My daughter was accepted to both schools and is having a difficult time deciding between them. We visited UoR in the fall (and loved it) but due to Covid-19 we are unable to visit Lehigh which makes the decision more difficult. We live in New Jersey so Lehigh is much closer. She is interested in a career in Genetics, and both schools have strong biology departments. Although my daughter is social she is off-put by Lehigh’s reputation for Greek life and their party scene. I wondered if anyone could give their input and opinions on both schools. TIA!!
If she is interested in genetics and loved her visit to Rochester, accept their offer and don’t look back. Great school and really strong in her program of interest. Win-win.
(assumes $ is similar.)
I had the same decision. I visited Lehigh (loved it) I couldn’t get to U of R.
I had reservations about Greek Life, but I know they have really cracked down on it. Also, I plan on living in a themed community (no Greek life there)
Lehigh after dark organizes events Thur, Fir and Sat until 2am
Also Greek is 30%, meaning 70% is not Greek.
I chose Lehigh for location…not as cold or as far from home as U of R. I also loved flexible curriculum and overall campus vibe.
Lehigh gave us a $15k grant, still waiting to hear from UoR. We live in NJ so there’s a big difference in distance!
Lehigh gave me 17k grant, U of R 33K merit & grant. but U of R slightly more overall cost. I heard U of R reduces grants in following years…not sure.
I’m in NYC. long drive to U of R or a flight. Lehigh was more convenient. An easy drive from NY.
I loved Lehigh. If it had been my choice for my D, it would have been my #1 for her (she wanted a big flagship though…)
Hands down one of the prettiest college campuses and lots of great opportunities for students.
We didn’t sense a big party vibe amongst students despite the reputation.
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They are definitely trying to tame the Greek party image. I read somewhere that all Greek life was suspended before campuses cleared out. Not sure how that will play out.
As mentioned above, U of R has been known to drastically change financial packages in subsequent years, so that would make me nervous if money is an issue.
If FinAid is concern, it doesn’t hurt to ask about successive years. But they do state this online:
https://enrollment.rochester.edu/financial-aid/frequently-asked-questions/
A career in genetics is difficult with only a bachelors level degree. She almost certainly will need to do a masters and/or a PhD. Keep this in mind.
More on Roch FA in subsequent years.
http://www.campustimes.org/2016/09/11/students-urs-financial-aid-theories-dont-always-match-reality/
One of my sons attended UR and got a great education. He got a merit scholarship but no financial aid. You have to be careful about making decision based on anecdotes or articles. The CT article, which is from 2016, states that the financial aid office has changed since then with new administrators. However, UR uses the Profile which counts more assets than the FAFSA. Lehigh uses that as well.
Both are great choices. UR has a medical school so there may be more opportunities for research, especially in genetics.
Well it happened to us a year ago - and our D had to transfer out as did 3 other students that she knew of. It was not a great experience. D loves the school and reapplied, and she is getting more FA this year due to a sibling entering college this fall, but if she returns she will have to take out subsidized loans to make it affordable. She has not yet made a decision on whether it is worth it.
Son is a junior at UR. We have never had any decrease in aid. We have been very pleased with $ aid every year. Son is very happy there. It is a rigorous place but everyone knows that and they seem to accept ( and maybe want) that situation. There is fun to be had; you just have to poke around! Greek life here is pretty tame but is a great way to meet quality people. My interaction with his friends always left me very impressed with the type of young adult that attends UR.
I am a big fan of University of Rochester. It seems underrated. In particular, what I liked when I visited with my daughter was that a really high percentage of students do/can get involved in research, especially in science and medical areas. I know a few people who went there and a few people who teach there.