Pitt FAQs

<p>My son lived in Sutherland his freshman year and said he had friends who lofted their beds and some who placed dressers underneath.</p>

<p>Thanks for the info!</p>

<p>bearpanther - it may be easier if you turn the bed upside down to move the riser. Son just moved into Sutherland yesterday and that’s what we did. Obviously, remove the white board that holds the mattress, have your roommate help you the bed over and then move the risers. Good luck!</p>

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<p>Yep! I’ve done this before. You’ll definitely need a friend, I recommend two, and it’s pretty straight forward!</p>

<p>Hi, I’m a prospective student wondering about some general stuff. Sorry if someone has already asked you these questions…</p>

<ol>
<li>Is the Quidditch team selective? I would love to join, but I’m not the most athletic person in the world.</li>
<li>How selective is the marching band? I wasn’t in marching band in high school but would like to join in college. I play an instrument but I can’t match. </li>
<li>How easy is it to get around campus? It seems kind of big. Should I get a bike?</li>
<li>Is it difficult to get enough to eat? How does the meal plan work/how many dining dollars do students get?</li>
</ol>

<p>Thanks :)</p>

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<p>The travel team is selective and very competitive. However, once term gets started they should have open scrimmages on Sundays which everyone and anyone is welcome to join in on!</p>

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<p>Seems like they’re almost no-cut. Be prepared to spend a LOT of time in band though- practices 3 days a week (or maybe just 2, I can’t remember) for a few hours at night. Plus all day Saturday for home games. And at least 1 travel trip per season. On top of band camp in the summer before school starts. However, I know from a LOT of friends that it is very fun- but be prepared to time manage well.</p>

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<p>SUPER easy. You don’t need a bike. You can walk end to end in about 15-20 minutes and up the hill in about 5. Campus isn’t actually all that big, most buildings were built up not out.</p>

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<p>No. In fact whatever you think you will eat in terms of meal pass swipes, you will eat LESS than that (I promise). Always get a lot of dining dollars to expand your option. The cheapest meal plan will suffice. Chances are you will be eating out at one of the many awesome restaurants in Oakland at least 2-3x/week instead of eating at the dining hall. Plus, eating out is generally cheaper per meal than the dining hall (thus getting the cheapest meal plan). </p>

<p>The meal plans are outlined here: <a href=“http://www.pc.pitt.edu/dining/mealplans/documents/2013-2014plans.pdf[/url]”>http://www.pc.pitt.edu/dining/mealplans/documents/2013-2014plans.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>You can use a meal calculator here (what I used to pick my meal plan for my first semester). Honestly, it will over calculate: <a href=“http://www.pc.pitt.edu/dining/docs/choosemealplan.pdf[/url]”>http://www.pc.pitt.edu/dining/docs/choosemealplan.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>This is because you won’t always swipe in to the dining hall for lunch/dinner and almost no one eats breakfast there (however, I highly recommend it, especially on the weekend).</p>

<p>I would say get Tier 2 plan D: A lot of dining dollars and a decent number of passes. You can use the dining dollars to buy food at the eateries on campus like pizza hut, Einstein’s, and other cafes and dining areas. Or buy food-to-go at the on-campus grocery store type places.</p>

<p>Hi everyone–we got S moved in yesterday and everything went smoothly. Turns out his bed was already lifted in the highest position so we had no work in that regard, though his roomie’s bed was lowered and he wanted to know how to change it…luckily had the info thanks to you guys!</p>

<p>Hey, I just applied last week at Pitt.
My best combined score on the SAT is 1910, and the CR+M=1320. My rank is 17/366, and my GPA, weighted, is 4.3658. (Top 5%) I’ve been working in a family business for five years, and I have volunteered, took/am taking 4 AP classes as well as 4 College in the Classroom classes. I am in two main clubs/organizations and a few smaller clubs. No sports. What are the chances of me getting into the UHC? I know their magic number is “1400,” but is it possible to be accepted into the program with a slightly lower score? Thank you!</p>

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<p>Certainly! Even if you are not automatically UHC eligible, you can ask for permission to do any of the UHC things (classes, housing) and all of the UHC events are open to everyone. After your first year, the only thing necessary to be a “UHC member” (and not have to ask permission) is maintaining a 3.25QPA.</p>

<p>Hi!! I would like to know how the new freshman dorm is compared to the towers? Also, I know there is a nursing community floor in Lothrop Hall; has anyone heard anything about it? I just do not like the fact that the rooms are single. If anyone can help me that would be great!</p>

<p>My Daughters will be looking for off campus housing for next semester, they would like to stay within walking distance and or bus routes. They have already looked in to Bates Hill Apartments but found the bedrooms to be smaller than their existing dorm rooms, does anyone have any input on Oak Hill Apartments?</p>

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<p>The new dorm is really nice since it’s brand new. However, the rooms are incredibly small because they want to encourage students to use the public spaces and lounges instead of staying in their rooms. Here’s an article with some pictures: [Pitt’s</a> new Nordenberg Hall aims to prevent isolation - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette](<a href=“http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/pitts-new-nordenberg-hall-aims-to-prevent-isolation-699579/]Pitt’s”>http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/pitts-new-nordenberg-hall-aims-to-prevent-isolation-699579/)</p>

<p>Towers is a bit older and has awkward pie-shaped rooms. Here’s a great YouTube video showing a dorm room (start at about the 20 second mark): [Litchfield</a> Tower A Double - YouTube](<a href=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXp6kz5FA9c]Litchfield”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXp6kz5FA9c)</p>

<p>IIRC Nordy was the most popular dorm to be requested into this year simply because it’s new and nice (and has additional perks like a gym on each floor, and the TV and mini-fridge are provided for).</p>

<p>Oak Hill Apts. – have not heard good things about it.</p>

<p>DS rented an apartment at Webster Hall. It is on the pricey side but it is a great building. The management office is wonderful and very responsive to any issue that may come up. There is security at night.</p>

<p>MTnest. My daughter was interested in Webster Hall but they told us that you first put your name on a list (I think March 1 or April 1) and then maybe (or maybe not) they get to you and offer you an apartment. We were afraid to get stuck so she went for a different apt on North Craig. How was your experience with the rental process?</p>

<p>They maintain a waiting list for the apartments. I believe we put his name on it in late February/early March. We got a call about an available apartment a few weeks later. The process was pretty easy. DS took a tour of the apartment and put a deposit down for it. They sent us the paperwork via mail. They are very easy to work with and the ladies in the office are wonderful. They will tell you where you are on the list. Unfortunately, they don’t know what will be available until the current tenants responds to their inquiry on whether they will be moving or not.</p>

<p>While DS was a tenant, they redid his kitchen and replaced the toilet, sink and light fixture. They will also accept packages in the offices and will deliver it to your apartment (you have to give written permission for this).</p>

<p>I did call up Webster Hall and you are right, the person I spoke to was wonderful, she stated that there is usually a very long waiting list and they don’t start taking names until April 1st. She did although take down my name, we will just have to wait and see what happens. I think Oak Hill is off the list, I was getting a lot of mix reviews for that place. I’m also looking into Camelot apartments and Sherwood apartments. I think come end of December, there will also be more house rentals available.</p>

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<p>Camelot is a wonderful apartment, although it can get a bit expensive (depending on how much you are willing to pay for rent). I think you have to pay for all the utilities (can’t quite remember) so the rent is about $600 - 700 a month plus utilities. However, they do have their own parking (costs extra) which many of my friends appreciated.</p>

<p>FWIW, parking is a big plus for most off-campus places. After a year of no car off campus living, a car was wonderful for grocery shopping and other errands for my daughter. Without a paid space, she would have been circling forever to find a spot every time she moved her car.</p>

<p>I recently applied to pitt and they responded asking for more information (specifically my mid-year grades). Do I have a good chance of getting in if i get all As??</p>

<p>Both my daughters live in the nursing community in Lothrop, this will be their 2nd year. They have had not problem making friends by staying in a single room, in fact everyone on their floor decided to keep their own rooms for the following year. some of their nursing classmates that were staying in the towers, decided to move into Lothrop for their sophmore year for studying purposes… It is also convenient for them to go back to their rooms between classes (since most of their nursing classes are in the Victoria Building). The rooms also have sinks and a lot of storage space which they love.</p>