<p>OK, so i got into Pitt a couple of months ago and I never really thought about going. (I only applied because of the city atmosphere haha) but whenever i tell people where i got in/where im applying, they always comment on how good of a school Pitt is and how beautiful Pittsburgh is! so im gonna be visiting in feb…however, i have quite a few questions about Pitt and the social life, etc.</p>
<li><p>Im an out of state student and I wanted to know if that was a problem for people. Do in-state people look down upon out of staters or vice versa? Do a lot of poeple at Pitt know each other from high school, etc.? Do people go home on weekends?</p></li>
<li><p>How is the jewish community at Pitt? I’m not very religious but I think I would join hillel. Is the hillel nice/do they host a lot of activities? What other jewish-type things happen on campus?</p></li>
<li><p>How big are frats there? Does the social scene on the weekends revolve around them? (I REALLY dont wanna pledge, maybe that will change) What else happens on the weekends? Are there good parties at Pitt? Do people find themselves bored on a saturday night?</p></li>
<li><p>How big are sports? Are people more concerned with going to Pitt football games than exploring Pittsburgh? or do people do both? I would love to be involved with Pitt sports but I dont want it to dominate my social life.</p></li>
<li><p>Do people explore Pittsburgh a lot? I definitely want a city school so I can explore, etc. I know at schools like BU and GW, the students are in the heart of everything and use the city to the fullest. Is that the same for pitt kids? Also, it seems as thought a lot of the UPitt guide books talk about the theaters/plays in Pittsburgh? Are a lot of kids into plays and stuff?</p></li>
<li><p>How politically active is the student body? Are most poeple liberal or conservative?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Thank you to anyone who answers any of my questions! (I know i have a lot haha)
i know visiting will def help me determine if im a fit for pitt!</p>
<p>Well, im not a Pitt student, but I've lived in Pittsburgh my whole life, so i'l try my best:
1. They don't necessarily look down on out of staters, but I know a good number of people apply from and are from around the Pittsburgh area.. I met someone from NY who is at Pitt, and he seemed really happy, so I dont think that'll be a problem
2. No firsthand experience, but u can check the website: Welcome</a> to the Hillel JUC of Pittsburgh
3. I think they definitely have considerable presence.. dunno for sure
4. Basketball is big, and football .. idk
5. Maybe cause i've lived there my whole life, i dont think there's much to explore, but i do love the urban setting.. idk about plays and stuff, but the Pittsburgh CLO is definitely a great experience (its a musical theater)
6. There's probably a good mix, half and half, don't know about it being that politically active, though.. only a pitt student can answer that :)
hopefully that helped..?</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I'm OOS and I have never had a problem. Where you come from really doesn't matter. There are some people who go home, but for the most part everyone stays on campus.</p></li>
<li><p>I'm not Jewish, but I've heard the Hillel is really good. I always see them around with booths and stuff and they seem really active.</p></li>
<li><p>Personally, I don't go to frat parties, but there are a lot of people I know who do. Them seem to like them, but I'm not a "party" person at all. However, I never find myself bored on a saturday night, party or no party. But if you find that you don't like the Pitt frats, you can always check out the CMU ones.</p></li>
<li><p>I would say half the people at Pitt are sports fans and half are not. I went to some football games. A good number of people go and they're a lot of fun, but they're not the center of everyone's attention. Basketball is a lot more popular though. However, there are plenty of people who don't go and they won't dominate your social life (unless you happen to hang around sports fans)</p></li>
<li><p>I know I always like to explore Pittsburgh. It's fun to find new places. There are a lot of theatres and plays and you can get in for discounted prices through PittArts. They send me emails all the time about plays, musical performances, art exhibits, and tons of other stuff that is really cheap to go to if you are a Pitt student. There are also the plays that the theatre arts dept. put on. As far as a lot of kids who are into plays... I'm not so sure. I've never talked to someone who has- I'm the only one who ever goes, lol. But then again, I don't think I have seen enough plays to really determine how many students go. I have, however, gone to many performances that were almost sold out, so SOMEONE is going.</p></li>
<li><p>With this past election, the student body was VERY politically active. I can't tell you how many times I was asked if I was registered to vote! Looking at this past election, most of the student body was pro-Obama and most McCain supporters were quiet. But this didn't necessarily mean that all of of the Obama supporters were straight-laced liberals. And when Obama won, students ran into Forbes & Fifth Ave to celebrate! One thing I noticed was that the college democrats were very active (they even won some sort of award for best college democrats chapter, or something like that) but you hardly ever hear about the college republicans.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Based on this, I would say the majority of the student body is liberal. But really, it doesn't matter. There are some kids who seem "liberal" but are hard core conservatives, and vice versa. It's not much of a problem.</p>
<p>Here's the perspective as a Pitt Alum and also a Pitt Parent:</p>
<ol>
<li>Nobody cares (or even knows) where you are from. Few high school connections. Most people stay on campus over the weekends. You will make friends from your dorm and from your major classes.</li>
<li> Active Jewish community at Pitt. Very large Jewish population in the nearby Squirrel Hill.</li>
<li> Frats are active, but are by no means the majority of the social activity.</li>
<li> Sports are huge. Easy to go to football at Heinz Field, but good luck getting basketball tickets. Lots of school spirit and also enthusiasm for the professional teams. Maybe you have heard of Steeler fans!</li>
<li> Yes. Pittsburgh has many cultural activities and three professional sports teams. Free and reduced price tickets through PittArts. Free admission to the Carnegie Museums and Phipps Conservatory with student ID. Lots of restaurants and decent shopping. Free public transportation for Pitt students. Accessible city.</li>
<li> All colleges are mostly liberal. There are politically active groups, but they are not pervasive.</li>
</ol>
<p>Good luck with your decision. Pitt is urban but not dangerous and is big enough without being too enormous, imo. You definitely should visit and decide for yourself.</p>
<p>Enjoying this thread. My son was admitted OOS and applied based just on good reports from high school friends who are at Pitt and major merit money already given to a friend. We really don't know anything about Pitt but plan to visit in January or February. Is it true it is considered a "public Ivy"?</p>
<p>thank you guys so much!! it sounds like a great place to go to school
although i dont know if id be able to give up attending bu or gw (thats if i even get in haha), pitt sounds awesome and i think a visit is really the only true way to see if you fit at a school so ill be goin to pittsburgh soon</p>
<p>My freshman D just returned and she loves Pitt. To answer OP questions:
1) Most of her friends are within PA but there are many out of staters. I don't think out of staters would feel uncomfortable. PA itself is a big and diverse state.
2) There is an active Hillel - my D has friends who are involved and they are happy with Jewish life on campus.
3) There are plenty of parties at Pitt - of course, you can be invovled in Greek life and it is active at Pitt but it's not the "main" attraction. Lots of parties off campus as well.
4) Football and basketball are huge at Pitt - my D is not a big sports person so it's not a big deal if you are not involved in the sports scene there is PLENTY to do.
5) My D wanted a city school as well and is very happy in Pittsburgh. Pitt students can use the Pittsburgh buses for free and get around all over the city. She complains about the buses being unreliable but I think that's just part of city life. Pitt also has a great Pitt Arts program where you can sign up and be notified about art, music, sport events happening in Pittsburgh and get very deeply discounted tickets. My D attended a music performance that included dinner and she said it was great, the food delicious and I think the price was less than $20. So you definitely can explore Pittsburgh. I know when we visited in the Spring we saw people waiting to get on the bus to attend the Pirates game.
6) The campus was definitely politically active with the election and my D was one of those storming down Forbes after the election. My D did find a diversity of political opinions but she did find Pitt sways left. I think however with PA being a swing state you will find many that are conservative, center and liberal. My D wanted a school that had a liberal bend and was politically active but not so liberal that no other opinion existed on campus.</p>
<p>She loves Pitt and we've been so impressed with the school so far. Good luck to you as you make your decision.</p>
<p>hey! my freshman S just left home for his 2nd semester at Pitt and he's really very happy. He is a shy OOS student (like WAY out of state 2500+ miles away) and has had no problem finding a fun group of friends/roommates, stayed at a roommates for Thanksgiving (and to go to the Backyard Brawl the day after), has fun at football games, parties (frat and house parties) and we are more than pleased. </p>
<p>We visited in March 08 and were able to meet with admins from his school choice as well as kids involved in activities he's interested in. I highly suggest calling Admissions and asking if you'd be able to meet with a "Pitt Pathfinder" who has similar interests, or maybe someone from an activity group you're interested in (maybe someone from Hillel?)</p>
<p>My S had a ball this semester participating in the election and all the excitement. I'd say the campus is pretty liberal, but I think there's enough of a varied student body that you can find someone with similar interests.</p>
<p>No complaints about the city, food or anything at all --- HAIL TO PITT!! Feel free to contact me if you've got any more questions or need help with directions, hotel, etc.</p>