<p>I’m currently a student at URI, although I had the option of going to UConn full ride I chose to come here because I felt that the URI environment was more friendly than UConn and I found the campus to be nicer. Both schools have a reputation for partying and it’s true to a certain extent. I was born and raised in CT and ALL of my family besides my cousin and most of my graduating class attende(d/s) UConn (and I spend weekends there) so I’m fairly good at comparing. Honestly the students are pretty similar, mostly New England kids who are middle class. Both schools are big in the Health/Medicine majors (Nursing Major myself) and will provide an equal education based on faculty and classroom size. However, UConn is considered slightly more prestigious due to having the UConn Health Center attached to it. UConn is a wet campus whereas URI is a dry campus (no alcohol permitted). UConn is bigger on drinking and URI is bigger on smoking (weed). Both schools have the same types of students, there are super motivated super studious all work no play, then there are many who work hard and play harder, and there are some who just play hard and work not at all (they tend to flunk out by 2nd semester…or be communications/art/undeclared majors and can afford to goof off). MAJOR warning though, URI’s chemistry department is horrible, I recommend if you attend here to take chemistry at the Providence campus or at your local community college and transfer credits over. URI’s faculty is generally a mixture, there are some good professors some bad professors (but I’m sure that goes for most universities…also you can figure out what professors to take by reading student reviews at ratemyprofessor.com). When it comes to Social Life, both at UConn and URI you have to put yourself out there, join clubs, talk to people in your building, that sort of thing. I know that at URI everyone is pretty friendly, we all say hello and are generally friendly, holding doors open and things. UConn Parties are on campus (simply because the campus is in the middle of no where). URI parties are mainly in Frat Houses(those are basically the only on campus parties) Bonnet, Eastward, and Down the Line where upperclassmen have rented housing, and you do have to know people to find the parties and have a car to get there. Major complaints about URI are parking and the campus being built on a giant hill. URI has the quad too which is a student favorite, especially in warmer weather for playing ball and tossing the frisbee. There are also RIPTA buses that come to campus and you can go on off campus excursions (I go almost every weekend to Providence Place Mall which is excellent not just for shopping but just to hang out with friends and catch a movie or something) If you have a car there are also the Providence Clubs which are pretty good, 18+ most Thursday nights, and there are School Sponsored trips a couple times a year where a bus takes you there and back. UConn doesn’t offer the public transport to get off campus but I know bother UConn and URI have school sponsored discounted trips to places such as New York and Boston and Six Flags and Mystic Aquarium. Dining halls are pretty much the same in my opinion, it’s definately something left to personal tastes. Although URI does have an emporium at the top of campus where there’s a Chinese place, CVS, Subway, Quizno’s, a few Local Eateries, and a few small clothing stores. Uconn also has a couple on campus bars which are a student favorite to hang out in (Huskies is pretty popular and well known). UConn has much more school spirit and an EXCELLENT basketball team (NCAA Champs 2011). Housing on campus at UConn and URI is guaranteed freshmen year (although I’ve never heard of anyone at either campus not being able to get housing if they need it). URI kids tend to move off campus Junior year to rent beach houses Down the Line. Freshmen year the dorms are pretty nice (as long as you get hallway style and not suite style) although we have forced triples (double rooms where they triple), but you have the option to detriple after everyone settles down and usually one roomate moves to a different room or to a sorority/fraternity house. Sophmore year the dorms are pretty bad but livable. Eventually you have the option of living in Amazingly nice dorms for junior/senior year if you choose to live on campus. In my opinion URI dorms are nicer than UConns’s (but that’s not saying UConn’s aren’t nice…just that URI’s are more recently built aside from the sophmore complex). </p>
<p>I think that both schools are good for Pre-Med tracts and I know a few students at URI who are pre-med tracts and a few students at UConn. But just for the slight edge UConn might be a better choice for pre-med because of that connection to UConn Health Center which gives UConn and extra point or two. In the end out of these two schools I don’t think it’ll make a huge difference, just maintain grades and take the right courses. </p>
<p>I’m sure there’s a lot more I can add about both schools but that’s about all I can think of right now I hope it helped! Feel free to ask more questions. As far as the other schools go, I don’t really know much about them, although I do know Providence is a nice school, good location and academics.</p>