
Our daughter is a sophomore at U of R. It is a very diverse school. You will see people from all over the globe, and all over the USA. Sidebar - Our daughter is caucasian and Jewish but loves to sing and is a member of the U of R Gospel Choir. She loves it! The Gospel Choir is largely comprised of African American students but there are singers from literally around the globe in this one group, including several African nations. There are also Asian students in the choir, and a couple of other Caucasian singers. It’s so exciting to see and hear the diversity of the singers in this group.
When you visit U of R, I’m sure you will keep your eyes open regarding issues of diversity. Don’t be afraid to ask current students and administrators for their thoughts, too. In any case, enjoy!!! Awesome school!
And, second of all, what everybody else said. My daughter is a senior at UR, majoring in microbiology and public health. She’s taking a gap year before applying to med school because she felt she would be a better candidate with more clinical experience and some additional time to study for MCATs. I completely agree with Creekland about premed preparation at UR—the coursework is rigorous but do-able for dedicated students but the premed advising could be better. My daughter’s friends who are applying during this application cycle are doing well, getting good interviews, and will likely wind up at in good med schools. But, like a lot of the advising at UR, the school expects students to take the lead and seek out advice and does not tend to guide students through the process as proactively as some other schools. You’ll do fine if you keep this in mind and keep coming to sites like this to ask questions as you go along. (My daughter decided rather late that she wanted to go to med school rather pursue an MPH, and didn’t seek out clinical experiences as an underclassman, but that’s more her own issue than a UR issue.)
As far as diversity, from what I’ve witnessed, UR tends to be more of a “melting pot” than a “salad bowl.” There is plenty of diversity, including a significant international contingent and you’ll find the atmosphere there very welcoming and inclusive. But demographically the school is not as diverse as many other schools, especially for domestic African American students. (But they’re working on that!) There are opportunities to connect with students of color but you’ll probably find yourself participating in many groups where academic or other interests are the primary glue that bond students together.
As far as school spirit, it’s there but it doesn’t revolve around sports teams as much as it does at some colleges. I’m sure that my daughter has attended more acappella performances than football or basketball games. There is always something to do on campus and most students spend the weekend there, doing things they want to do either on-campus or off-campus, depending on their own preferences. (I’ll also admit that during certain times of the year, like right now as the semester is wrapping up, you might be more likely to find students at the library than at parties or bars on a Friday night.)
UR is a great place for an independent, academically-oriented student who wants to follow their own path. It’s a nice combination of flexibility and academic rigor that was perfect for my daughter. As she approaches graduation, I know she’s glad she chose UR over other schools and is sorry to say goodbye.
If you have any questions, PM me and I’ll put you in touch with my daughter. She’d be glad to help!