<p>I read a few other schools' forums. Rochester's seems to be mainly populated by parents with the odd student here or there while the others are mostly students with the odd parent here or there. Why do you think that is?</p>
<p>I'm not criticizing but truly curious.</p>
<p>Interesting observation. I’m not entirely sure why that is. I have heard that there are a significant number of ‘lurkers’ on CC - people that read posts but do not submit posts themselves. I wonder what the breakdown is in terms of the percentage of parents and students that are among Rochester’s ‘lurkers’.</p>
<p>I haven’t spent a great deal of time (by which I mean I haven’t spent any time) on other forums. Is the tone of each forum drastically different?</p>
<p>I am a student lurker on this forum, and probably one of many. If I’ve posted here, it’s probably only been once or twice. I generally post in the Music Major forum, but I “lurk” here and in some of the other college’s forums. Usually I don’t post because the majority of my questions have already been answered.</p>
<p>The tone here is definitely much more mature than some of the other forums, probably because of the amount of parents. If you head over to the Ivy League area, there are several more students, frantically posting “CHANCE ME! URGENT” or “AM I GOING TO GET MY ACCEPTANCE RESCINDED FOR AN A MINUS?!” It is much nicer over here, and it’s a lot easier to find the actual information you’re looking for.</p>
<p>Thank you, allegrovivace! </p>
<p>D2 doesn’t post her because honestly she’s too busy at UR doing her own thing. (Homework, research, sorority, volunteer service) </p>
<p>UR has been a great place for D2 and I enjoy helping other students (and parents) find the answers they need about the school.</p>
<p>I think having a school representative here makes a huge difference too. On other forums people have to guess about everything down to when the decisions are mailed. Since MConklin is here there is much less uncertainty. I have read threads where people go on for weeks like, “Maybe they’re sending out the decisions today.” Since, for the most part, we are informed when decisions(and other things like that) are happening there is less to talk about I suppose.</p>
<p>And yes, WayOutWestMom is extremely helpful and eerily well informed for some that far out west. :P</p>
<p>I am a student here and I can answer any questions you may have. I am now a junior so I feel like I have experienced everything and I can honestly say that most students are not happy here</p>
<p>Mike Conklin answers a lot of question and WOWM answers all the rest. </p>
<p>UR doesn’t have a lot of direct comparables that stir up debate. No BC versus BU. No real other rival schools in the area, RIT being a very different kind of place. So the universe of questions is more like: the weather, basic questions about programs, etc. Unlike the Ivies, there isn’t a lot of foolish discussion about prestige (that’s from experience, not meant to be pure snark). </p>
<p>It just is. Some boards are busier and others less.</p>
<p>allegrovivace… Nice post. I was happy to read it. I think you’ll find the tone similar among the students here.</p>
<p>whatitis - I have noticed the tirade you have littered across several posts on the U of R CC. I realize not everything, or everyplace is all rainbows and butterflies, and I have no reason to doubt the truth in your experiences and posts. In fact, in many respects I welcome your candor in sharing your experiences and views. At the same time, I can’t help, but wonder why you stayed through your junior year? Surely you haven’t found a match in U of R, or Rochester, for that matter. Life is too short, there is still time for you to find a place that better matches your interests and where you can be more comfortable, productive and safe. I only help you take the steps you need to find what you are looking for. Good luck.</p>
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<p>LOL! You’ve uncovered my secret identity, notaclue. I’m actually a librarian–and you know what Spider Robinson says about librarians.</p>
<p>HINT: google Spider Robinson + librarian.</p>
<p>Ahh…now it all makes sense! :)</p>
<p>I do feel badly that whatisit is so unhappy at UR.</p>
<p>I never really took note but it does seem like mostly parents here and very few students-it would be great to hear from more of the actual customers!</p>
<p>I will say whatisit does have strong opinions-something UR does not seem to generate nearly as much as so many schools on here. This school seems to fly under the radar compared to so many other schools of it’s stature.</p>
<p>So do any other UR students want to weigh in as we parents contemplate this school for our children?</p>
<p>I am not yet a current student but i would like to weigh in. I am an incoming ED student to U of R. I just have say that I love the U of R. There were several snafus with my application but the people at U of R are very courteous and understanding. Anyone interested in a variety of majors should seriously consider the U of R. I am from the area and have spent a considerable amount of time on the river campus, so I may have some bias.</p>
<p>If you want complete academic freedom, access to research, the ability to become a leader on campus, personable faculty, a great education, and a vibrant student life atmosphere then I can say you would be hard-pressed to find a better school than the U of R.</p>
<p>I always tell people that if you want to distinguish yourself while on a college campus, the University of Rochester is the perfect place thanks to its size, diversity, and unique niche in the academic realm.</p>
<p>With 248 student organizations to be involved in, and the ability to choose ALL of your own classes without any “core requirements”, everyone has the opportunity to make the best of their college experience at the U of R. The naysayers are not learning what they love, even though they have the opportunity to do so. </p>
<p>I encourage everyone to take classes that they are passionate about and to join student organizations that match their interests. I am thankful that Rochester “flies under the radar” in terms of prestige. Students that apply to Rochester love the curriculum and the campus, not the name.</p>
<p>Meliora!</p>
<p>A comment about unhappy people:</p>
<p>I posted on the BU board for quite a while while I had kids there. Kids transfer in and out of schools in fairly large numbers and BU, being very large, has a lot in and a lot out. A few people are so unhappy they need to complain, even to the point where they hang around and post long after they left, like they’re ghosts who can’t let go. BU’s board has also tended to be one of the most active, partly because it is one of many choices in the Boston area. Other really large schools don’t have such active boards or such diversity of comments.</p>
<p>Not every choice is the right choice. Maybe a school doesn’t fit a person. Maybe the reasons the kid is going there weren’t good reasons. Maybe the kid is just unhappy. Maybe life sucks.</p>
<p>It’s not really a problem to say you’re unhappy but most unhappy people never say a thing and almost all of the people who leave a school just put it in the rear view mirror. I’ve found a few have a very hard time letting go and moving on. I’ve tried telling them it isn’t healthy to obsess and that continuing to dwell on bad feelings is just plain bad for you, but not everyone can do it. Some people have anger issues. Some people are really immature. Some people need to share their misery. You hope they have a better experience somewhere else. </p>
<p>As a final note, it’s kind of humorous to think of UR as being over-sold. It’s in upstate NY, for heaven’s sake, and the first question people have is about the weather.</p>
<p>I think the experiences that students have in college are very personal, and there are certainly going to be those students whose experiences do not live up to their expectations. That is as true of Rocheseter as it is of any school, and I will never fault a student for being honest about the challenges that he/she has had to overcome in their time here.</p>
<p>Of course I have a vested interest in how positively Rochester is represented, but the truth is, I want to admit and enroll students that are going to be happy and successful here, and I attempt to make that happen by being completely honest and forthcoming about Rochester’s strengths and weaknesses. Is the weather tough at times? Sure. Is there going to be crime in a metropolitan area of over one million? Yes. But 98% of our freshmen are happy and successful enough to come back for their sophomore year, and I can honestly say that I have seen few schools, if any, with a study body as energized and as proud as Rochester’s. </p>
<p>The one thing that I would encourage any student that is unhappy with his/her experience to do is to speak with someone about it. To the best of my knowledge the administration here has always been willing to meet with students to discuss ways to improve the student experience, and I sincerely hope that our students choose to take advantage of those opportunities.</p>
<p>I’m a student here who posted a little during the waiting and got some very helpful answers. This is my first semester, and I’d be happy to answer any questions anyone has for me. I adore it here and transferring was totally the right choice.</p>