When considering the best college or university for you, there’s a lot to think about. You’ll want good academics, nice residence halls, a social community, and strong support resources. If you’re anything like me, you probably have many questions about life at the University of Rochester. I had countless questions and didn’t want to keep calling the admissions office, so I explored the U of R website for answers. Here are essential webpages every prospective student should check out.
1. Academics
This is an important webpage because college is a big part of furthering your education beyond what you learned in high school. Yet, I know some aspects of this website can be overlooked or not considered at all. When I explored this webpage, I looked straight into what I was interested in studying and the requirements for that field. U of R lists all the possible fields you can study here. You can also explore courses at U of R by using the UR Course Descriptions website. Other smaller webpages I think you should check out that can help break down the University of Rochester’s academic life are:
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- The Rochester Curriculum
- This webpage breaks down the U of R’s unique curriculum that puts students’ interests first by having an open curriculum.
- Take Five
- This program provides an extra year of tuition-free study to allow students to dive into a project outside of their major.
- Libraries
- This webpage provides a space to explain all the libraries that the University of Rochester has and what resources they can provide for students.
- The Rochester Curriculum
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2. About Section
This section explains what, how, and why the University of Rochester came to be what it is today. Looking into this section not only because it helped me write my supplemental question for the University of Rochester, but it also helped me understand what school I was applying to. I wanted to explore the school’s values and traditions to see what I could look forward to and if they aligned with my morals. I will drop key links to explore in the About webpage below.
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- Our Community
- This page explores what makes up the city of Rochester and highlights popular events that you can look forward to while you spend your time in Rochester. For example, Rochester has many festivals throughout the year like the Fringe Festival or the Lilac Festival.
- Our Symbols & Tradition
- On this page, it defines the university’s motto, Meliora, explains why our flower is the dandelion, and describes the choice of our mascot, Rocky the Yellowjacket. This page also lists some of the University of Rochester’s popular traditions, such as Meliora Weekend, Boar’s Head Dinner, and Winterfest Weekend.
- Arts
- This page takes the time to explain what you can explore and where to find different kinds of arts, like dance, music, theater, etc. It also includes information on participating in the arts and simply spectating the beauty of different art forms as well. Last semester, I visited the Memorial Art Gallery (MAG) and saw some impressive artwork there.
- Our Community
Learn more about the Memorial Art Gallery (MAG) before you visit.
3. Campus Life
This broad topic can be hard to start exploring. I was eager to find every detail on this page to imagine my life on campus. I researched housing, organizations, clubs, and dining at U of R. It helped to see how U of R could further my interests, as I found similar high school activities and new clubs and sports I wanted to try. Some additional webpages I clicked on were:
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- Housing
- This breaks down every aspect you can think of relating to dorm life at Rochester. It discusses basic topics like laundry, housing options, moving in, and so much more.
- Organizations/Clubs
- This breaks down all the clubs and organizations that currently exist on campus. A more detailed list is provided here on the CCC page . This website also shows the services that our student activities center, Wilson Commons, provides for students at Rochester.
- Athletics & Recreation
- A page where you can find a list of all our current varsity sports. It also shows that we have a gym on campus that students regularly go to work out. Additionally, it breaks down clubs and intramural sports here at Rochester.
- Housing
Extra links worth checking out
- Research – Explore what the University is currently researching and how you can potentially engage in research during your undergraduate studies.
- College Town – Explores an area in Rochester where Yellowjackets frequently visit to hang out with friends off campus. It tells you which stores and businesses are open here, and some of them even accept Rockybucks as a form of payment.
- Campus Offices – A list of all the offices that provide great resources to students. I personally think this is a great way to discover how many resources are available on campus to provide you with the best experience at Rochester. It’s also a great way to build community as well.
- Academic Calendar – This resource is valuable to save each year at U of R, as it indicates breaks and shapes your semester perspective. It helps me feel comfortable trying new classes, with periods to add, drop, or withdraw if they aren’t a good fit. This gives me control over my education, something I lacked in high school.