The Rochester Library
The University of Rochester in Rochester, New York, was a pleasant surprise. The students and staff were helpful and friendly. When I showed up for my tour, I even received a free t-shirt–a first on my many college tours. Our student guide was incredibly enthusiastic and clearly loved her choice of schools.
At around 4800 undergraduates, the school is a perfect size. Rochester prides itself on its many terrific programs. One that they are particularly enthusiastic about is their “build your own curriculum,” and another is the REMS program (Rochester Early Medical Scholars), that accepts particularly high achieving freshmen to automatic enrollment into Rochester’s prestigious medical school. Though Rochester has earned a reputation for excellence in the sciences, the school offers a strong liberal arts curriculum and makes double majoring relatively easy.
The campus itself is very pretty, with a large central quad dominated by a beautiful domed library that prominently displays the availability of research assistance. Speaking of research, Rochester students take advantage of an abundance of research opportunities available on campus.
Another pleasant surprise is the city of Rochester itself. With a population of just over 210,000, there is a surprising amount of cultural and recreational opportunities. If you are not bothered by the cold winters, Rochester seems like a great place to be a student. The only negative I could find was the number of students who study abroad. Our tour guide stated that participation was around 30%, a relatively low percentage for selective schools.
Should you decide to go there, be careful not to walk under the clock tower. Local superstition claims that by doing so, you cannot graduate from Rochester University in four years. But would that be the worst thing? Another great opportunity that the university offers is the Take Five Scholars Program, that allows Rochester students to take a fifth year of college tuition free.
Rochester University–the jewel on the Genesee River. Check out my photos of Rochester on Facebook.
