i am applying to rit and i want to know what it’s like. how is rit? academically? campus? school pride? dorms? people? socially? any piece of info or advice?
i am applying for mechanical engineering so any info on it is greatly appreciated!
thanks!
^See RIT Presidential Spotlights https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KTojkRUJ2A & https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0jKdrQmhSE
Not sure if I’m a bit late to respond, but perhaps I’ll write for the sake of future students. I will try to give as much info as I can.
Some background information:
I’m currently going through my 5th year here at RIT. I’m am a design major that has transferred in from another school, and then switched from computer engineering to design. I’m not going to say which design major as that will give away who I am. That’s how small my major is.
I scored 2100/2400 on my SATs, and had transferred to RIT with the mindset of leaving the school. It was previously on a quarters system so the idea that I can take classes on quarters, get credits for semesters, and then take a few month breaks between transferring to another school that only accepted transfers for Fall semester was very appealing.
I obviously ended up staying. Academically, the school is un-expectingly amazing.
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Academically
I cannot speak for the mechanical engineering department, since I am not in it, but from what I hear, it is amazing. As for computer engineering and design, it is definitely top tier. Most engineering students I know are generally studying and live in the library. RIT has a very high acceptance rate, and takes many students that are unqualified for it’s program, creating a very low retention rate. Because of this, many students end up switching majors, or leaving the school (which ultimately hurt our rankings). During my year taking computer science courses, students who dropped out due to it’s difficulty switched into Information Technology (IT), which had became a running joke among students for "I Tried… ".
Though do not let this discourage you. Those who do make it past first year level courses, end up in very high places. Fight through it. Students and professors will help you through it. This is coming from someone who used to always be afraid to ask for help. Be prepared to spend most of your time actually studying.
Professors strive for very high standards, sometimes almost unreachable. As
The school also has a strong co-op program. Employers like us and we’re usually competing with students from highly ranked schools. Many people I know are currently working for Google, Microsoft, Intuit, Toyota, Lockheed Martin, IBM, and a few at Tesla.
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Campus
If you like orange bricks and glass walls, you’ll love it here. The buildings remind many of us of high security government buildings and many hate it, but I sort of dig it, haha. The facilities are top tier. You’ll get the best labs and the latest computers. Oculus Rifts are everywhere. Giant touchscreen monitors are used as tables. There are labs full of xboxes. There are funny guys in biohazard suits in the basement. Internet speed is probably the top 5 in the nation. The campus is very connected, as it is mostly known for being a tech school.
The campus is relatively huge, with miles of grass and lawn. There is a relatively new bike sharing program, and there is a rental zip-car thing that just got implemented last semester. There are buses that goes around the campus to student housing. The campus is very clean. Students don’t litter or spit.
Campus food is not spectacular, but manageable. For the majority of your freshmen year, you’ll probably eat in a dining hall with the same food every day, but you’re free to purchase other meals elsewhere, or change your meal plan so that you can eat other stuff on campus. We have something similar to Chipotle called Salsaritas, and there is a visiting chef from local restaurants which includes chinese, pakistan, dominican, and whatever else they decide to bring to campus. There is cheap cold sushi and burgers etc.
Then you’ll learn there are better options outside of campus, and you’ll no longer be required of a meal plan.
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Housing / Dorms
Housing is by far some of the best I’ve seen compared to other campuses in the area. Perhaps this is biased since I managed to get into the higher quality apartments. After your first year, you can move out of the dorms and live in your own apartment, either owned by RIT (University Commons, Global Village) or by contractors off campus (search Province & Park Point). You get your own room, a relatively modern kitchen, etc. Of course the price of rent is high, but it’s about the same as living in the dorms.
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Student Body
Our student body is notoriously famous for being a bunch of geeks. There are a million clubs, but gaming is very strong. League of Legends and Minecraft is the Football and Basketball of RIT.
E-sports is considered a sport by most students. The biggest events are LAN parties. Though that is changing over the years as students are becoming more diverse. When I started, the school was 70% male (predominately white males), but that has been changing radically over the years. Although unfortunately for engineering students, the industry will probably remain male dominant.
Although there is a huge geek population, the student body is relatively friendly. You’ll fit in because everyone is so accepting.
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Finally, do apply. The school’s ranking is only going higher. I wasn’t absolutely proud to say I was from RIT when I first started, but over the four years I’ve been here, our reputation has improved drastically. When our president said we’ll eventually exceed carnegie mellon university, we all laughed. Surprisingly, it’s sort of becoming a reality now. When I told my parents I was going to RIT, that misheard me for MIT.
Now when I tell my parent’s friends I’m going to school in rochester, it is not university of rochester they mention, it is RIT. Their first comment is usually, “wow, I hear RIT an amazing school now!”
Good luck.
@student234234 i don’t know if you’re still active on CC, but can I ask you more about RIT?
I’m an international student coming from a small school. I’m currently debating whether to apply to RIT or not (at my school we can only apply to a certain number of colleges so I’m wondering if RIT should be on the list); the small to big student body transition doesn’t really bother me, and I love the geeky/nerdy/techy vibe it seems to have, but I’m just not sure about the college life over there. I’m planning to apply engineering major so I probably will be studying all day (haha), but how difficult is it to find entertainment off campus? Is there like a small city near by? I don’t really like the idea of being stuck in campus the whole year.
Also, do you know what the study abroad options are like? (I tried to search but there doesn’t seem to be many. )Do a lot of students do study abroad? Or do they do more co-ops or internships?
I think I want to apply to RIT(i think it’ll provide me good education), but I just need some words of assurance.
Thanks in advance!
See https://www.rit.edu/studentaffairs/iss/
Then you need a car. Public transportation is not the best at Rochester, NY
@Bizziee Rochester is a medium sized city with plenty to do, but public transportation to RIT is limited since it’s in the suburbs. It’s a short drive downtown. Having a car, while not absolutely required, is nice.