<p>Please help!</p>
<p>major? interests?</p>
<p>Pre-medicine</p>
<p>I’ll give you the same advice you’ll get over in the Pre-Med forum.</p>
<p>Both UR and Vanderbilt are strong schools. But it really does not matter where you go undergrad. It’s up to you. Medical school admissions depend upon a good MCAT score, a good GPA, excellent letters of recommendation and having clinical (patient) experience.</p>
<p>You can do that anywhere. Rochester. Vanderbilt. Your state university.</p>
<p>Go to the school that offers you the best financial package. Medical school is expensive and there is little financial aid available except for loans. You want to be heading into medical school with as little debt as possible.</p>
<p>And go where you want to be and ideally a place that offers more to you than just “pre-med.”</p>
<p>Yes – thank you for your advice! I do realize that I might change my major, so that’s not my main focus. Financially, they’re both the same so that doesn’t matter. I’ve visited both. I’m really “turned off” because Vandy seems extremely preppy (but it may have just been the group I was with), but I don’t think Rochester has enough spunk. It seems much more serious, and I don’t know if the kids know how to let loose and have fun.</p>
<p>You obviously haven’t been on Rochester’s campus during Dandelion Weekend…</p>
<p>And D felt the same way about Vandy–too preppy and just so not her.</p>
<p>Nope, I have not. I was up there for the Renaissance scholarship interview.</p>
<p>Vandy is preppy and fraternity/sorority/athletics based. I have a friend that goes there so I take his word for it. Great school though!</p>
<p>You’ll have the advantage of access to medical research if you go to Rochester. In my 4 years there, I NEVER heard of anyone being turned away from doing research. I also know (as a former pre-med myself) that med schools REALLY REALLY want you to be involved with research, as it demonstrates passion in your subject of interest. The Strong Memorial Hospital is literally right across Elmwood Ave. from the River Campus (15 min. walk from freshman housing), and that’s where you can do medical research / volunteer. I myself did Parkinson’s Disease research on campus in the Neuro Department. All you need to do is demonstrate an interest in a particular subject, and find the professor that teaches that subject. Thanks to Rochester’s Open Curriculum (just 1 required class - freshman writing), students are choosing the classes that THEY want to take, and the professors know that. This makes the professors genuinely care about the students they teach. Every professor I ever had was willing to talk outside of class, after class, and work with me every step of the way.</p>
<p>FYI, Rochester students are EXTREMELY competitive in the Med School market. I can list of current seniors who are getting into places such as Harvard, Duke, UPenn, Mt. Sinai, and the UR Med School. Very good programs!!!</p>
<p>What I found most interesting in this thread was the statement “I don’t know if the kids know how to let loose and have fun”… That answer is definitely YES THEY DO.</p>
<p>I posted this before so I’ll repeat myself again…</p>
<p>I have experienced the UR nightlife for the past 5 years. Let me tell you that there is an option to party every weekend (besides finals week) throughout the semester, if that’s what you’re looking for.</p>
<p>If partying isn’t your thing, don’t worry, I myself didn’t enter the party scene until my junior year. Instead I enjoyed playing intramural sports / having pick up games with my hallmates on Fauver stadium at night. UR Students work very hard, and play hard.</p>
<p>For freshmen, the frat quad is the number 1 outlet for parties. There are a lot of frats to explore with your friends, and the themed parties there are a lot of fun. Typically, at least one of the frats will have a large themed party each week. But all of the other frats are open to mingle and party at as well.</p>
<p>For upperclassmen, the party scene extends beyond campus to the city nightlife. There are plenty of clubs open for dancing & partying in downtown Rochester. Usually 1 sorority / senior class council will host a party downtown at one of the clubs per week. Buses will bring UR students to the events. You need to present your UR ID and have your license on you to participate. These parties are highly regulated now, many requiring you to be on a guest list for safety reasons.</p>
<p>There are at least 10 clubs downtown that my friends love going to. In total there are probably 40 or more options when you include bars. The party scene is legitimate in Rochester, NY. Remember, the U of R isn’t the only school in town. We have Nazareth, St. John Fisher, RIT, Brockport, MCC, and Robert’s Wesleyan nearby, and all of those kids like to party too.</p>
<p>UR students definitely take studying seriously. But I would say they enjoy partying just like any other small university in America. If you have a paper or exam due early next week, you will think twice before going out. However, once that tough week ends… UR students know how to have a blast!</p>
<p>If you join a fraternity / sorority / some student organizations / or a sports team, your party options increase because all of these groups hold at least 1 mixer a weekend. These are always a lot of fun.</p>
<p>The nightlife option is definitely there. If it’s not your thing, don’t worry, you’ll be able to find students who enjoy having fun doing something else during the weekend too. </p>
<p>U of R students can “let loose and have fun” with the best of them! Rochester students are not preppy, and are very inclusive. You’ll have fun here, and you’ll receive a great education in the process.</p>
<p>Thank you URGrad, that was something I’ve been concerned about. If I attend Rochester I will be a Renaissance scholar, so it’s just a really hard choice right now, and I only have 11 days left to decide!</p>