<p>More and more, it is looking like I'm going to end up at RIT for mechE. I don't mind how the campus looks, in fact, I found the buildings very nice on the inside. My biggest problem was its isolation. I didn't see very much to do and I didn't see anywhere to go. </p>
<p>So I guess I'm interested in hearing about some social opportunities available at RIT, on campus and in the city (is there a bus that'll take you to the city?). </p>
<p>I've played a few video games in high school, and mostly feel like it was time wasted. I don't think I would mind a campus where most people play video games, especially if they're quiet, but I would like to have the opportunity to do some college partying from time to time. </p>
<p>You are asking a few different questions, so I will answer them in parts.</p>
<p>There are buses that can take you to just about anywhere in Rochester, though the schedules can be a bit difficult to work around. More practical is to find a friend with a Car (or better yet, several friends). Also, Rochester itself is not the greatest place to visit, you are more likely to spend your time in Henrietta (the town RIT is actually in) and the other suburbs</p>
<p>Regarding things to do, there are quite a few activities sponsored by RIT, and in addition to those, there are many, many (many) clubs that you can join. If none of them suits you, then it again comes down to finding a group of friends.</p>
<p>Regarding parties, I never went to any of them, but there are quite a few, usually in the apartments on and off campus. I spent much of my time working on various projects unrelated to schoolwork, as those are far more entertaining, and often teach you more than anything your professor will ever have you do.</p>
<p>Also, it would be best to not assume anything about the average RIT student. Assuming that all of the students at a tech school are obsessed with video games is a stereotype that is not always correct. In fact, the group that most people assume are the most obsessed gamers (computer science students) often play less than other majors.</p>
<p>College is what you make of it, not what it is made of.</p>
<p>I suppose my friend that goes there was really just exaggerating when he told me everyone either played warcraft or had an xbox. What I’d really like to do is find some dedicated musicians and make a band. I don’t want to make any stereotypes here, but I feel like there should be some pretty good synth players there. ^^</p>
<p>I guess what’s important to me about the campus is that there are easy ways to get out into the suburbs. </p>
<p>While I’ve got a topic here, I would also like to ask what it is like to go to grad school from RIT. I’ve heard that it is less research based and more learning based, geared towards getting a career with your bachelor’s degree. I would like to get my Ph.D. and was wondering if graduating from RIT could get me into some top engineering grad schools like Berkeley or Stanford. Or as I’m guessing, it will be mostly up to me to get there, regardless of what school I choose, in which case, what do you think it will take on my part?</p>
<p>First, I feel I should say that the city of Rochester gets an unfair rap when you ask RIT students about it [presumably because most never step foot in downtown Rochester]. Whatever you’re into, you’ll find it in Roc. Like clubbing? Check out One, Tilt, Vortex, etc. Alt scene? Bug Jar and Lux. Into upscale bars? Murphy’s Law. Museums, wine, theater and culture more your speed? Check out anyplace in the Neighborhood of the Arts in East Rochester. There’s pool halls, hookah bars, minor league sport teams [in fact, Rochester is one of the best cities in the country for minor league sports], ethnic food. There are loads of local interest groups, from politics to LGBT to faith organizations. We have fascinating architecture, and even a waterfall in the middle of the city [not some trickling stream, a real waterfall]. Imagine everything that’s awesome about big cities, but with parking availability. </p>
<p>And that’s just the city. [check out the independent Rochester Wiki [Rochester</a> Wiki - The People’s Guide to Rochester](<a href=“http://rocwiki.org/]Rochester”>http://rocwiki.org/) ]</p>
<p>Even it you don’t have a car, Henrietta and RIT have plenty to offer. Like Corry said, there are loads of clubs, from billiards to sports to campus radio to political groups to anime to sailing to bouldering [we have an on-campus climbing gym called the “Red Barn”] to anything you could possibly want. There are some twenty greek organizations. There are three, maybe four bars located within walking distance from the dorms, and even one on campus [RITz Sports Bar]. Parties are just as frequent as any other campus I’ve visited, and as long as you’re willing to put yourself out there it’s never hard to find something to do. Think about it like this: RIT is the tenth largest private school in the country. How could you NOT find something to do?</p>
<p>There IS a bus system, but as Corry said it can be difficult to navigate if you’re trying to get downtown. </p>
<p>Unless you seek it out, RIT has limited research opportunities for undergrads [although they are actively trying to fashion a graduate research reputation, and RIT is now ranked something like number nine for northeastern graduate institutions]. They do focus very much on making their students as employable as possible, and for this reason the average starting salary is much higher than any school in the area [including the nationally ranking University of Rochester] despite a large population of photo and art graduates. But this doesn’t mean that you’re out of the running for grad school. I know a guy who went on to Harvard Law, and I’m personally applying to Carnegie Mellon. If you do well at RIT, you can go anywhere. It’s just a little harder to convince yourself to go to grad school when you’re sitting on a $70k job offer ;)</p>