Three Reasons Why Rochester Was The Place For Me

Since this is my last semester at the University of Rochester, this is a great time to reflect on the decisions I made when I was a high school student trying to figure out what my next four years would be. There were many reasons why I ended up attending the University of Rochester. Here are three that might help you make your own decision.

1. The best option in New York State

Putting aside dreams and ideals, it was important to think realistically while making my college decision. My actual hope was to go to a school out of New York State, which is where I am from, to explore and experience a different side of the United States. However, my limited financial resources required me to think critically about my school decision. As much as I wanted to go out of state, as a New York resident, I had a lot to gain in terms of additional aid from staying within the state via TAP and many other state grants. This made Rochester a good fit because its location was different enough from what I was used to so I could experience a change while also allowing me to take advantage of state grants.

2. The wonderful city of Rochester

The city of Rochester has a lot of great things to offer for college students. The University of Rochester and the city of Rochester itself combined have a convenient transit system that is free and affordable, respectively. The shuttles that the University runs are able to take students between the River Campus and the Eastman Campus (aka into the city), to marketplace (mall), College Town, and many other shopping and university locations. Students who cannot drive are still able to get around the area and enjoy their free time off-campus if they choose to. In the city, students can visit The Strong National Museum of Play, George Eastman Museum, Rochester Public Market, Memorial Art Gallery, Eastman Theatre, and many more locations. My favorite thing about Rochester is that it has a mix of both outdoor and indoor attractions which is perfect for the winter and colder days.

3. The Rochester Curriculum

At the University of Rochester, there is only one required course for undergraduate students, the primary writing requirement. Otherwise, there are no general education requirements and no traditional core curriculum. All first-year students take a course called WRT 105. This course has a few different versions based on the student’s background. The most interesting thing about this course is that the class is offered with many variations of topics so even the one required course offers students lots of flexibility and an opportunity to pursue their interests. Within majors, students have a very wide range of courses that they can pick from to satisfy any humanities, social sciences, or natural sciences and engineering requirements. Students pick clusters to complete within each of the disciplines in order to explore them in a way that is most meaningful to that student. Depending on the student’s major, the number of clusters and electives they need to take may vary.

Whether you decide to attend the University of Rochester or any other institution, I wish you the best in all of your future endeavors. I hope that this post has at least made you consider what your Rochester experience could be.