<p>Someone asked me in another forum why I liked Pitt so much. I figured I would post my answer here, as well.</p>
<p>1.) Location. Location. Location. I could not go to a school that was 300 miles removed from the rest of society. Pitt is in the heart of Pittsburgh, a hub for arts, entertainment, and culture. I just love the diversity of cities. So much to do. And Pitt students ride the Pittsburgh buses for free, so you can go anywhere you want in Allegheny County without paying a dime. Pitt aso offers discounted tickets for students to plays and concerts and such around the city. If you need to get away from the city lights, Schenley Park, one of Pittsburgh's largest parks, borders the campus. And right next door is Carnegie Mellon, one of the premiere universities in the world. Pitt and CMU work closely together in all aspects. Pitt students can even take classes at CMU.</p>
<p>2.) It is a large university, without many of the negatives. There are around 17,000 undergrads at Pitt, which gives you a ton of opportunites for student organizations, intramurals, and the like. And the sports are top-notch. The two major sports teams, football and basketball, have both been nationally ranked, as has wrestling, swimming, and ultimate frisbee. The baseball, softball, gymnastics, soccer, and tennis teams are also excellent. There is a ton of schools pride, you will see people (even non-students) walking around in Pitt gear. But Pitt is not one of those "party schools" that you commonly associate with other large state schools. Sure there are parties, but, because of #1, there is just so much more to do. Class sizes are small, most classes are taught by professors, and large classes have recitations which are smaller discussion classes. And unlike mot urban schools, Pitt actually has a defined campus with plenty of green spots, so you do get a sense of school community that is absent in other city colleges. </p>
<p>3.) It is a world-class university. Because it is not known as a party school, Pitt has an excellent reputation in the real world. Also, Pitt's $1.8 billion endowment (over $105,000 per student) ranks 25th in the country. It is a major research center, particularly in medicine and the sciences. Pitt has top programs in Philosophy, Chemistry, Economics, English, History, Busines, Physics, Political Science, Engineering, Psychology, and Physiology. Pitt's study abroad program is one of the top in the country. Pitt recently unveiled a ten-year, $1 billion (that's $1,000,000,000) plan to renovate, update, and build new facilities all around campus.</p>
<p>... These are just a few of the reasons. Feel free to add your own.</p>