University of Rochester
Reviews

Great! Get back what you put in.

Like most colleges, you're going to get out what you put in. U of R provides a vast amount of opportunities from academics to meeting extremely interesting people. All the professors really know their stuff, they prepare you for the real world. It's a lot of hard work but the students create a collegiate and friendly community. Our sport teams aren't the greatest, the parking can suck (for those with a car) but the food and weather isn't as bad as it's made out to be. There's a lot of diversity on campus, everyone can find their own niche. The campus is beautiful, and there's always a frat party on the weekend available if you want. And it's right next to Rochester. What more could you ask for? U of R is a great place to be.

Little Team Support

I am a member of an athletic team on campus. School spirit and support for athletics is lacking, but the teams are very close and very involved in campus activities. It is nice that athletes are students first and athletes second.

Nice City

Things always happening on campus. Easy to get around city.

Biomedical Engineering

Excellent professors, excellent research opportunities

A Few Downsides, but I Love It Here

The administration can be hard to deal with at times, Greek life is slowly migrating off campus, and the workload is tough to say the least. All that aside, I love the University of Rochester. I had many choices when choosing which college to attend, but chose Rochester for the kind of people I met while visiting, and the atmosphere I felt on campus. Although sports are not our strong point, we definitely have school spirit and pride. There are so many genuinely people that I have met here, and it's the type of school that has personalities on campus, which I really like. Rochester is full of down to earth and friendly people that I love. Also, campus is stunning, and academically we are impressive, especially with the natural sciences and serious social sciences. I also get the sense that we are striving to become even more recognized in academia, and that although we are proud of our current standing among national universities, we are not satisfied. All in all, the small inconveniences are worth the many upsides, and this is a great place to go if you are serious about academics.

Gorgeous Campus

The university is made up primarily of beautiful, old, red-brick buildings with the notable exception of Wilson Commons, which has a glass and metal facade. Wilson Commons has a few fast food options including Starbucks, Blimpie, Panda Express, a burger grill and pizza and salads. There is also a full-service salon and an art gallery. I don't know an awful lot about the gyms, although there are a couple: Spurrier, which hosts dance classes and has work-out facilities and Goergen, which is more an athletic center for basketball games, etc. The library reading rooms are to die for, and it's not uncommon to see students asleep in some of the first floor rooms.

Fairly Safe

The University of Rochester is located near to downtown Rochester, and it comes with the urban/suburban mixture of territory that there is some trouble with crime in the immediate neighborhood, not involving U of R students. There have also been several reports of muggings on a foot bridge which passes over the Genesee River and connects the River Campus to Riverview, an upperclassmen housing area. The campus is well covered by Bluelight emergency phones and campus security has a quick and efficient response time. There is a university alert system which tells students when crimes have happened on or near campus. Security has an obvious presence on campus with the notable use of student security personnel who do rounds of living quarters, etc. All dorms are key-card access only. The things to do are: Try not to walk alone in the dark (call security for a ride if you ever feel unsafe and they'll pick you up), keep your doors locked - petty thefts have been known to happen, and never leave your electronics alone in a public place.

Labs Are Mostly in Libraries

The places which have the most public-access computers are in the libraries: the IT center at the back of Rush Rhees, a small area in the reference area of Rush Rhees, the Business and Government Library and Carlson library. I haven't met anyone here yet who does not have their own computer. That said, the labs aren't usually crowded except for around exam times, and since the software needed to remote print doesn't agree with everyone's computers, it is sometimes necessary to go to a public lab to print work for class. Printing is pretty expensive at 10cents for the front of a sheet and 8cents for the back, black and white, and it has to be paid for in UROS or "flex", an account which has to be refilled by the student and does not start out with an opening balance funded by the initial tuition costs. There is wifi pretty much everywhere on the River Campus, including in most of the residence areas with the exceptions (as far as I know) of the frat quad, Towers, and some buildings in Phase, or "Hill Court." I would definitely recommend having your own computer, and probably a laptop, if only to reduce the amount that you have to print by being able to read PDFs or e-books in class. Some teachers allow them, some don't, but it's a nice thing to have available.

It's an effort.

There's a few share of cute guys. The problem is that some of them are incredibly socially awkward. I'm sure not all of them are, but I've encountered some pretty awkward guys who act like they've never met people before. You really have to work hard to break the barrier sometimes. You can meet guys at a party and they seem pretty fun and all, it's just a different thing if they decide to talk to you the next day. I suppose my only advice is get involved in the social scene by going to school clubs/parties, be assertive without seeming too creepy, and all the luck you need.

Curriculum

I love the curriculum here at the U of R. Having no core required classes except one writing course leaves room for double majors, double minors, or even triple majors. The cluster system also ensures that students experience fields they otherwise may not have even touched. A+ in my book!

A Good Place to Be

University of Rochester is a good place to be. It's very diverse and people are so friendly. There was once I was lost on campus so I just asked the first person I have seen to direct me. And the person literally took his phone out, search the campus map and told me where to go. To me, that was wonderful. Rochester students are just friendly.

You Have to Look for It.

It's not obvious and the frats can make you wait outside for a party for a really long time. Pregaming is a good idea. It makes the wait less brutal when it's cold outside.

So Far So Good

everything is very collegiate and friendly, and everyone is intelligent and interesting.

Amazing Professors

They're all excited about the materials they teach, and not extremely hard. They are all also understanding

Convenient Shuttles/Buses

The University's shuttles/buses take you anywhere in the city you'd want to go. They run often and on time. You can get to various fun downtown areas, shopping centers, the hospital, graduate housing, and more. It's extremely convenient and very well run. There are also a few Rochester city bus lines that come through campus, which can help you get to anywhere else. The main issue people have is parking (limited, not open to freshmen, and expensive). However, it's not a huge problem for most people, and you don't need a car during the school year.

U of R Tech

Most students do have computers and there is a great IT center for computer help. Great computer loaner system and all libraries equipped with computer labs. Wireless internet great even in dorms which is very convenient. Printing on campus expensive but accessible. Personal printer and computer recommended.

Excellent

Having your own laptop is necessary, especially if you want to work in your own dorm. However, school computers are good, and internet is fast (including wireless).

Nice People

A lot of the people on campus are friendly and are very helpful. You'll naturally have a nice social life here.

Greeks Are Abundant, but Manageable

Greek life is fantastic at Rochester. It's not a make or break thing, but being Greek definitely opens more doors for you. That being said, Greek life at the U of R is nothing like the movies. There is a strict anti-hazing policy, and there's no "in" frat or sorority. There are plenty of frat parties that you can go to even if you're not Greek.

Parking Is Horrible

Parking is hell. It's honestly the single worst aspect of UR. It's outrageously overpriced, and you can only park in the lot to which you're assigned (usually at least half a mile from classes) You're ticketed early and often. Don't bring a car if you can avoid it. The buses tend to work well, and a few lines are free to students, though they rarely run on schedule. The airport is nearby, and a bus/train station is only a few miles away. It's easy to go long distance, or even short-distance, but on-campus parking is terrible.

Personality

The best thing about the University of Rochester is that we have a personality. Everyone is different, but as a whole, everyone works together to create a really positive academic and social environment. Never is there a dull moment or hostility, something is always going on. Although there are so many other good things about our university, the best is the healthy environment.

Guys & Girls

Everyone is generally easy to get along with with the exception of those few black sheep. Guys are on the average (some hot, some not), the same can be said about the girls for the most part.

Start With the Frat Quad Then Work Your Way Off Campus

Nightlife on campus is dominated by frat parties, especially as a freshman. As you get to know more people, you'll go to more parties in suites or off campus, but expect to spend a fair amount of your time in frat houses freshman year if you want to drink and dance and flirt on a weekend night. It's fun enough for a year--no problem getting in anywhere, regardless of Greek affiliation or age, never any cover or prices for drinks, and there's usually a mix of loud music in dark basements and more relaxed chilling upstairs.

However, going to the same five or six places does get old, and you'll need to develop your social circle if you want to have variety. House parties are pretty fun, and there are busses going downtown running until around 2am on the weekends if you're into the club scene. Certain clubs are harder than others on fake IDs--ask your upperclassmen friends first before trying yours out.

No Pressure

Drugs are definitely available everywhere but there is no pressure to try them if you do not want to. The most common drugs are alcohol and pot but if you ask around you can find coke and ecstasy.

Weird in a Good Way

A lot of the people at UR are pretty intelligent and kinda nerdy but not in a completely socially awkward way, just enough that it makes things interesting. Everyone seems to have their own distinguishing characteristic that is usually quite interesting and makes it a really fun place to live and go to school. Definitely a school where it's easy to be yourself and you'll always be able to find a group with similar interests no matter how strange they may be. Also Greek life and the party scene is definitely present but it is also very to common to not be involved in it. Really awesome people and atmosphere here overall.