DS22 Biology major (intended to pursue Public Health) deciding between Rochester vs. Uc Davis. So. Cal native. Visited Rochester a couple of weeks ago and she loved it! Also visited UC Davis on Aggie Day but it was very windy so didn’t get a chance to see the campus in detail. Waitlisted on Case Western but she hopes to get in (chances are a bit slim but still hopeful). My D doesn’t mind cold weather but being 3000+ miles away concerns me. My D loved the Rochester as they offered so many research opportunities even from Freshman year. Less than a couple of weeks before committing. My D wants to commit to Rochester and may consider Case if they come through and choose the between the two. Any suggestions?
With Rochester so close to the airport, if she loves it and can afford it, I see no reason not to let her go.
We encouraged our kids to head out of state to experience life on their own away from home in their college years. No regrets.
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We’re also from SoCal and our middle child graduated from Davis. As an undergrad, she worked in labs with PI’s (for good pay), was offered research opportunities, not only at Davis but also at the Davis Hospital in Sacramento, and could have done some research down the road at Berkeley. It’s too bad you weren’t able to get full exposure at Davis. It’s an amazing campus and school.
Our eldest applied to Rochester. She liked it but chose a SUNY university because we were full pay at Rochester and the school just didn’t fit.
Our daughter came back to SoCal and immediately began working because the human resources gal, at the company where our DD applied, was from upstate NY and recognized the SUNY schools. She had to get a winter coat from back East, but she learned to navigate the tunnels and the snow, ice, sleet, hail and freezing rain which explains why she is back in SoCal!
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Just a quick note about Rochester’s climate-- beside the cold weather, your child will find it gets dark very early in the evening and gets light very late in the morning. My D (who is from the sunny Southwest) found the short dark days with low, cloudy skies much harder to adapt to than the cold. She described Rochester to friends as the place where “if you’re prone to SAD [Season Affective Disorder], you’re going to get it”. The Student Health Center does offer full spectrum light therapy to students and the time slots for the lights are almost always filled.
The Rochester airport is fairly small and there are no direct flights to anywhere west of Chicago. Your child will be taking 2 or 3 connecting flights to get between home and Rochester. In fall and spring, this usually isn’t an issue, but flying through O’Hare (or Denver) in mid-winter is always a gamble. Atlanta is usually a better choice, but it adds an hour or more to the total flying time. And occasionally, Rochester airport gets shut down hard in by bad winter weather. (Just ask my older D about her Planes, Trains and Automobiles adventures getting to Rochester for her medical residency interview one January. And younger D flew out of Rochester for Christmas on THE last flight out of the airport for next 5 days one year.)
D went to Rochester; her best friend went to Davis. Both had good experiences at their respective campuses. (BTW, the friend had absolutely zero trouble finding research opportunities. Plus she got to minor in oenology–which you can’t do at UR.)
And as a gentle reminder, most (all?) professional public health jobs require a graduate degree (MPH). So plan for at least 2 years of graduate work if you child decides to pursue a career in public health.
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Thanks for all of your advice. D22 committed to Univ of Rochester! I am so proud of her as it was her choice. I’ll miss her very much and planned to visit her often. I think she will do great and looking forward to her finding her passion.
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If you end up wanting to add to a vacation, Niagara Falls is a mere hour and a half away. When our son was an RA he arranged for a (free) bus trip for his whole floor to go there. I think he was unusual doing that, but they had a lot of fun.
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