Can current students/parents tell me about the social life at URochester? Is it LGBT friendly? How greek? How is the area around the school? thanks
I’m a parent, and my D is likely to attend there in the fall, so I’m no expert, but from what I’ve heard and read: UR has a small greek life and it is LGBT friendly. Social life is why many attend there as these are serious kids that need to put lots of hours into studying, yet there are many clubs to choose from. It is not a heavy party school, but of course it goes on. The ~50/50 M/F ratio is a big plus for a serious school. It has a very high 4 year graduation rate ~87% which means to me the kids that go there must really like it. As far as the area around the school, there are a bunch of restaurants and shops on Mount Hope Ave less than a mile away. The campus is a bit isolated, and feels safe, with it bordering a river, a cemetery and UR Medicine.
Rochester has a Greek presence but it’s not overwhelming. For the students I know there who are Greek, that status does not define their social lives. My daughter, who is in a sorority, has good friends who are in Greek life and good friends who are not. Also, Greek life and LGBTQ-friendly are not mutually-exclusive at Rochester. Plenty of people who are in fraternities and sororities also identify as LGBT.
My DD was accepted, but my brother wants her to attend Penn State, Syracuse or Seton Hall for the “full college experience.” That frustrates me because in a way I get what he means, she’s been in a bubble all her life attending a private school and not having the chance of being involved. He thinks that U Roc is a 100% no social life or D1 status. I don’t know; she’s torn. I am torn because that academic environment was all I ever wanted for her.
With all due respect to your brother, the notion that the “full college experience” requires D1 sports and significant Greek life is ignorant and ridiculous. I went to Wesleyan and didn’t feel deprived in the slightest because I didn’t have those things. In fact, they sound downright UNappealing. My son is deciding between McGill and Rochester and has no interest in either of those things either. Not having a Greek dominated social scene certainly doesn’t mean no social life and I could easily argue that lack of Greek dominance leaves room for a far healthier and safer social life that revolves around something besides drinking to excess.
What does your daughter want?
1 Like
@BaddBadtz My daughter is graduating in May and has definitely had the “full college experience” at URoch. If anything, it’s EASIER to get involved at Rochester than it would be at a larger school like Penn State or Syracuse. D1 sports were not something that she was looking for, but if she had wanted to cheer the football team on, there would have been plenty of opportunity to do so. The thing that’s nice about Rochester, from my point of view, is that students are encouraged to be participants rather than spectators in sports, performance, and campus leadership. My daughter, for example, belongs to a sorority, has had the opportunity to perform as part of dance troupe, and has learned to appreciate both acappella and a cold Genesee. 
As someone who went to a Big10 university myself, I can honestly say that she has not missed out at all in terms of social life or college experiences at Rochester.