Pitt Junior here, any questions?

<p>yeah. they intentionally set the enrollment 'limit' too low for some classes in order to save spaces for freshmen, regardless of when their pittstarts are.</p>

<p>I am way down on the waiting list for on campus housing-transfer student-go figure-anyway i wanted to know if it would be best to just wait it out (b/c i was told students drop like flies before school starts off the list), or start looking for places now-I really don't want to live off campus my first year as a transfer, that would really suck--any suggestions for places close to campus or perhaps university owned apartments that are decent? Any suggestions would be great!</p>

<p>Also, I am planning to major in exercise science in the school of education--anyone know what the major is like?-likes, dislikes, etc?</p>

<p>From what I understand, people on the waiting list before July or August have ususally gotten a dorm. If you sign a lease, you will be obligated to the apartment. I agree that you will meet people easier in a dorm, but you will meet people in your major and many upper classmen live in apartments. There are lots of students in south oakland, but it can be pretty slum-like there. North oakland is a little nicer and quieter with many students also. Pitt has some apartments on Oakland Ave, or you can try McKee Place, Meyron Ave or the apartments on Bates Street (all south). North has Webster Hall, Camelot, Fairfax and others that are pretty close...basically, most things on N. Dithridge, N. Craig and parts of Center Ave are convenient.</p>

<p>What do you want? House, apartment, efficiency? Do you have any roommates or is it just you at this point? If it is just you, I think Pitt has some sort of service for those seeking roommates, so you might try that.</p>

<p>If I understand correctly, it is expected, by the school, that all seniors will live off-campus...? If that's correct, what, if any, help does the university offer students (particularly those who don't live in the area) in regard to finding off campus homes? Thank you.</p>

<p>Housing is guaranteed for three years to incoming freshmen, but that just means that seniors might not get on-campus housing. I've never heard of a Pitt rule that seniors live off campus (although many do, out of preference).</p>

<p>Most seniors do live off-campus because they are not guaranteed housing.</p>

<p>Pitt has a great off-campus living website:
Off-Campus</a> Living | University of Pittsburgh</p>

<p>I probably could have worded it better. When my older daughter was looking at Pitt (now D2-a rising HS junior-is interested)I contacted the housing office regarding how long on-campus housing was guaranteed. The impression that I got from the housing office representative was that seniors generally live off campus.</p>

<p>Thanks for the link. It was informative. I take it that it's not too difficult to find safe and affordable off-campus housing, which is reassuring.</p>

<p>My DD, a rising senior, stayed overnight this weekend for the "Ready..Set..Pitt" overnight followed by the program on Saturday. I must say, it gave kids a great introduction to Pitt. They had dinner, activities, hours of "bonding" (my D has many new BFF with whom she traded contact info), etc. A word of advice: Have your kids bring a fairly heavy blanket. The dorm was freezing! The program the next day, went beyond the usual, with bus tours of the city, lunch for both kids and parents, free application if filled out then, and even free tee shirts for kids and parents. My D came home seriously considering Pitt above our State School (we are OOS) as a very attractive possibility.</p>

<p>I recommend freshmen dorms. They were remodeled 3 years ago and are better than when I was there, they are close to everything and in the middle of all the action. Sutherland is a bit far and inconvenient IMO but has its advantages.Also I graduated '05 and thought I'd add my color to the previously posted questions</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Is the food really as bad as everyone says it is? What are the best on-campus places to get food, and what's best avoided?
Food was terrible when I was there, told they overhauled it. This is not a big deal and you'll figure it out.</p></li>
<li><p>How involved are students in clubs? Beyond numbers, how do you FEEL people's attiudes are towards getting involved, starting clubs, etc?
I was in the Pitt Arts club and got lots of free tickets to the symphony downtown and it was awesome.</p></li>
<li><p>How helpful is the administration?
I was an engineer and the ME department people were great. Honors college people are great and the freshman engineering office is really great and approachable too. </p></li>
<li><p>Is it difficult to register for the classes you want?
No, if they are full you can really press a professor to sign an special permission slip. </p></li>
<li><p>Where is the health center and, if you're sick, will someone come to your room or do you have to go yourself?
I got really sick a couple times and they were extremely nice, better than the hospital. They gave me an IV for a few hours and a blanket and even made me some soup! In case you were wondering, I was not sick from drinking. </p></li>
<li><p>How many classes are held in the awesome cultural rooms in the Cathedral?
A lot. Philosophy, Economics, lots of liberal arts classes.</p></li>
<li><p>Are the shuttlebuses reliable? Are cabs easy to come by?
Don't know about shuttles although I saw them all the time. City buses are everywhere at all times. You don't need cabs much but might need to call one unless you are somewhere they frequent. </p></li>
<li><p>Would you say there are good/great internships and opportunities for film majors? What about LA connections?
Sorry don't know.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Yay tons of questions! Thank you so much</p>

<p>Although I requested towers, I got placed in Holland Hall for my freshman year. I don't know anything about it except it has no a/c and it's all girls = [. Any other details you could give me would be great. Thank you!</p>

<p>I have a academic question....I did pretty well on my calc placement but messed up on only 1 section of the algebra placement (second to last section) my advisor says now i need to take pre calc....do i have to take pre calc cause i wanna take regular calc 1 cause i know i can handle it....do i have to listen to him or do i have to take pre calc cause i really dont wanna?</p>

<p>I believe that advisors do just that...advise. You can register for whatever you want as long as you have the prerequisites in coursework and/or testing scores.</p>

<p>@ xoxhoops</p>

<p>Holland hall also has communal showers, and a few "singles" rooms-I hear it isn't so bad, though.</p>

<p>oh ok thanks</p>

<p>regarding holland:
i completely remember having this discussion last year. my friend from high school and some girls i met at pitt start were placed in holland, and were all super bummed. believe me, pretty much everyone who will be there wanted towers. so in that regard, you have no worries. honestly, i met a lot of really cool girls who lived there (though i lived in forbes) throughout the year and they eventually came to like it, despite their initial disappointment.</p>

<p>Oceangirl - what did they like about Holland. My daughter was placed in a single and had really hoped for the whole freshman year experience of having a roommate and being in a co-ed dorm - so she is really bummed about it. Any positives you could share about Holland would be appreciated. She also heard that many of the women's sports teams are housed there - which really doesn't make her feel any better. Will it be harder to make friends in a single in Holland? Do you still have access to the exercise facilties in Towers? Thanks!</p>

<p>Just regarding the exercise facilities thing, you won't have access to Towers fitness center, but there is an exercise center for Holland hall to use too. I think it's at the bottom of Amos hall, which is right next to Holland. There's an exercise facility (other than the Pete which is awesome) for each specific dorm.</p>

<p>What's the closest place to eat to Lothrop Hall?</p>

<p>Market Central at the Towers is about just as close as the Pete is for food. It really doesn't take that long to walk there from Lothrop. My D lived in Lothrop last year and will live there again this fall. She did eat at Victoria Cafe quite a bit for lunch, but she had most of her classes in Victoria (nursing).</p>