<p>We recently visited U of R, went to an info session and on a campus tour. Everything looked and sounded great. In fact, we really couldn't find anything "wrong" with the school (other than perhaps weather and cost). Today I went on line and read some student reviews. While everyone said the academics were great, there were a lot of complaints about the social life, the city of Rochester, the administration, the food, and the lack of name recognition for U of R. Really mixed comments about the Greek system as well.
I know that people are more likely to write in when they have a complaint, but it was the consistency of the things complained about that got my attention. Definitely a feeling that people felt like they "settled" by chosing U of R. What do you think?</p>
<p>I noticed this too. I’m interested to see what current U of R students have to say.</p>
<p>I think it depends on the website that you’re looking at. There are several that I’ve seen over the years that are loaded with negative comments about many universities. Other than having a son that applied to U of R as one of several colleges applied to (FWIW, he LOVED U of R when he visited and talked to several students that were not associated with admissions who made him love it even more), I have no skin in the game. I do have an older daughter who is a sophomore at an engineering school in the northeast, though. If I had believed all of the negative reviews I read, I would have never allowed her to go there. She chose the school for fit and is thriving academically and socially. She couldn’t have made a better choice for her. No matter what you are talking about - a college, a teacher. a movie, a car, whatever - there are always people who love it and those who hate it, sometimes for the same reasons (e.g. one person loves that the city of Rochester is a small city and feels that it has a lot to offer. Another person hates that Rochester is a small city and is so far from any large metropolises). My advice is to take the reviews with a grain of salt and make your own decisions. All schools have positives and negatives, it all comes down to what characteristics are most important to you / your student.</p>
<p>Of all the negatives in reviews, I’d say the one about it being cloudy is the most true. Because it is cloudy in upstate NY. The next other negative is there isn’t really a college area of stores and restaurants right next to campus. That’s true of many places and it’s true of UR.</p>
<p>Otherwise, a lot of people don’t much like Rochester but then they probably don’t do anything much in Rochester - or around it. You can get anywhere in Rochester in about 10 minutes and there are lots of restaurants, etc. if you care enough to go to them. It’s actually a fairly nice place with a lot to offer but you can’t walk to it.</p>
<p>As for name recognition, it’s not as well known as Washington U but then WashU wasn’t well known until recently. (One difference that won’t change, other than WashU being much larger, is that UR doesn’t have a law school.)</p>
<p>I don’t understand comments about the food. I’ve eaten at a number of schools and UR is at least as good. I think the expectations of kids about food are weird. </p>
<p>Social life I can also sort of understand: UR isn’t a big party school. My kid describes UR as a normal nerd school, meaning kids who are normal but who work hard. You will find kids in the libraries every day. Some of that may be because the open curriculum encourages so many double majors (and more than that). Some may be because the school is strong in sciences - though liberal arts majors are the largest - and those require more work. </p>
<p>Can’t speak about the Greek system. The school the frat houses into the res life system - in some way, don’t exactly know how - because they were run down. I suspect much of the Greek party life is off campus, but again I honestly don’t know. NY state has a rule that prevents sororities from having their own house so they have floors in dorms - something about lewd women living together or other sexist nonsense. They organize parties and the like off campus all the time.</p>
<p>But social life for many UR kids means clubs and the like. Maybe it’s the kids I know, but they’re all involved in clubs and their social lives tend to revolve around those. It’s very easy to be involved because the school is large enough that you don’t see the same people every day but small enough that size doesn’t make it impersonal. </p>
<p>My kid’s experiences have been absurdly positive. Loves the classes. Has lots of friends. Does a lot. Really, really enjoys her classes. But experiences vary. She gets involved. She’s been an RA and has stayed in Rochester for 2 summers. (BTW, it’s fairly easy to get work/internships in the summer there.) She goes to festivals around upstate and has gone hiking in gorges and otherwise enjoyed the area during the nicer weather. She doesn’t have a car but friends do so they go out to dinner and have fun, etc. (As for food, my kid is a picky vegetarian who often cooks her own food but who generally doesn’t mind the UR food. One issue about food, btw, is they keep changing the meal plans as they try to balance stuff like more local food and more food choices with cost. She doesn’t like having to buy more meals than she needs, but that’s life.)</p>
<p>One strength of UR is real, that it’s fairly easy to get involved in actual faculty research. My kid has worked on a few projects and recently had her material presented at a large scientific conference. </p>
<p>As I said, my kid put herself into the school, both working at it and getting involved in a number of clubs and in social life and somewhat in the area. I think that’s a real positive, that investing herself paid off. My wife and I often say to each other that this has been as good an experience as we could have hoped for.</p>
<p>My guy would add a firm “I agree” to Lergnom’s post!</p>
<p>He’s a sophomore there now and absolutely loves it. He’s involved in clubs (Dance, ASL, Chess, Christian), research, and volunteers at the hospital. He’s not interested in Greek, so I can’t help you with that. He also studies and has study partners/groups he’s regularly with. He loves his classes and has done well in them. Next year he’s likely to be an RA on top of everything else. This year he has also officially worked with the freshmen (and lives in Sue B). When I ask him if any aren’t happy there he’s told me, “one, down on another hall,” so it can happen.</p>
<p>URoc isn’t for everyone - no college is. If the student goes there on a visit and feels it is them, it likely is. (My guy knew it was “him” from his first visit on and we confirmed it with a later visit.) If not, then probably not. Don’t push what isn’t working, but I also wouldn’t fear due to internet comments.</p>
<p>As for all the negative comments… let me just point out that they have one of the highest freshmen retention rates in the nation… why stay if it’s so bad?</p>
<p>my son just got admitted. Can you please share a bit more how your kid usually spend the winter there ? or most kids just fly to somewhere else in winter ? We do not live in US. thanks</p>
<p>Another mom of a sophomore. He absolutely loves it there. I would say what he enjoys most is having so many peers who are so similar - quirky, fun, smart and hard working. For instance, he’s taking a class this semester that was project/group based. Nothing got him more agitated in hs since he knew he’d do the project himself while the rest of the group rode his coattails. He said it was really great here because everyone wants an A and works hard.<br>
It is cold this year, no doubt about that! What do you do other than make sure you really dress for the weather.
He is on a special interest floor and really likes that. They hang out, play games, etc.<br>
He believes the food is nearly inedible, really, really hates the food. However, he says one of the cafeterias has improved.
He also knows the professors quite well. One of them would go out to lunch with the kids after class. He goes to office hours and has really connected. With a 10:1 ratio that is way more possible.
He’s not into the Greek scene so I can’t comment on that, but I will say as a freshman he was absolutely shocked at how many parties, and how much drinking and other things went on.<br>
This is definitely not the school for everyone, but if you fit, it’s like heaven on earth.</p>
<p>@jinguiyuan - one can’t just fly somewhere else for winter as Rochester has winter for a long time. My guy almost didn’t apply there due to winter, but now he’s finding he doesn’t mind it at all. It’s not like home where he’d need to shovel snow! 
He has ice skates and they have some snowball fights, but generally they bundle up and enjoy the great indoors - clubs, studying, and various activities both academic and sports related (fun sports for all - not just competitive sports). There are tunnels between many of the buildings. Even this winter (colder and snowier than last year) has not made him regret his college choice. He absolutely loves it there.</p>
<p>DS is a junior at Rochester. LOVES IT! </p>
<p>It’s a school where students are serious about academics. That seems to always be the number one priority. Department staff is very personable and always looking to help the students grow. It’s a very collaborative environment rather than cut throat as you see at some top schools. </p>
<p>Name recognition can be an issue if that is important to you. But it is a top 35 school and the people who matter are aware of the high reputation, particularly in the sciences. DS did an REU last summer and the selection committee told him they love getting students from Rochester. During the college search process DS was accepted to and declined an Ivy school because he was so impressed by his department chair on a visit made during high school.</p>
<p>The food is…well it’s college food. I bet you would be hard pressed to find a high percentage of students who love the food at any college. DS and friends do go off campus for food sometimes. Most of the suite housing (non-freshman) have in-suite kitchens and the students do cook for themselves.</p>
<p>Socially there is always something to do; lots of music events, sports stuff - both organized and impromptu, movies, clubs, etc.</p>
<p>Can’t comment on Greek but it doesn’t seem to have a large presence.</p>
<p>If your child is looking for a top academic experience Rochester is great. If you child is looking for a big college experience, big rah-rah sports, party scene, etc, Rochester is not the place.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the helpful responses. Actually my son does not want a “party” school, but it happened that all of the tour guides our visit day seemed to be involved in Greek life. The school seems great - I was just surprised by the bitter student reviews.</p>
<p>U of Rochester has no control over the weather, but the limited food choices, quality and availability are things they can change. I’ve seen another top school change their food service, and the student reviews this year are so much better. </p>
<p>I know two kids very well who are up there, and they are perfectly happy. One a senior, one a junior. Both very outgoing, athletic types who did hesitate a bit about the choice as it was not as “rah, rah” as some of the schools they were also considering. Both got nice merit money from the school which tipped the balance to go there–one an athletic scholarship, I believe. </p>
<p>Check the same type of reviews for other schools in consideration and you get some ideas about the issues at the schools. My friend was sick about her son going to Providence College when she read some of the “complaint boards” from there, three years ago, and now he’s nearly home free, loves it , has done well, despite being a not so great high school student. it couldn t be better for him. So you need have your salt shaker right there when reading these things.</p>
<p>There is a lot to do in Rochester during the winter-- there are a lot of ice-skating rinks, parks where you can ice skate, skiing (bristol mountain is very close), etc that the buses take you to. It does get cold, but just invest in a warm, puffy jacket and you’ll be fine. I have some friends there already that are very active in Greek life, and there definitely is a party scene… in fact many sports teams throw parties as well. You can find a party to go to each night, though it won’t be as busy during the week (mainly thursdays, fridays, saturdays). I’ve visited my friends a couple times, and the food is a bit of a drawback, but otherwise UR does a lot to keep students entertained-- concerts, stand-ups, events, etc throughout the winter. And, if you truly need a break, there are many study abroad options that you can build up your resume with! </p>
<p>A long winter is definitely present-- enjoy the change in seasons, though, because Fall, Winter, and Spring are all beautiful in upstate new york.</p>
<p>I think no matter what school you look at, there will always be negative reviews. I can think of one site that all schools seem to be bashed. My son is also finishing his Soph year, really likes it there and feels like he has met people much like himself in terns of varied interests. UR is not a school to go to if you don’t like cold weather which leaves out the entire top section of the country. He also does not like the food so is on the meal plan that works like a debit card. He eats a lot of breakfasts at Starbucks 
that way. </p>
<p>My kid complains about having too many meals/points/declining dollars because as an RA in a freshman dorm she can only drop down one level from the top instead of down to what she actually wants. It’s a few hundred dollars. She ends up giving away food to friends and then buys food at the store and donates it to charity. (That kind of thing gets organized by kids.) </p>
<p>People want different things. Go to Middlebury. It’s in the middle of nowhere, nearly an hour’s drive from Burlington, VT. And I’ll bet some kids hate it and yet most love it. I have friends who went to Bates and Bowdoin. Go to Bard. It’s near a tiny town with nothing much to offer … but people choose to go there. You have to choose to go to Rochester. Or Syracuse. Heck, I’ve known people who went to Michigan Tech, which is on a peninsula that sticks up into Lake Superior. As one said, “It’s south of Canada!”</p>
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<p>People are absolutely more likely to write a review about something if they feel strongly about the topic…either negatively or positively - and in my experience, especially with young people, WAY more on the end of negatively. Add that to the fact that on any college review site there are a few aspects of college life that will always be the topic of complaint. Greek life (if you don’t like it) “Party Atmosphere” (if you don’t like it, or if you like it alot and it’s not living up to your expectation.) Class Size (usually if it’s too large) and Food (too much, too bad, not enough variety). </p>
<p>My kid didn’t end up there but when we visited I thought it was a really nice school. Alot of the resources of a large research school with the benefits of a smaller college. Huge freedom and independence with course and program selection (IMO maybe a little too much, but that’s just me) The weather is pretty standard upstate NY can snow from Halloween to Easter and usually does sun only shines about a 20 days of the school year weather. I’d be pretty hard pressed to believe that very many “settle” for UofR.</p>
<p>This is an interesting thread and an interesting time for me personally to post something. I haven’t posted on the UR threads since before my daughter matriculated. I think the OP question about “settling” gets at an interesting question. Is it “settling” or do some of us (and our kids) arrive at a conclusion with some surprise that UR is actually the best fit among some other very fine choices?</p>
<p>I assume most UR students had some other reasonably good to even exceptional alternative choices. My kid did. I think it is true, even from New England where we live, that UR is not the first school very good students think of. Some have not even heard of it, which I think gets at the status/reputation issue a bit. Once UR does get on your radar, I think it is a case of the more you know and the more familiar you get with UR the more you like it. My kid had a “goldilocks” reaction during the decision process and her freshmen year so far has matched that intuition. For her, there was not one particular thing that blew her away, but rather it had everything she wanted and there were no dealbreakers along the way. One could paint this as UR scoring A-s/B+s across the board, eventually yielding a total score that beats the competitors. I’m not sure kids have as much of a love affair with UR as some do with other schools (often LACs or bigger state universities where the love is more spirit/athletics based), and I do wonder about this, but on the other hand I tend to think kids interested in UR are looking for the size and range of opportunities that isn’t easy to duplicate elsewhere and that appeals to kids who aren’t looking for typical “big-tme collegiate” fare or for the ultra intimate LAC experience. </p>
<p>Among the issues cited by the OP, I think the prestige issue is a non-issue. UR is a great school and people who matter in academic and professional circles know that UR is outstanding. The open curriculum model is a huge plus that my kid loves. She has been able to sample things that my kid at a more intimate LAC has not ironically. The food is a negative for her…not a dealmaker but for the price of the school the food should be better. She has been relatively happy with the social life, but I think depending on the kid it can take some time. You have a frat/sorority scene (not hard core like other schools but still a significant presence), you have some of the engineering/science crowd that pretty much studies all the time, you have the athletic teams and similar groups that hang together, and then there is everyone else. There are a ton of clubs and activities, but compared to an LAC certainly, finding one’s niche might take a bit of time. There is pretty good diversity and a good mix of kids so there should be something for most everyone. And for my money the city and overall Rochester area has more to offer than most people think, although I think students do tend to stay on campus (especially underclassmen). </p>
<p>So, in sum, my kid is plenty happy. She loves the academics (the most important thing, right?), and she has some great friends. I am very confident she will be well-prepared for whatever her next step is after college, and I am very confident that being an alum of UR will always serve her well. UR was and is a great choice. Almost a year later thinking back through all the choices, including the sexier choices image-wise, we and she think she would again choose UR. And again we might be mildly surprised by that. So…“settling” is definitely not the right word in our case, but is there a possibly some element of magic is missing? I don’t know, and I do wonder about that. I hope over the nest year or two my kid will be “in love” with UR and not just “really, really like it.”</p>
<p>thank you for your observations, finalchild, as we begin to narrow things down. URoc is in the running. </p>
<p>Actually, I went back and re-read all the comments, and I want to thank everyone who contributed.</p>
<p>You’re welcome. It’s a cliché to say you get back what you put in, but that’s been our experience with UR. </p>
<p>It’s funny to look back, but we did the visit after acceptance and were getting ready to leave when I turned to my kid and said, “Just say yes. You know it’s the right fit.” So we dropped off a check. </p>
<p>Daughter of a good friend graduated from UR a couple of years ago. She grew up out west and had never visited upstate New York before. Rochester was a great experience. She was busy in student clubs and did very well, graduating with honors.</p>