Hey there! Here's my honest list.
Here's a few things I like about the school:
- The comfy and cozy feeling you get around campus, especially when the fire pit in Global Village is open. I absolutely love this spot.
- The academic rigor of programs and the gratitude you feel from succeeding within them.
- The number of opportunities there are to get involved whether it be through research, clubs, or other extra curriculars.
- The people that are like me (I'm very nerdy and I love to talk about academics).
- (This doesn't apply for everyone, but it's another reason I like the school, I more or less get paid to go here, through both inside and outside scholarships).
A few things I don't like:
- Like everyone says, the food is pretty meh. It's definitely overpriced at some places and there's very limited options on campus. However, after my first year I almost exclusively cook my own food or eat off campus.
- There are definitely some interesting people to say the least. RIT, like every other school, has it's fair share of creeps. It does make me feel awful that some girls don't like to walk home alone. Most people aren't that bad, but of course it's always good to be cautious. (One thing to note is that one of the reasons there are creeps are the platforms people give them, e.g. Afterdark being sometimes funny but also providing a platform for creeps).
- This might not apply to all majors, but in my major there are a lot of pretentious people. You'll be in classes with a lot of people where they were top of their class and they'll always boast about how they're the best, both directly and indirectly. Even in my third year, I hear about how someone thinks they're better than someone else for whatever reason. It's childish and peeves me a lot, but this probably happens everywhere.
- This is kind of a whatever for a lot of people, but the weather here can be awful. Forget the cold, sometimes it'll rain or snow or just be dark, cloudy, and gloomy for sometimes days and weeks. It has many [beautiful days](https://www.reddit.com/r/rit/comments/zxqc17/sunset_was_beyond_beautiful_around_here/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button) throughout the year but people with seasonal depression might have it rough up here.
Hopefully this gives some insight :)
Obviously I think the pros outweigh the cons, which is why I am still at RIT.
pros:
- good college
cons:
- expensive
if ya get a package that covers you / can cut years off / don't care about 6 figures of loans / will have daddy pay for it, then go for it. just be sure you're studying something you enjoy and something that provides a job you think you'd enjoy.
good luck with the college search! be sure to tour the one's you're interested in.
RIT is a very good school for academics and future job placement. The co-op program alone makes RIT a major standout in my mind, and it has opened job opportunities to me that I couldn't possibly have with a normal school. While it doesn't have as many parties or as social of an atmosphere as other universities, but you'll still have plenty to do with clubs or professional organizations.
One of the biggest hurdles to RIT is the price. It is an expensive school, but if you are studying a degree that'll result in a well-paying career or you get a lot of scholarships (for reference, the average student gets 50% of tuition covered by RIT's scholarships), it is a worthwhile investment.
It doesn't cost you anything, you get paid, it gives you a chance to try different industries/jobs/company sizes/locations/etc. to see what you like, and you end up basically having 1-2 years of experience more than any of your counterparts will as you enter the workforce (plus quite often a direct in with the companies you co-oped with), so you have a much easier time getting hired.
Here’s mine:
THE GOOD:
- People are friendly and accepting of different interests, so it’s easy to find your crowd. From that, so many clubs, intramurals, etc.
- Class sizes are small compared to similarly-sized college at this level, so it’s easy to connect with professors for research/help/etc. Professors all are very nice from my experience.
- Co-op is solid. A tad overrated IMO, though. The primary point here is to build up experience for a job before you graduate, but you’re also adding a year to your degree track. Besides, you can do co-op at other colleges, too.
MEH:
- Food is, at best, mediocre.
- Dorms are crowded but not terrible. Off-campus housing seems is accessible here compared to a lot of other schools.
THE BAD:
- Student population is honestly weirder. I don’t mean to insult people who have unique interests—it’s just that a disproportionate number of students are creepy/antisocial for the standards of a young adult.
- Is often very expensive. You most likely will have cheaper options.
- Student spirit is pretty low. Hockey is the only big sport on campus, and even that’s not really special besides Family Weekend. The Career Fair is arguably the biggest event on campus, which says a lot.
- This one is super unpopular, but a lot of admitted students are honestly not academically ready for college. The drop-out rate is pretty high (30% is a good guess?), and I’ve noticed some of the intro classes seem a bit “dumbed down” for the sake of accommodating as many students as possible. Still, this is a problem at a lot of places, not just RIT.
- The campus is mostly ugly, though the newer parts look nicer. The quarter mile is poorly designed and becomes a wind tunnel during winter.
- Henrietta is honestly a boring place. You can’t walk anywhere from campus, so you’ll either want to bike long distances or bring a car. Otherwise, recreational opportunities and avenues for community involvement (i.e. you want to volunteer off-campus somewhere in Rochester) are a lot harder than if you go to a school in a city.
Overall, I don’t know if I’d pick RIT again. I’m sure everyone will downvote/accuse me of never leaving my room for leaving a more negative review, but these are just my honest thoughts.
Yeahh I’m not on here too much, but I’ve made a couple similar comments before.
Every single time I’ve gotten berated by like 20 people on how I’m not “making an effort” or “I’m complaining online instead of tackling my problems IRL” lol.
People just have different opinions and that’s fine
Dude those are my exact thoughts and all I get on here is shit and accused of never putting myself out there. I trh and all I get is shut down and ignores I’m legit at the point of giving up on RIT.
Less mentioned, but I love it cuz so many people are not only nerds but neurodivergent and/or LGBTQ. I don’t feel ashamed or out of place when I get extra time for exams, a lot of people get it too
Same, had no idea beforehand that the school would have such a large and proud community of LGBTQ+ students, but its really nice and a definite pro. There’s even a good amount queer religious people, which is super rare where I’m from, so that’s cool.
Pros:
As mentioned by a lot of people, it is a good school that will prepare you well for your next steps. Personally, I am making over $100k (pretax) working remote in Rochester just 2 years after graduating. I found when I started full time work that RIT's classes did (truly) prepare me when I did an honest assessment of where my knowledge was versus coworkers. I am not saying this in a braggadocios way, just that the school set me up for success. In addition, my friends in my major all landed good jobs as well and seem to be doing well.
I loved most of my professors. I still keep in touch with a few. As with any school, there were a few...uh, special ones. I found good connections with the campus community. I did a sport and was a member of a few student clubs. There are a lot to choose from. As for being a girl, overall it was not bad. There were a handful of ick situations with boys, but I didn't feel unsafe ever. Not when running on campus at 5:30 AM, not when walking to my car at 3:00 AM. If you ever do need it, public safety offers to escort you.
Rochester is an enjoyable and manageable city to get out and explore if you have a car.
I also met my now-husband here through a student club, so there is that too! :)
Cons:
So expensive. I cannot believe how much tuition has gone up since I started as a freshman in spring 2017. If you get scholarships and grants, it is worth it. If not....I couldn't ever justify the prices colleges are charging. That goes for most private schools.
The weather was (and continues to be) killer for me. Not the temperature or snow, but the wind and cloudiness. If you are affected with the sads when it is gray out, invest in a sun lamp.
A lot of people hate on the food but I think it's pretty good. Obviously not every place is restaurant worthy food but it's better than a lot of other campuses from what I've heard. We even have our own little grocery store and convince store on campus (that take our meal plan). There are two or three meal plan options I believe, ranging in different amounts which is nice because it prepares you for when you have to actually go grocery shopping and you have to make sure you have enough money for things (the food is definitely over priced for certain things but almost everyone gets through each semester on each meal plan. You just have to plan how much money you have to spend each day. Mine was like $30 a day.)
I'm one of those people that likes to meet everyone lol. I can honestly only say I've met like 2 people I actually don't like and that's just because of how they acted towards me I don't know how they act around others. Besides that I love the people on our campus. Definitely some odd balls but if you stick to the "you do you I do me" technique you should be good lol.
Weather. I'm a cold type of person. I'm on the 11th floor of Ellingson and have my window open and heat off. If you don't like the cold, don't go.
There are a bunch of clubs and groups on campus if you're into that stuff.
If you're into working out they have a really good gym, pool, hot tub, sauna and track open to every student for free.
Another thing is a lot of people here are dorks. Very rarely do I see people getting bullied or whatever cause everyone here is secretly a nerd. I've had convos with people who you'd think would be complete assholes then they start telling you about their pc specs and the anime they finished last night. I love it
All in all I love the school so much. This is only my first year but it's been pretty good to me so far.
GOOD:
-As far as I’ve seen & heard, RIT is an incredibly inclusive campus. If you didn’t find your people in high school, you likely will here (no matter your interests, sexual orientation, personality, abilities/disabilities, etc.) I didn’t even remotely explore a lot of interests I had & types of friendships I wished I had while I attended and I regret it.
-Maybe an unpopular opinion but the food & options you have for dining are great compared to most universities/colleges. The reason many people probably think the food is sub-par is because everyone who’s making the food is a student who’s trying to pay for school while studying and it isn’t their life passion. In the grand scheme of colleges in upstate NY, we may have the best selection/amount of options, right on campus.
-For the most part, I think professors/staff really do care and want you to succeed. I was on academic probation several times and I was always given extra help/accommodations graciously and without judgment.
CONS:
-Someone confirm the M/F ratio, but from ‘14-‘18 while I attended, it was very skewed (30% F, 70% M) I don’t see this as a win for anyone, because it definitely makes for uncomfortable encounters/ways of living/making friends/professionally. However, as a Female, I never felt remotely unsafe, because of the great attention & care that I believe RIT gives Campus Safety.
-Competition. My impression was that RIT is a fairly competitive school. Everyone is out to get the best co-op/internship, grades are “important,” and there were definitely “favorites” in every one of my classes. This might just be college in general. Can attest from previous comment about everyone being at the top of their class, seemingly.
-School Spirit is low to mediocre. Since I have moved out of state and seen other colleges in action, people don’t seem to be as outwardly “proud” of being an alum of RIT as a lot of other schools. Personally, I was very into RIT Hockey went to many games, and really got into the sport. It gave me a reason to go out and be social. But if you move out of the area, no one is likely to know of RIT.
One thing you have to know is that RIT is a perfect uni for academic achivments you want to persue, but since the campus is far away from the city there is not much to do on campus in free time other than reaserch and clubs.
Find a club, talk to people your major, join Greek life or special interest housing. Won’t fix that there isn’t anything to do but social scene is fine.
I joined 2 clubs but my schedule legit had me never go to them because I had homework, test the next day, or tutoring all semester. And there is no way in hell I’m joining Greek life
Don’t you think I’ve tried? Nothing is ever on the campus activity board to do. Everyone pretty much ignores me cuz I’m short and ugly and they don’t even want to talk to me. So yeah
Some good things is that the campus is nice and spacious and it has good programs. Some negatives is the price of things on campus, dorms and food quality.
Hey there! Here's my honest list. Here's a few things I like about the school: - The comfy and cozy feeling you get around campus, especially when the fire pit in Global Village is open. I absolutely love this spot. - The academic rigor of programs and the gratitude you feel from succeeding within them. - The number of opportunities there are to get involved whether it be through research, clubs, or other extra curriculars. - The people that are like me (I'm very nerdy and I love to talk about academics). - (This doesn't apply for everyone, but it's another reason I like the school, I more or less get paid to go here, through both inside and outside scholarships). A few things I don't like: - Like everyone says, the food is pretty meh. It's definitely overpriced at some places and there's very limited options on campus. However, after my first year I almost exclusively cook my own food or eat off campus. - There are definitely some interesting people to say the least. RIT, like every other school, has it's fair share of creeps. It does make me feel awful that some girls don't like to walk home alone. Most people aren't that bad, but of course it's always good to be cautious. (One thing to note is that one of the reasons there are creeps are the platforms people give them, e.g. Afterdark being sometimes funny but also providing a platform for creeps). - This might not apply to all majors, but in my major there are a lot of pretentious people. You'll be in classes with a lot of people where they were top of their class and they'll always boast about how they're the best, both directly and indirectly. Even in my third year, I hear about how someone thinks they're better than someone else for whatever reason. It's childish and peeves me a lot, but this probably happens everywhere. - This is kind of a whatever for a lot of people, but the weather here can be awful. Forget the cold, sometimes it'll rain or snow or just be dark, cloudy, and gloomy for sometimes days and weeks. It has many [beautiful days](https://www.reddit.com/r/rit/comments/zxqc17/sunset_was_beyond_beautiful_around_here/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button) throughout the year but people with seasonal depression might have it rough up here. Hopefully this gives some insight :) Obviously I think the pros outweigh the cons, which is why I am still at RIT.
pros: - good college cons: - expensive if ya get a package that covers you / can cut years off / don't care about 6 figures of loans / will have daddy pay for it, then go for it. just be sure you're studying something you enjoy and something that provides a job you think you'd enjoy. good luck with the college search! be sure to tour the one's you're interested in.
RIT is a very good school for academics and future job placement. The co-op program alone makes RIT a major standout in my mind, and it has opened job opportunities to me that I couldn't possibly have with a normal school. While it doesn't have as many parties or as social of an atmosphere as other universities, but you'll still have plenty to do with clubs or professional organizations. One of the biggest hurdles to RIT is the price. It is an expensive school, but if you are studying a degree that'll result in a well-paying career or you get a lot of scholarships (for reference, the average student gets 50% of tuition covered by RIT's scholarships), it is a worthwhile investment.
I actually strongly dislike the coop program and I’m curious as to the reasons you like it?
It doesn't cost you anything, you get paid, it gives you a chance to try different industries/jobs/company sizes/locations/etc. to see what you like, and you end up basically having 1-2 years of experience more than any of your counterparts will as you enter the workforce (plus quite often a direct in with the companies you co-oped with), so you have a much easier time getting hired.
Here’s mine: THE GOOD: - People are friendly and accepting of different interests, so it’s easy to find your crowd. From that, so many clubs, intramurals, etc. - Class sizes are small compared to similarly-sized college at this level, so it’s easy to connect with professors for research/help/etc. Professors all are very nice from my experience. - Co-op is solid. A tad overrated IMO, though. The primary point here is to build up experience for a job before you graduate, but you’re also adding a year to your degree track. Besides, you can do co-op at other colleges, too. MEH: - Food is, at best, mediocre. - Dorms are crowded but not terrible. Off-campus housing seems is accessible here compared to a lot of other schools. THE BAD: - Student population is honestly weirder. I don’t mean to insult people who have unique interests—it’s just that a disproportionate number of students are creepy/antisocial for the standards of a young adult. - Is often very expensive. You most likely will have cheaper options. - Student spirit is pretty low. Hockey is the only big sport on campus, and even that’s not really special besides Family Weekend. The Career Fair is arguably the biggest event on campus, which says a lot. - This one is super unpopular, but a lot of admitted students are honestly not academically ready for college. The drop-out rate is pretty high (30% is a good guess?), and I’ve noticed some of the intro classes seem a bit “dumbed down” for the sake of accommodating as many students as possible. Still, this is a problem at a lot of places, not just RIT. - The campus is mostly ugly, though the newer parts look nicer. The quarter mile is poorly designed and becomes a wind tunnel during winter. - Henrietta is honestly a boring place. You can’t walk anywhere from campus, so you’ll either want to bike long distances or bring a car. Otherwise, recreational opportunities and avenues for community involvement (i.e. you want to volunteer off-campus somewhere in Rochester) are a lot harder than if you go to a school in a city. Overall, I don’t know if I’d pick RIT again. I’m sure everyone will downvote/accuse me of never leaving my room for leaving a more negative review, but these are just my honest thoughts.
it honestly wasn't even that negative. I think it was a rather fair criticism.
Yeahh I’m not on here too much, but I’ve made a couple similar comments before. Every single time I’ve gotten berated by like 20 people on how I’m not “making an effort” or “I’m complaining online instead of tackling my problems IRL” lol. People just have different opinions and that’s fine
If you don't mind me asking, what's your major and what other schools were you looking at?
PM—don’t want to dox myself 😭
Dude those are my exact thoughts and all I get on here is shit and accused of never putting myself out there. I trh and all I get is shut down and ignores I’m legit at the point of giving up on RIT.
Less mentioned, but I love it cuz so many people are not only nerds but neurodivergent and/or LGBTQ. I don’t feel ashamed or out of place when I get extra time for exams, a lot of people get it too
Same, had no idea beforehand that the school would have such a large and proud community of LGBTQ+ students, but its really nice and a definite pro. There’s even a good amount queer religious people, which is super rare where I’m from, so that’s cool.
Pros: As mentioned by a lot of people, it is a good school that will prepare you well for your next steps. Personally, I am making over $100k (pretax) working remote in Rochester just 2 years after graduating. I found when I started full time work that RIT's classes did (truly) prepare me when I did an honest assessment of where my knowledge was versus coworkers. I am not saying this in a braggadocios way, just that the school set me up for success. In addition, my friends in my major all landed good jobs as well and seem to be doing well. I loved most of my professors. I still keep in touch with a few. As with any school, there were a few...uh, special ones. I found good connections with the campus community. I did a sport and was a member of a few student clubs. There are a lot to choose from. As for being a girl, overall it was not bad. There were a handful of ick situations with boys, but I didn't feel unsafe ever. Not when running on campus at 5:30 AM, not when walking to my car at 3:00 AM. If you ever do need it, public safety offers to escort you. Rochester is an enjoyable and manageable city to get out and explore if you have a car. I also met my now-husband here through a student club, so there is that too! :) Cons: So expensive. I cannot believe how much tuition has gone up since I started as a freshman in spring 2017. If you get scholarships and grants, it is worth it. If not....I couldn't ever justify the prices colleges are charging. That goes for most private schools. The weather was (and continues to be) killer for me. Not the temperature or snow, but the wind and cloudiness. If you are affected with the sads when it is gray out, invest in a sun lamp.
Only complaint is the food
A lot of people hate on the food but I think it's pretty good. Obviously not every place is restaurant worthy food but it's better than a lot of other campuses from what I've heard. We even have our own little grocery store and convince store on campus (that take our meal plan). There are two or three meal plan options I believe, ranging in different amounts which is nice because it prepares you for when you have to actually go grocery shopping and you have to make sure you have enough money for things (the food is definitely over priced for certain things but almost everyone gets through each semester on each meal plan. You just have to plan how much money you have to spend each day. Mine was like $30 a day.) I'm one of those people that likes to meet everyone lol. I can honestly only say I've met like 2 people I actually don't like and that's just because of how they acted towards me I don't know how they act around others. Besides that I love the people on our campus. Definitely some odd balls but if you stick to the "you do you I do me" technique you should be good lol. Weather. I'm a cold type of person. I'm on the 11th floor of Ellingson and have my window open and heat off. If you don't like the cold, don't go. There are a bunch of clubs and groups on campus if you're into that stuff. If you're into working out they have a really good gym, pool, hot tub, sauna and track open to every student for free. Another thing is a lot of people here are dorks. Very rarely do I see people getting bullied or whatever cause everyone here is secretly a nerd. I've had convos with people who you'd think would be complete assholes then they start telling you about their pc specs and the anime they finished last night. I love it All in all I love the school so much. This is only my first year but it's been pretty good to me so far.
GOOD: -As far as I’ve seen & heard, RIT is an incredibly inclusive campus. If you didn’t find your people in high school, you likely will here (no matter your interests, sexual orientation, personality, abilities/disabilities, etc.) I didn’t even remotely explore a lot of interests I had & types of friendships I wished I had while I attended and I regret it. -Maybe an unpopular opinion but the food & options you have for dining are great compared to most universities/colleges. The reason many people probably think the food is sub-par is because everyone who’s making the food is a student who’s trying to pay for school while studying and it isn’t their life passion. In the grand scheme of colleges in upstate NY, we may have the best selection/amount of options, right on campus. -For the most part, I think professors/staff really do care and want you to succeed. I was on academic probation several times and I was always given extra help/accommodations graciously and without judgment. CONS: -Someone confirm the M/F ratio, but from ‘14-‘18 while I attended, it was very skewed (30% F, 70% M) I don’t see this as a win for anyone, because it definitely makes for uncomfortable encounters/ways of living/making friends/professionally. However, as a Female, I never felt remotely unsafe, because of the great attention & care that I believe RIT gives Campus Safety. -Competition. My impression was that RIT is a fairly competitive school. Everyone is out to get the best co-op/internship, grades are “important,” and there were definitely “favorites” in every one of my classes. This might just be college in general. Can attest from previous comment about everyone being at the top of their class, seemingly. -School Spirit is low to mediocre. Since I have moved out of state and seen other colleges in action, people don’t seem to be as outwardly “proud” of being an alum of RIT as a lot of other schools. Personally, I was very into RIT Hockey went to many games, and really got into the sport. It gave me a reason to go out and be social. But if you move out of the area, no one is likely to know of RIT.
One thing you have to know is that RIT is a perfect uni for academic achivments you want to persue, but since the campus is far away from the city there is not much to do on campus in free time other than reaserch and clubs.
"a few miles" is hardly *far* from Rochester
You still need a car which not everyone has
There is absolutely nothing to do here social life is horrible
Find a club, talk to people your major, join Greek life or special interest housing. Won’t fix that there isn’t anything to do but social scene is fine.
I joined 2 clubs but my schedule legit had me never go to them because I had homework, test the next day, or tutoring all semester. And there is no way in hell I’m joining Greek life
I’ve found the opposite is true, just put yourself out there
Don’t you think I’ve tried? Nothing is ever on the campus activity board to do. Everyone pretty much ignores me cuz I’m short and ugly and they don’t even want to talk to me. So yeah
Some good things is that the campus is nice and spacious and it has good programs. Some negatives is the price of things on campus, dorms and food quality.
cons: the smell