ROC (Greater Rochester International Airport)
It is really close to the campus.
So close that we are still trying to decide if we should even rent a car or just Uber everywhere while there.
Iām looking forward to hearing your impressions! I hope she loves it. 
Oh, and if you do end up at the hockey game, please report back about the pep band, lol! Iām just trying to get a sense of how big it is, etc. Unfortunately there was no home game the weekend we visited.
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We stayed at the RIT Inn and just Ubered ā we were only there one night. And yes, the airport is close and easy (with a direct flight from home), which is actually a big selling point for my kid!
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Parent of a current RIT student here - excited to see the interest in this very special schoolā¦just reporting that we had the opportunity to go to a hockey game during family weekend last year. It was so much fun, the pep band is big and rowdy!
So glad to hear that! I have a hardcore marching band kid who is on the fence about whether she absolutely must have marching band in college ā but she really loved RIT when we visited, and sheās intrigued by the idea of a big fun pep band for hockey.
(Weāre in the south, but she doesnāt care at all about football, LOL, just band ā so hockey would be a nice change! Plus no marching outside in freezing conditions would be a perk.)
Thank you!
Is your kid happy there? It was on my older sonās top 3 list but he ultimately chose somewhere else. It is on my younger sonās top 3 list right now (heās applying now) and curious to hear a parentās perspective. I hear mixed things so itās helpful to get a fresh perspective.
She really is. It took her most of last year to get there, though. A few things about my kidā¦
She is not quirky or offbeat, not a gamer, coder or into animeā¦which seems to be the prevailing ātypeā there. When she was deciding on schools, she felt that her other top choice (Stevens) seemed a bit more like her type of people, but she was just overwhelmingly impressed with the program at RIT and decided to go for it.
She is not a natural joiner. There are so many ways to get involved at RIT and find your people, but it took her until second semester to decide to get involved (mostly because a girl she became friendly with convinced her to rush a sorority). That was the game-changer for her, as it connected her with a group of people and forced some involvement.
She is a ChemE major and the workload can be gruelingā¦incomparable to the experience some of her high school friends are having with different majors and at other schools. But she is not unhappy about it.
Overall, it is a good fit for her. She has found her people, has a tight group of really nice friends, a very sweet boyfriend that she started dating last winter, a built-in social life provided by the sorority and is being challenged by the academics.
Feel free to reach out if thereās any other info I can provide. Good luck to your student!
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Thank you! My son is actually applying to the ChemE program, which has me very anxious about workload and fit. This is super helpful!
Thank you so much for sharing your daughterās experience!
The more I read, the more I think RIT will be a great fit for my kid. She is quirky and a gamer and into anime, lol, but sheās also artsy and into makeup and clothes and doesnāt quite fit into any one group. She also loves people and camaraderie but is a happy sort who can be totally content doing her crotchet and watching YouTube in her room.
We live in SEC country, so she is completely opposed to sororities because the vibe at big football schools is definitely not for her ā but I imagine sororities are totally different at a school like RIT. Right now I canāt imagine her rushing, but maybe sheāll be open to it, who knows.
Was your kid used to the weather before she landed there? Itās one aspect that does worry me.
Greek life is very small at RITā¦ I think most of the population feels the way your daughter does and finds their community through one or more of the zillion clubs. She certainly sounds like the RIT type!
The weather is an adjustment, for sure. According to my D24, snow isnāt the issue as much as the constant cloud cover from Nov-April and the campus is unbelievably windy. That said, theyāve had an incredibly long dry, sunny and warm spell since classes began last month. I think the area is technically in a drought. D24 is enjoying it (her apartment complex has a pool)!
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Sure! University of Pittsburgh is #1 (heās been accepted), then Drexel, Syracuse, and U Delaware are all sort of tied for third place at the moment. Financial aid will likely be the major determining factor.
Good to know, thank you! My D26 also applied to Pitt, but she just finished her application a few days ago, so it may be awhile until she hears. She was going back and forth on Drexel and has not applied in the early round, unsure if she will.
Funny, my D22 is applying to both Delaware and Syracuse for grad school. (My husband went to Syracuse.)
Good luck to your kiddo!
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Thank you so much. You too! Can I ask where else your D26 is applying?
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Oh - and I should have said that RIT is a very close second!
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Sure ā she applied to:
RIT, WPI , Georgia Tech, Miami Ohio, Pitt and UT Dallas.
Her top two choices right now are RIT and Miami Ohio ā I know those seem like really different schools, lol, but the Emerging Tech/Game Simulation department at Miami Ohio is really appealing, plus they have a full marching band ā sheās a hardcore band kid. Although the pep band for hockey at RIT also holds appeal.
Sheās always said she wants to be in a city, though ā we donāt know much about Pitt and havenāt visited yet, but the city is a big draw, plus the specific major sheās looking at (digital narrative and interactive design). However, the marching band might be too big and no guarantee of getting a spot ā which sheād be pretty unhappy about.
Georgia Tech is in-state for us (read: inexpensive and easier to get in!), and theyāre launching a new major next fall that aligns with her interests.
I liked WPI a lot for her, but she is less sure.
And UT Dallas is a safety ā it would be a full ride with national merit.
There are underground tunnels they can use if the weather is really bad! The winters have seemed to be getting milder here, but if she does end up going make sure she arrives with warm clothes as well as a rain parka or some sort of waterproof jacket. We just went to open house last week and it was pretty chilly out. One student just had a T-shirt and shorts, but he didnāt look miserable or anything, but my son pointed out that maybe he had come to school not prepared for the weather.
We visited for open house and I found the experience far superior to a general tour weāve been doing at other schools. There is just so much more information and opportunities to talk and ask questions in different areas. My son said it improved his view of the school.
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Thatās awesome to hear. D26 signed up for the open house on Nov 8th and it was a pain to get it worked into our schedules- so nice to hear that it will most likely be worth it 
This is the last school visit we have planned and then it is on to the waiting game for decisions. D26 is doing EA so has to wait until end of January to hear back 
My kiddo submitted his app this last weekend. Waiting for recommendations to be submitted. Does anyone know how much weight they put on the essay, letters, activities, etc in their decision?
We are going to the open house there on Nov 9th and Syracuse Nov 8th since they are just over an hour apart.
Iām worried Syracuse is also a big stretch for my kiddo.
Other than RIT and Syracuse and Miami Ohio- I think heāll get into the other schools.
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CDS 2024-25 fillable FINAL 20250603.pdf
Here is a link to the common data set.
Page 16 list out what is Very Important-Important-Considered-Not Considered
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