U of Rochester vs. RIT vs. Ohio Northern

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I am in the final stages of my college decision process and here is how it stands with the schools I have it narrowed down to from the seven I was accepted to:</p>

<p>University of Rochester, $42,000 ($10,000 scholarship)
Rochester Institute of Technology, $25,000 ($14,000 scholarship)
Ohio Northern University, $22,000 ($22,000 scholarship)</p>

<p>I am majoring in electrical engineering.</p>

<p>I have worked extremely hard in high school and was hoping to go to University of Rochester because I wanted to be able to go to a school that is more difficult to get into with many smart people in it. U of R without a doubt blows the other two schools away in this respect. I also love the size there and its curriculum, and especially how there seems to be a love for learning there. I love the campus a LOT more than the others as well, and the student body seems to be perfect for me. I am extremely proud to have been accepted. But is it worth taking out $20,000 in loans per year for four years?</p>

<p>For RIT, I like how it goes at a fast pace, and how I can get a masters degree in five years in their EE department. I like how you get a lot of experience with jobs and can get a job right away upon graduating because of co-op experience. But I don't like how the overwhelming majority of students there are extremely nerdy from what I saw on my campus tour, and I didn't like the larger size too much. The campus is very ugly and it's much farther away from the city and anything than U of R is. It just didn't feel right like U of R did for me.</p>

<p>For ONU, I like the smaller size. But I feel that I could have gone there if I hadn't even tried in high school, with an 89% admission rate. I don't like how it doesn't offer too many majors or that, if I were to change majors, I would not be in the greatest of schools for me anymore. Also, I do not like how ONU is in the middle of nowhere in corn fields, and I would like to go to a city like Rochester much much more.</p>

<p>I just see my peers in my classes going to schools like UPenn and Duke when I am just as smart as them, and I wouldn't feel proud saying in response, "I go to Ohio Northern." But I guess saving money is more important in this economy, and especially with RIT's career services I'll even make money going there. Or do you think that by getting out of college and getting a job in electrical engineering $80,000+ in student loans would be easy to pay off eventually? Any opinions would be greatly appreciated because I am getting nowhere with my decision right now.</p>

2

<p>I really feel for you. Just by looking at your post I’m just like “aww”. These are all nice schools but clearly Rochester is the best among them. And also for Engineering. There is kinda this misconception that RIT is better than Rochester in Engineering which is not really true. </p>

<p>However is this worth so much money more than RIT? That’s a decision you and your family’s finances have to answer.</p>

<p>I suggest go back to Rochester. Try to appeal. Show them your other merit aid and see how it leads. Also have you tried to see if you qualify for need based aid?</p>

<p>Goodluck!!</p>

3

<p>I actually did send a long email to them and appealed my merit aid, which worked, and it increased from $8,000 to $10,000 per year. I then applied for need-based aid, but only qualified for a $5,500 direct unsubsidized loan, which means I would have to find some private loans as well to go there, because my family will pay up to around $25,000 for my education.</p>

<p>I have also heard that Rochester only gives a maximum of $10,000 in scholarships to non-National Merit Finalists. So I don’t think I would be able to get any more. I just want to go there so bad! I wonder if the winners of the Bausch & Lomb or Xerox awards at my school would be allowed to give them to me… :P</p>

4

<p>My friend who is also majoring in Electrical Engineering has decided to attend RIT.</p>

5

<p>What were his reasons in picking there? I wish I could find something that could take me away from Rochester being #1 for me…</p>

<p>And does anyone else have any opinions?</p>

6

<p>He received SUBSTANSTIAL scholarships, almost full ride. His decision was made upon the rejection from MIT, which he will try to transfer next year. My advice? RIT, because it has a top Engineering program and you would get every penny you paid for.</p>

7

<p>you seemed to have the most favorable opinion on rochester. a 20k debt does seem horrendous, but it can’t be that bad, especially if part of the loans are federal, with fixed or lower interest rates. plenty of people leave school with debt and pay it off. and there are plenty also that dont, but if youre a hard worker, can find a part time job [maybe], do tutoring over breaks, it pays off little by little. plus if you do get such a great education that you find a great job when you graduate… shouldnt be a problem.</p>

8

<p>Ohio Northern has good professors, but I found the student body to be not much of a change from high school. You’ll find good friends, but I don’t see it as being much of a new experience as far as meeting people go. </p>

<p>I attended Ohio Northern for a short while, but am now at a different college.</p>

<p>I was not an engineering student, so I couldn’t help you there. </p>

<p>Basically what sums it up:</p>

<p>Nice people.
Good professors.
A lot of people who put academics second, whether it be for sports or partying.
No diversity. Feels like a typical midwest high school without the dropouts.</p>

9

<p>Yeah, right now I think it’s definitely between U of R and RIT from everything I have been hearing. Thanks for the further advice!</p>

<p>ohhowrandom, it wouldn’t be $20k, it would be close to $80k. That seems like way too much student loan debt to handle. If anyone knows of any way to get out of borrowing that much, I would be very grateful. I don’t want to do ROTC, but I have heard of the SMART Scholarship. But I also saw it has an acceptance rate of <10%, so I doubt I would have any chance, especially as a college freshman next year. Hm…</p>

10

<p>oh i read it wrong haha. then yeah… 80k isnt worth it.</p>

11

<p>Okay, I now have it narrowed down to University of Rochester and RIT.</p>

<p>I was wondering, if I were to attend Rochester, do you think doing co-ops and internships would give me enough money to pay off that extra $17,000 per year? In fact, I found a co-op that says it alternates semesters until graduation, meaning one semester of work, one semester of studies. Does this mean it will take me eight years to graduate??</p>