<p>Pitt just came on my radar this summer. I will be visiting at the end of summer. I am trying to do research on the school and have a few questions...</p>
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<li><p>Is the school diverse geographically or are most student from PA and end up hanging out with old high school buddies, for instance?</p></li>
<li><p>The campus, on paper, seems pretty active. I would be coming from far and would not want a 5day campus where most people head home on weekends. Is there a good bit to do on the weekends?</p></li>
<li><p>I can't seem to gauge, from pictures, if the campus is truly an urban campus...or kind of suburban but near an urban area. Thoughts?</p></li>
<li><p>How is freshman orientation and did/do you feel like the school does a good job of getting people adjusted to campus and meeting each other? I have been to boarding school and have no issue being away from home and meeting new people, but I tend to do so by going to events for new students, joining clubs, etc. Are these things pretty good at Pitt?</p></li>
<li><p>A lot of what I read about the school is good. The one consistent negative (in my view) I have heard is this:
Pitt has whites, blacks and Asians...not much else. Each group sticks to its own a lot.
Is the above accurate or is it more diverse and do people mingle/date/hang out across races?</p></li>
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<p>My DS will be a Junior this fall and we a from NY. I’ll give you my opinion on your questions–
This article talks about OOS students attending Pitt and Penn State. [Public</a> universities drawing more students from out of state - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette](<a href=“http://■■■■■■/iVcG3]Public”>http://■■■■■■/iVcG3)
My son’s experience is that he made friends with kids from several states. Mostly PA, but some from NY, MD, OH. He also knows kids from as far away as CA. It is DEFINITELY NOT a 5 day campus. He only comes home on holidays and that is the way most of the campus is. The campus is definitely urban. If you are looking for a campus away from everything, Pitt is not it. This may turn off some who are from small towns etc, but if you are looking for always having something to do from sports, arts, restaurants, etc. Pitt is it. I think they did a great job at orientation. He was there a full 5 days before classes started and his RA did an incredible job of planning activities for his floor. I was amazed that he hadn’t been there a week and his whole floor when kayaking by PNC Park (where the Pirates play). On the race question, my son has friends that are mostly white, but also black, asian and Indian. I think that probably just depends who is on your floor, in your classes etc.</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies. As it is an urban campus, is there also the advantage of urban transportation…i.e. busses, trains (not sure if there is local rail in Pittsburg?) at your finger tips and lots of places in walking distance?
I have read reviews, but find it is better to hear from folks that are there or have been there.
Titan: If you don’t mind can you ask your son if races tend to stick together (does he notice that races sit with, socialize with ‘their own’ or branch out? Just interested in the dynamics. With only one shot to visit, and that being in the summer, I just don’t know how I can get a feel for the dynamics of the campus.
HSG</p>
<p>There are many places within walking distance at Pitt. Pittsburgh is a city of distinct walkable neighborhoods with their own shopping districts, so you can easily take a free bus to them and explore. This website gives you an idea of the vibe:
[Living</a> in Pittsburgh - Cool Pittsburgh](<a href=“http://www.coolpgh.pitt.edu/living/]Living”>http://www.coolpgh.pitt.edu/living/)</p>
<p>As for your 5th question - I think at every university (and high school) around the country the races (esp black vs white) tend to self-segregate themselves. I feel confident that Pitt is no worse and possibly better than any other institution. It has more to do with common experiences/interests/comfort level than actual racism. But of course people make friends and hang out with other races too. It’s really up to the individuals.</p>
<p>Depends. Starting out some HS people will originally hang out with their HS friends, but for the most part your first friend (or companion I guess) will be your roommate or people in your dorm. As you start classes and meet people (join clubs, etc.) your friend group will slowly expand. I was one of two people from my HS (OOS) to come to Pitt and I only ever saw the other girl in passing at the start of a mutual class. I made friends with people who lived on my floor, other kids in my classes, and people from the clubs I was involved in. It’s not hard to meet people if you are involved on campus.</p>
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<p>There is SO MUCH to do here! One of my favorite things was to do “PittArts” (link: [PITT</a> ARTS - Event Sign Up](<a href=“http://pittarts.org/]PITT”>http://pittarts.org/)) which has free arts events every week (they take you to a show, feed you, give you great seats, and then you talk to a performer/conductor/director/actor/etc. afterwards). They also have a great “CheapSeats” program (link: [PITT</a> ARTS - Tickets](<a href=“http://www.pittarts.pitt.edu/tickets/]PITT”>http://www.pittarts.pitt.edu/tickets/)) where you can buy super cheap tickets to arts/cultural events for a ridiculously low cost.</p>
<p>A lot of clubs hold events on the weekends. Plus you can go exploring, shopping, see a movie, go to a game (baseball/soccer/basketball/etc.) or a variety of other things. You will not get bored easily. I only went home 3x/year (Thanksgiving, Winter Break, Spring Break) which is true for a majority of kids.</p>
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<p>The actual orientation itself is pretty dumb (lectures/talks are boring, etc.) but the fact that you get a week of free food and events with no class + time to explore the campus and city is AWESOME. Essentially you have the campus all to yourself (very few upperclassmen) which gives you some time to get adjusted and find your buildings/etc. before it’s overrun with students. Plus it’s a great time to hang out and meet other students who are also new to the area/school. The last day before class (Sunday afternoon) there will be a HUGE activities fair in the Basketball Arena (Petersen Events Center) definitely go, explore the room, sign up for any clubs that look interesting and get a bunch of free swag/candy. It’s the best way to quickly find out about a lot of clubs.</p>
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<p>At least in Engineering this is mostly NOT true. Our particular school (SSOE) is, on average, more diverse than Pitt as a whole, so everyone hangs out with everyone (important for studying!). You will notice <em>some</em> people hang out with their own race, generally more to do with the clubs they’re involved in (for instance, the Indian kids heavily involved in the Indian Student Association tend to hang out with other club members who are most probably indian. The Black kids who are in the National Society of Black Engineers might hang out with other club members a bit more often) but overall there isn’t too much of a separation. I think the foreign students may have a BIT of a harder time assimilating (this is especially truer for the graduate students) so you see that a bit more often, but the American kids really don’t self-segregate that much.</p>
<p>Edit: Somehow I missed #3</p>
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<p>It’s an urban campus with a LOT of green space. It’s a condensed campus (you can walk end-to-end in 20 minutes or so) so a lot of our buildings are tall, not wide (i.e. you build up for space). However, a lot of places have green space here and there (courtyard at Benedum, Cathedral Lawns, Soldies & Sailors Lawn, Schenley Plaza). Plus just down the road (10-15 minute walk) there is the MASSIVE Schenley Park with a track, tennis courts, ice arena, disc golf course, etc. for you to enjoy if you want to get into nature. </p>
<p>It’s definitely not a traditional “walled campus” though. You have to cross the streets, deal with regular traffic, and accept the fact that the buildings are interspersed with businesses/restaurants/hotels/etc. But that’s great because you have so much variety with things to do literally just outside your door (food choices, for instance, are AWESOME).</p>
<p>My two cents worth from a parent of a OOS rising junior. His friends are from all over, including Montana and Alaska. Like others have said, depends on your interests, dorm, etc, who you hang with. There are so many clubs that weekends are often taken up by club activities. The campus is great because it is well integrated into the city with CMU next door and Schenley Park right there. If you are dormed on upper campus, you will experience some significant hills. And the weather can be cool and cloudy in the winter. That’s about it for potential negatives … my son is very happy there.</p>
<p>I’m an Indian-American rising sophomore at Pitt who came to Pitt from a southern state. I think I could be some help. </p>
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<li><p>Yes, most of the kids are from PA. Pennsylvania, however, is a huge state, and most people won’t know each other. Even then of the people, from what I noticed, wanted to branch out and make new friends so lots made it a conscious effort to stay away from their HS friends for at least the first few weeks. Many of my best friends have friends from HS at Pitt, but now they are more just acquaintances, and they have made new friends.</p></li>
<li><p>No one really goes home on the weekends…don’t worry about that. There’s a lot to do on the weekends, provided you make friends early. Don’t be shy - make friends with the people on your floor and it’ll all be good. </p></li>
<li><p>It’s urban, but not like BU or NYU, like what others above said. Almost everyone you see on Pitt’s campus will be Pitt related - being students, faculty, and staff. I was especially worried about this one when picking Pitt, and you really shouldn’t even let this concern you. I went into the college application process thinking I wanted a more “typical” college campus with greenery etc, but today I love the city so much more. Everything’s close by, you have the greenery of the Cathedral Lawn, upper campus areas, Schenley quad, etc. It’s perfect, and I am sure you’ll love it. Haven’t met too many people at Pitt who dislike the urban environment after a few weeks of settling in. My philosophy: the “real world” isn’t an enclosed campus, so why should the place that supposedly prepares you for the real world be enclosed?</p></li>
<li><p>The school does a good job, but it’s all up to the students. Many students don’t go to the orientation events, and shame on them.</p></li>
<li><p>Don’t think this one is true at all. Like I said, I’m an Indian-American, and I have white friends, Middle-Eastern friends, black friends, Indian friends, and many more. Diversity is there. However, it is true that many groups of people tend to hang out in groups, but that’s just natural. Some want to stay in their comfort zone and some want to branch out. Nothing different than any other college.</p></li>
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