why rochester-- post!!

<p>how bout all accepted students post their why rochester short answers? i'm a transfer applicant, here's what i put down:</p>

<p>I first heard about Rochester when a representative from the college visited our school in Buffalo to talk about it. I was initially attracted to it because it is a research institution, yet it seems to have a congenial atmosphere with a good student to faculty ratio and a high percentage of professors who teach. Its proximity to Eastman School of Music appeals to me as well. I am a pianist, and although I do not intend to major in performance, music is a source of enjoyment for me. I made a decision to apply to transfer to Rochester because the university offers an undergraduate neuroscience program, my intended major and a major that my current institution does not offer. Since the neuroscience department is a collaboration of the college and the medical center, Rochester matches my interest to pursue some research in the field while I am still an undergraduate. The university also has highly organized pre-health services; as I plan to pursue neuroscience after graduation, I am also considering medical school in addition to graduate school in neuroscience, and Rochester’s pre-med is top notch. Rochester’s curriculum is exactly right for me: I too believe in voluntary learning. I find that when I take a college level class to fulfill a distribution requirement, I do not learn anything, so Rochester will fit me this way.</p>

<p>When I started applying to college, I knew I wanted a small research university, preferrably on the east coast. I ultimately chose Rochester for the open curriculum (I want to double major and minor), beautiful campus, and great academic programs. The visit sealed the deal; everything felt right. I am so excited to go to school w/a bunch of bright people that study what they want to, not what they have to. I can't wait to meet you guys in the fall.</p>

<p>sigh* ive posted so many times that i dont really feel like typng it all over again...sooo im just gonna paste some of my past posts here =P
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Yes - I did mean Case vs Rochester, and thanks alot for the headsup about Case.</p>

<p>Yah I love Rochester's unique cluster system and the freedom they give you there - though it means that you really need to know what ur doing in order to built the right courseload for Graduate admissions (which i have no problem with), but hey - i heard their guidance/counselors are great
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yah behappy99 - i had the same question too. UR is a great school, its just sad cuz it gets overshadowed by the Ivys. Most people who decide to apply to UR are highly qualified students who'll probably get into their ivy choices soo UR needs to admit a ton of people in order to get enough people to actually enroll at the college.</p>

<p>But i have great faith that the people who do choose to go to UR are just as good as those who went to the ivys =)
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yah...its a really complicated thing - but its very reassuring to hear from nearly EVERYONE that UR is a great place to be. I haven't heard a single person have a single bad thing to say about the University of Rochester (people've been asking me where i plan on going and whenever i say UR - they get really impressed and all). And yet I haven't heard a single rejection yet...and with a 49% acceptance rate - wow lol.
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The current president of UR came from WUSTL. So I think that UR will probably be ranked higher soon if he brought some "tricks" with him. Overall, UR's research and Ph.D. programs are well regarded!
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Wow, that is impressive - the more I look into UR, the more interested i get... Things seem to be on the move there, especially if what Cj3051 said (above) is true.</p>

<p>Plus I just read an article about UR being the true birthplace of a new Cervical Cancer Vaccine - currently owned by the Merck Pharmaceutical Company - <a href="http://www.rochester.edu/pr/Review/V68N3/feature1.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.rochester.edu/pr/Review/V68N3/feature1.html&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p>

<p>The Official City of Rochester website isnt much to look at but the Downtown Rochester website is amazing - I even got a sneak peak at the Chinese restaurants there (nothing worth mentioning in comparison to NYC tho ><) <a href="http://www.rochesterdowntown.com/index.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.rochesterdowntown.com/index.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Great Faith, Have I in the University of Rochester =)</p>

<p>The weather of course is a shame, but then again i doubt great colleges like Cornell are any better off and people there seem OK with it. I'll deal ^^
(BTW - Temperatures of Low 30 - High 40 are normal this time of year in the Northeast for u western/Midwestern folks XD)</p>

<p>btw - hopeful1 - you certainly are very hopeful in saying that UR may someday be like WUSTL, but if what you say is true then it is very likely that UR will rise in rankings in much the same way. It certainly is encouraging, so Thank you =)</p>

<p>The Idea - PROMOTE THE SCHOOL !
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Pros: Top Notch Academics & Professors, Great Music (Eastman's is on campus), Friendly People, Decent Social Life, Decent City nearby, Unique "Cluster" system = Freedom of Curriculum found only at URochester (you direct your own education, its not a free-for-all but its not a set track either)</p>

<p>Cons: Weather (underground tunnels are available though), from what Ive heard - some people are anti-social and stay inside to play games all day (but ull find these wherever u go, not just Rochester)</p>

<p>Inbetween : UofR is a great school but its in the midst of lots of developments to raise its national rank - its a school on its way up but not quite there yet.
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University of Rochester is a top research university while being a very liberal institution as well, many of its departments are ranked on the international level and it received a TON of research funding - something that smaller institutions lack</p>

<p>Top PRIVATE Research Universities - sadly colgate doesnt make it to the top 100 (but several liberal arts colleges did - like wellesly)
URochester - Ranked #15
<a href="http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsf05...les/table31.xls%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsf05...les/table31.xls&lt;/a>
For other rankings:
<a href="http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsf05320/tables.htm#rd6%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsf05320/tables.htm#rd6&lt;/a>
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Hey everyone, my name's Stephen and I'm definitely URochester Class of 2010 =)</p>

<p>Reason: Great financial package, great school, great people.</p>

<p>Rochester's one of the few undergrad colleges that I know of w/ a undergrad neuroscience program.
Rochester boasts having the feeling of a Liberal Arts College while having the benefits of a research university.</p>

<p>Low Yield Rates and High Acceptance Rates kinda scary but it doesnt make it any less selective - i know plenty of ppl who were rejected.</p>

<p>Retention Rate @ Rochester (People who enter as Freshman and stay - dont transfer) : 95%
Graduation Rate @ Rochester : 80.5%</p>

<p>Those are ivy-like numbers there =P I got them after requesting for their Common Data Set (available upon request from the Institutional Research Department). Lookin foward to seeing u guys there!</p>

<p>And to Wrap it all Up =P</p>

<p>What do all of the following have in common?</p>

<p>MIT's 16th President
~Graduated from UR as an undergrad and became a highly regarded neuroscientist for the NIH before becoming MIT's 16th President - the first MIT president from the life sciences ... and its a she!
<a href="http://web.mit.edu/hockfield/biography.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://web.mit.edu/hockfield/biography.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>The World's Most Powerful Ultraviolet Laser
~the OMEGA Laser at the UR Lab for Laser Energetics</p>

<p>The World's First Successful HPV & Cervical Cancer Vaccine
~<a href="http://www.rochester.edu/pr/Review/V68N3/feature1.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.rochester.edu/pr/Review/V68N3/feature1.html&lt;/a>.
~<a href="http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/pr/research/story.cfm?id=1068%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/pr/research/story.cfm?id=1068&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Pioneering Research in Avian Flu Vaccine
~Bird-Flu Vaccine Works at High Doses;
Focus Turns to Ways to Stretch Vaccine Supply
<a href="http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/pr/current_research/bird_flu/index.cfm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/pr/current_research/bird_flu/index.cfm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>The Best Music School in America
~SCORES IN U.S. NEWS SURVEYS OF DEANS AND SENIOR FACULTY MUSIC (MASTER OF MUSIC) Rank/School Average reputation score
1. Univ. of Rochester--Eastman School of Music (N.Y.) 4.80
Tied w/
1. Indiana University at Bloomington 4.80
1. Julliard School (N.Y.) 4.80 <<----5%ish acceptance rate?</p>

<p>The Largest Music Library in North America
~<a href="http://www.esm.rochester.edu/sibley/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.esm.rochester.edu/sibley/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Location of The World's only facility capable of fully integrated cryogenic fast-ignition experiments in 2007
~OMEGA EP <a href="http://omegaep.lle.rochester.edu/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://omegaep.lle.rochester.edu/&lt;/a>
"A new laser, the OMEGA EP (extended performance) laser system, is a four-beam laser system that is scheduled to be completed in 2007. Along with the four NIF-like laser beams, it will consist of a new target chamber and a vacuum pulse compression chamber containing large-aperture pulse compression gratings. The laser will be housed inside the newest addition to the building, which was completed in 2005. When completed, the combination of the OMEGA and the OMEGA EP laser systems will allow the LLE to be the world's only facility capable of fully integrated cryogenic fast-ignition experiments."</p>

<p>Top 20 Universities W/ Most Spending in Research in America
*According to the National Science Foundation
~URochester - Ranked #15
~<a href="http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsf05...les/table31.xls%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsf05...les/table31.xls&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Top 100 Universities of the World
*According to the Institute of Higher Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
~URochester Ranked #52
~<a href="http://ed.sjtu.edu.cn/rank/2004/top500(1-100).htm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://ed.sjtu.edu.cn/rank/2004/top500(1-100).htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Motto: "Meliora" </p>

<p>"better times to come"</p>

<p>Answer:
UR2010</p>

<p>Now u may be wondering what the HELL have i been doing to've amassed so much stuff? (no life?) possibly - I just got kinda obsessive after I realized that I didnt get into m top choices and I wanted to make sure that the university that i was going to was a top university, none of that 2nd rate crap. And it turns out it just may be - a top university. Hope this helps cure any doubts u guys may have about UR cuz it certainly helped me =)</p>

<p>Awakien, I was speechless after reading your posts!</p>

<p>DOH, i just read the first post haha... here are my Short Responses on my Application : (Done Online)</p>

<p>Why Rochester?
My goal in college is to explore my current interests as well as to expand my perspectives and explore areas that I am unfamiliar with to acquire an understanding of a broad range of knowledge. The University of Rochester caught my interest with its unique curriculum that allows students to guide their own education while encouraging students to build on their own individual passions and interests. I found a school that will let me create my own curriculum: letting me study what truly interests and motivates me while allowing me to expand my perspectives and knowledge in other disciplines that also interest me such as social science, Asian culture, literature, and math. Rochester matches my career goals of going into medical research as a major research institution active in undergraduate research.
I was interviewed by a Rochester alumni, Ebony, in Manhattan, New York City. She revealed to me how Rochester is the perfect University to focus on your passions by not only allowing me to study my interests but also to experience the practical uses behind what I study. She was in the engineering major and one of her major senior projects was being a manager and contributor to the development of a new piece of equipment for a major engineering company. Very cool!</p>

<p>What Can I Contribute to the Diversity at UR?
I am an Indonesian-Chinese-American Catholic. My family has quite a history of evading violence in Indonesia against Non-Muslim and Chinese immigrants. As a result, I have become a very tolerant and open-minded individual. I believe I can contribute to the diversity of Rochester through my belief that tolerance and acceptance of diversity are important for a true educational experience because the exchange of new ideas and perspectives is key to learning.
I can also contribute the diversity as an experienced assistant of researchers at a major research institution (Mount Sinai Medical Center of New York), a Clarinet player, and as an enthusiast of Japanese culture (even though I'm not Japanese). My dual interest in social science and medicine has led me to seek an uncommon interdisciplinary education involving the three disciplines: Biopsychology, Neuroscience, and Sociology. I am also looking forward to contributing to the diversity of Rochester as a member of student government.</p>

<p>gawd i hate myself for long posts</p>

<p>lol! i'm a bit embarassed to post my short answer after that, one of the reasons being that it's overflowing with grammatical errors. ... and after awakien's post, ... but here it goes anyway</p>

<p>Initially, I got interested in Rochester the way I got interested in every other college - by looking at various lists of prestigious universities and picking the ones that appeared often, without really condisering what my interests and wants were. This produced a list of roughly 40 schools. As this list got toned down, many a prestigious place got cut. But Rochester stayed. As I refined my views of what I want from a university, I came to realize that all my wishes were embodied in the University of Rochester.
For example, I realized that the way the university treats undergraduate research would help me in my career plans. As chemistry class piled on chemistry class, I came to the conclusion that I wanted to be a researcher in chemistry. A research aspect in my undergraduate experience would be absolutely essential if I planned to pursue this career path. Rochester's emphasis on research was, therefore, a big plus.
Another plus is Rochester's original curriculum. I come from a rather small school, which, regardless of all noble efforts, can not offer many classes. My class selection is further hampered by the IB program, which takes up 6 of the 7 classes I have room for, which leaves little wiggle room. This is most unfortunate, as there are many classes that I would like to take but simply have not had the ability to, political science, for example. Rochester's open curriculum allows me pursue these non math and science related interests.
All this I gathered from my visit to Rochester, a visit that also gave me a feeling of the campus and its beauty, another plus. By the time I left I Rochester had jumped from somewhere near the middle of my list to my main choice. This decision was further cemented after Margaret VanDoren, an alumni, interviewed me. She was much like me - focused on one subject area (biology instead of chemistry), but willing to expand her horizons. She spoke highly of her experience at Rochester, much as my tour guides and others at the university had. But coming from someone that had strikingly similar interests (and not, say, an English and World Religions double major, as many tour guides were) these words had a special resonance with me. I left the interview knowing without a doubt that Rochester is a perfect fit for me.</p>

<p>this is response #1 right? ok here it is:
Ever since the age of five, coming to Rochester has always been a pleasure and trip of excitement. Because I have family in Rochester, I could always look forward to every summer. Every vacation I have had, I have either come to Rochester or India, and, the trips to Rochester are much more than those to India. These trips were not only memorable, but educational. During my early years, I would spend time with my cousins, aunts and uncles either reading books from the local library, traveling to the nearest Wegmans, or Wiggles Concerts in Downtown Rochester, I would always enjoy the trips. This rich experience in the Rochester area led me to my decision to look at University of Rochester. After doing some research and spending time with the Rochester Cardiopulmonary Group, and especially with Dr. Rao, an assistant professor at University of Rochester, I was able to realize what a great staff there was at the University. When shadowing Dr. Rao, I was able to not only get exposure to the medical field, but also learn cardiovascular medicine. Being an active learner, I picked up quickly as Dr. Rao explained medical terminology, diagnosis, treatment, as well as following up. Based on Dr. Rao’s excellent methods of teaching, I was able to make my decision to continue my education at University of Rochester.</p>

<p>bump - for those of you who are thinking of UR, this is the thread to read.</p>

<p>i think this is a great thread and thus I am posting so people will see it on the first page becuase the pages are organized chronologically based on who posted recently. </p>

<p>Hee....</p>

<p>b
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<p>For all those interested in UR but dont know what its about, this is the thread to read.</p>

<p>Urochester is the best school ever. THE END!</p>

<p>b
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<p>after 7 years disuse, you might have better luck starting a new thread, nuhuiguniang.</p>