<p>My son really likes UR but is concerned about its "party" image. He is one of those kids who loves to learn and wants to get the best education he can (will be an engineering major) but is concerned about too much partying going on around him. He doesn't really care if people party but he also wants to be around kids who take their learning seriously. I think UR is only made up of those type of kids (smart and want to get a good education), but he just wants to make sure there is plenty for him to do, with kids who aren't into the "work hard, party hard" scene all the time. Any thoughts anyone has on this would be greatly appreciated!</p>
<p>I am an incoming engineering student, so I looked into this. My friends on campus say it is avoidable if you want to avoid it and the dorms are quiet enough. I visited yesterday on D-day (inadvertently) where kids start drinking at 9am. Even on the worst day of partying, it was still completely avoidable.</p>
<p>D2 isn’t a “party hearty” kid–though she does go to parties every now and then. And she went Greek (although more to expand her social circle and networking prospects than for the circuit of bar parties.)</p>
<p>If you don’t want to party, you don’t have to. There are always alternatives to the party scene on campus.</p>
<p>You’ll find most of the kids at UR take their academics seriously and that Saturday nights are not one continuous Bacchanalia. (D Day excepted.)</p>
<p>Wow. I never expected this kind of post.</p>
<p>UR is a school where kids work and play. It’s a serious academic environment, not a party school. </p>
<p>But it isn’t a grind school - and I’m not sure those ever existed, given my familiarity with MIT (though I don’t know CalTech). It’s a balanced environment.</p>
<p>There are people who party, and there are people who don’t. It really is that simple. Rochester is not a party school unless you try to make it so (join a sorority, join a frat, a few of the sports teams). If you want to go out you do, but it is never shoved in your face. This is a school where you have to work hard to survive and everyone acknowledges that. Example: Saturday was D-day, which is this school at it’s worst drinking wise yet at 11 am the library was full on Sunday because finals are next week and people knew they needed to study.</p>