URochester vs. SyracuseU

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Rochester
1

<p>I’m from the western US (Hawaii) and never visited University of Rochester or Syracuse University before. I’ve been accepted to both as a transfer student but I’m still waiting for financial aid packages. While I wait for the packages, I’m hoping to hear some pros and cons about each college’s atmosphere. </p>

<p>Here are some preferences that I learned about myself while attending my local college.</p>

<ol>
<li>I am introverted so I’d like to attend a college where I will “fit in,” but still allow me to grow as a person. </li>
<li>Is the cold bothersome to folks who have never experienced snow for a whole winter? Again, I’m from Hawaii and all I’ve been hearing when folks ask about where I’ve been accepted to is the snow in Rochester and how cold it’s going to be if I go there. </li>
<li>Safety is a big concern. In my neighborhood, I can walk outside alone at night and not be afraid of any harm. Will it be very different in Rochester and Syracuse? Which would you say is safer?</li>
<li>I am not a “genius” by any means and I don’t want to be in a pressure cooker-like/cut-throat academic atmosphere. For Rochester, I’ve been told that the student make up is largely of “Ivy League rejects.” Are classes competitive? How difficult is it to get As? </li>
<li>How diverse is the student body? Rochester has caught on to me a “pre-med school,” where a lot of students are pre-med. I certainly don’t want to be where majority are pre-med. </li>
<li>I would enjoy night life and a place where stores might be open late at night (I prefer to go out when there’s less traffic and people around). Strong preference to being within walking distance to shopping centers/groceries and volunteer/internship opportunities. </li>
<li>Interested in political science, and may pursue medical school in the future. Good reputation in my intended major would be a plus. </li>
<li>Pre-med advising and size in general. Are there enough advisors for the pre-med population? Are there enough resources for each student to pursue various avenues on and off campus (research, volunteer opportunities, shadowing, etc.)? </li>
<li>What’s the interaction between students like? Coming from a state school, many commuted to and from home and there wasn’t really an on-campus student life to speak of. </li>
<li>Finally, is there anything that I should be made aware of in general before committing to either of these schools?</li>
</ol>

<p>Unfortunately, I won’t be able to visit both in advance. Which school would you think fits me the most? Hoping for comments that will help me gauge what it’s like to live in these two parts of New York. Thanks in advance!</p>

2

<ol>
<li> I think you could fit in at either school.</li>
<li> The cold and snow will be similar. Don’t look at it as a burden that must be undertaken. Look at it as an adventure for a few years and pick up some ice skates + enjoy a snowball fight or two. Try skiing. When you decide where you want to live for good (raise your children sort of stuff) then decide if you like snow or not. I’ve seen people go both ways on their view of snow - but they need to experience it to know which side of the fence they are on.</li>
<li> On campus in URoc my guy feels safe at night. Off campus it will depend upon where you go. I haven’t asked students I know who went to Syracuse whether they felt safe at night or not off campus. I’d be a little leery based upon where it is in the city. You could join FB pages and ask current students there.</li>
<li> My guy doesn’t feel classes are cut throat at URoc. He’s in study groups where everyone tries to help each other out. They are a little stingy helping those who cut class without cause though. His GPA is superb, but he does study to get it. Others are a little lower. I suspect the same is true at Syracuse with the range. My guy did not apply to any Ivies, nor did many of his friends. A couple friends turned down Ivies for URoc. Others could easily have been rejects.</li>
<li> I’d consider the student body diverse at both schools. The most popular major last year at URoc was engineering I believe.</li>
<li> URoc definitely has walkable internship and volunteer opportunities. My guy has been working in labs and volunteering in the hospital for a bit now. Walkable shopping and restaurants will become more plentiful soon as they open their new College Town project (currently under construction). Someone else will have to answer regarding Syracuse. Again, these are questions I didn’t ask.</li>
<li> I’m not in any way, shape, or form, a Poly-Sci person, so someone else will need to compare those. Pre-med wise, either are excellent.</li>
<li> Yes.</li>
<li> Great student life opportunities at URoc - you just have to join things - there are multiple opportunities. My guy is part of a Dance Troupe, an ASL club (neither of which he did in high school), Chess (sometimes - this was his big high school deal - he was scholastic state champion one year… but he’s found other loves in college), a Christian club, and works (for pay) + volunteers in labs + the hospital while still maintaining his superb GPA. He’s also been playing some intermural sports. I’ve often wondered if he sleeps… but he loves it all. He’s going to be an RA in a freshman dorm this coming year.</li>
<li> Can’t think of anything. No matter where you choose - go in with an open mind, study, and enjoy yourself. Don’t be afraid to look for postings about meetings for something you like and head to it. That’s where you’re likely to find good peers. Your experience at either place will be what YOU make of it.</li>
</ol>

<p>Best wishes!</p>

3

<p>

</p>

<p>Most ivy league applicants are rejects</p>

4

<p>RE: #2 D2 grew up in the Sunny Southwest. (278 sunny days/year) The oppressive gray skies from late summer thru late spring bothered her much, much more than the snow & cold weather. (She described Rochester as a place where “if you’re ever going to get SAD, it will be here.” ) Syracuse is also quite gray. In any given year, Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse vie for the title of “snowiest city in the US” title. All 3 also among the top 15 “cloudiest cities in the US.”</p>

<p>RE: #3 Like all city environments, Rochester has its issues. There are safe and unsafe areas of the city. The campus itself is safe–even late at night. The area immediately across the river & east of campus (north of UR’s Riverview Apts) has a bad reputation, but the area is gentrifying. Still I wouldn’t advise a young woman (or man) to go walking there alone at 3 am. Anything I know about Syracuse is decades out of date.</p>

<p>RE: #4 Not a pressure cooker, but students are competitive among themselves. That happens when you take a whole lot of high achieving students put them together. Not cut-throat, more cooperative, although less so among pre meds. (It’s the nature of the beast.) Lots of student-initiated study groups, but these don’t tolerate slackers. </p>

<p>RE: #5 Although about 40% of D2’s freshman dorm was “pre-med”, by junior year that number has been whittled down significantly. (Like all big pre med programs, UR does lots of “weeding” in its intro level courses.)
Also remember that pre med is an intention, not a major. You can major in any field while fulfilling pre med pre-reqs and be a successful med school applicant. (For the record, neither of my kids were traditional bio/pre-med majors and both are now in med school. Classmates in their med schools have majors ranging from agriculture to engineering to music theory & performance to religion to foreign languages to business.) </p>

<p>RE: #6 Currently, there are no grocery stores within walking distance of campus, although that will be changing when the new College Town development opens in a year or two. There is a mini mart on campus but its selection of groceries is limited. No shopping nearby. UR does offer free campus shuttles to Marketplace Mall on weekends. </p>

<p>Volunteering-- Medical volunteering–see #8. Internships nearby-- depending of the field–maybe not. (See also #9) Most of the businesses are either downtown or in a nearby 'burbs. City buses will get you to most places you need to go.</p>

<p>RE:#7 Poli sci program is well regarded. A couple of D2’s friends at UR majored in poli sci; one went on to intern at the White House and has now found permanent employment with federal contractor in DC.</p>

<p>RE: #8 There are enough pre-med advisors to go around, but since UR has about 100+ students applying to med school every year, you do need to meet deadlines to get your stuff done on time. </p>

<p>Please realize that as a transfer student, you won’t be eligible for a UR committee letter until you’ve completed 2 years of coursework at UR. (This means if you are transferring as junior, you won’t be eligible for LOR until spring of senior year.) </p>

<p>I will say as one westerner to another, the pre med advisors at UR are not particularly familiar with western med schools and their requirements. The onus will be on you to make sure that you are an attractive candidate for Burns. (Instate is always your best chance for an acceptance.)</p>

<p>Research is plentiful, provided you have basic lab skills. But labs won’t come recruiting. You need to be proactive about seeking out opportunities.</p>

<p>Shadowing and clinical volunteering–because Strong Hospital is literally right across the street from campus and UR has so many pre meds, it sometimes can be difficult to get in there as a volunteer. However, if you’re willing to walk about 8 blocks (1.2 miles ) or take a short 5 minute [free with student ID] bus ride to Highland Hospital, you won’t have any problems. </p>

<p>UR has a pre med club that can help with shadowing placement.</p>

<p>RE: #9 Interaction will be what you make of it. The campus is pretty insular and isolated so most what happens happens on campus (River campus is a triangle with the Genesse River on side, the hospital on the second and a historical graveyard on the third.). But there’s lots of different groups and interests. Like at all schools, it may take some time to find “your people”</p>

5

<p>Syracuse has a big athletic presence, esp football, basketball, and lacrosse. UR is Division 3, I believe for all sports. Very different vibe because of that.</p>

6

<p>I appreciate all your thorough responses! They have been very helpful so far.</p>

<p>@GMTplus7 :slight_smile: I only mentioned it for a few concerns that pertain to academics and grading. Taking the advice from a thread in the pre-med section, going to a school where I’m an academic match is one thing that I want to ensure before I attend. I should have mentioned that I’m coming from a non-competitive environment/college and suddenly jumping in to an “academic powerhouse” (Rochester) worries me a little. I worry that I’ll be out of place and struggle/tank my GPA if I’m surrounded by students who could have gone to an Ivy. My current school isn’t comparable to Rochester academically, but I am not a slacker… I just don’t know how I’ll do if I’m put in “Rochester’s environment.”</p>

<p>@WayOutWestMom, I’m transferring as a junior according to my credit evaluation, and if all goes as planned, I’m hoping to graduate after four semesters. I don’t plan on applying to med school until after graduation, thanks for mentioning the committee letter concern, I almost forgot about that! :)</p>

<p>Here are a few more questions that were sparked by the responses I received:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Questions about the snow… Other than the temperature itself, does the snow ever prevent folks from going outside to do stuff? (i.e., frequent snow storms or being snowed in) If so, how long do these storms/“stay-ins” last? I apologize if these are “stupid questions” lol… we seldom have snow in HI (limited to the mountain tops, sometimes in the winter). Are classes ever or frequently) canceled because of the snow?</p></li>
<li><p>I don’t plan on having a car. I know the bus/shuttle systems exist, and I assume taxis too, but how reliable are they? Where I live, they’re unreliable beyond belief so I had to ask (sometimes they don’t show up). Do you think not having a car would put me at a disadvantage if I attended UR?</p></li>
<li><p>Do either schools have a prominent preppy student body vibe to them?</p>

<ol>
<li>Does anyone know if there’s a prominent Hawai’i student population at either schools? (Will I be one of only a few students from Hawaii if I attend?)</li>
</ol></li>
<li><p>Considering my explanation above about the importance of attending an academic match, I have a few more questions about academics and grading. I know that the amount of studying time will depend on the person. However, are URochester students known for being overly studious compared to other comparable schools? As far as gpa inflation/deflation, can a common trend be seen to say whether non-science Rochester professors practice one or the other?</p></li>
</ol>

<p>@MADad, do you mind expanding on the difference in sports vibe? Is it a social difference that makes it a different vibe? Simply the difference in the way of life?</p>

7

<p>Snow is not a reason to stay in. UR cleans itself up. I assume Syracuse does too. </p>

<p>The shuttle system works. You will also know a number of people with cars. And you can sign up for ZipCars, which are available on campus.</p>

<p>UR is not preppy. </p>

<p>Odds are you will be one of the few Hawaiians at any school east of CA.</p>

<p>I don’t think grading is an issue internally at UR or how it relates to the outside world. I think good students tend to be studious, but that varies a lot by kid and of course the demands of each major and class.</p>

<p>The difference from big-time to small-time sports is enormous. Div 3 means the kids you know play sports and are in your classes, etc. The stadium is outside the dorm. You probably use it for some reasons. Div 1 means the athletes are the stars. They receive a host of special perks, from special dorms to athletes only tutoring to athletes only food to athletes only study space to athletes only … including at many schools, athletes only grading. The athletic facilities are for the athletes, not for you. You will likely go into them only if you buy a ticket to a game. With big time athletics comes a big time athletics social scene that revolves more around the star system of athletes and their hangers on. That doesn’t exist in Div 3. And some of the difference is a function of size: big time athletic schools tend to be very large and Div 3 schools tend to be small. That fits here: UR is under 6k, while Syracuse is over 14k. The social worlds would be very different given the size differences and that is brought home by the difference in emphasis on athletics.</p>

8

<p>RE: #11 Kids go out in the snow. Both the city and the campus know how to deal with snow. Getting snowed in just doesn’t happen. However, having your flight in or out of the Rochester or Buffalo or Syracuse airports get cancelled due to bad weather --that does happen. And not just in the winter.</p>

<p>RE: #12 D2 never had a car in 4 years while at UR, including a summer she spent living in Rochester (not on campus) while working in her research lab. There were some inconveniences, but really not an issue. Taxis are usually reliable. (Once one didn’t show up to take her to the airport to catch a flight, but it was the exception, not the commonplace.) UR students can get a discount with one of the local taxi services. (And I hear ya about the taxis. Where I live taxis are all but non-existent.) Zipcars are another possibility, but they need to be reserved several days in advance and you cannot borrow them open-endedly. Returning a zip car late incurs a big penalty.</p>

<p>RE: #13 UR is not preppy, though there is substantial number of students who come from very advantaged families. Syracuse is also not preppy.</p>

<p>RE: #14 There were 18 students from Hawaii at UR in 2012-13</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.rochester.edu/provost/assets/ir/Factbook%2012-13/Undergrad_map.png”>http://www.rochester.edu/provost/assets/ir/Factbook%2012-13/Undergrad_map.png&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>(Which is more than from my state.)</p>

<p>RE: #15 Studying time will depend on you and your work ethic. UR is considered (at least by law and med schools admissions) as being grade-neutral. Neither grade inflated nor grade deflated.</p>

<p>As for the difference between a big sport school and a Division 3—there’s a whole different vibe on campus. (I’ve attended both types of colleges.) Big time sports brings out a sense of solidarity among the students as they root their home team. Students get excited for big games and tournaments. It’s a palpable atmosphere. (And at many schools pre-gaming for the big sporting events starts with drinking the day before the game.) People talk a lot about the team’s standing, the competitor schools & coaches etc. It’s a big topic of conversation around campus. Tailgating/ game parties are often major social event for students–even if they don’t attend the game itself. (They watch on satellite TV.) Getting tickets can be difficult, but many schools try hard to accommodate students via discounted student tickets. We used to get a group of 10 together and enter the ticket lottery, then divide games up among the entire group. I didn’t get to go to every home game, I got to see a good number of them every year. Even decades later I still remember the games fondly. The athletes do get special perks and often special academic considerations–which may or may not bother you. (It only really irked me once but I was functioning in the teacher role with a student athlete in my classroom. Not a situation that’s likely to affect you.) </p>

<p>Of course, if you’re not into the big sport on campus–whether it be football, basketball, lacrosse or baseball–then a lot of the sports mania on campus will just irritate the heck out of you. </p>

9

<p>That’s a lot of Hawaiians! Surprised. Maybe they should serve spam in the dining hall.</p>

<p>As to athletics, I also did both, sort of. One was technically Div1 but it wasn’t anything like the Big10. I enjoyed going to games but mostly for the party. The athletes weren’t part of the community at all. At the other school, the athletes were in your classes, were your roommates, etc. They were as smart as anyone else, which matters. It’s largely a question of whether you care about results in college football, basketball, hockey, etc. If you care that UofM beats Indiana, then sure.</p>

10

<p>Thanks again @Lergnom and @WayOutWestMom.</p>

<p>I’m not a big sports fan, nor am I an athlete so I can live without the sports vibe. Although it sounds fun, parties and drinking also aren’t things I’d want to attend/do as often as it sounds at SU. After all the comments above, I feel that UR would seem the best fit for me between the two. I just hope that my UR FA will rule in my favor of me being able to attend (received estimates from my FA counselor and it seems reasonable…but it’s still being finalized).</p>

<p>18 HI students is a sizable number indeed, wasn’t expecting that. LOL @ Spam… I’ve heard that it isn’t very popular by folks on the mainland…whether it’s true or not, I don’t know. The food would definitely be a change for me if I am able to attend. </p>

11

<p>Spam is not popular here, that’s for sure, but if you come across my guy when/if you’re there… he likes it. (We learned we liked it when in HI… :wink: )</p>

<p>Send me a pm if you want contact with him. We’re from PA, so he’s already a sort of northern kid, but he can likely answer qu’s you might have. He won’t be able to compare with SU though as that school was never on his consideration list after we did a drive by. He’s also not a sports person nor a drinker/partier…</p>

12

<p>Thanks for the offer @Creekland. I’ll send you a pm later this week if I have additional questions that he may be able to answer as a student. SU is already off my list because of FA; UR is now against a couple other options I have that I’m more familiar with. UR is definitely a place where I can see myself though so it’s up there on my list. :)</p>

13

<p>Spam may not be ‘popular’ but can be found in every supermarket in the northeast–you won’t have to go cold turkey.</p>

14

<p>U of R has heated tunnels underneath the entire school! So during the winter you barely have to go outside if you dont want to!</p>

<p>Actually I think every school in Rochester does.</p>