URochester REMS-current student

ringaroo
Sun, 07 Aug 2011 13:59:17 +0000

i did apply to other ba/md programs. when i was applying, case ppsp was my first choice, but after i got into both, it was very clear to me that rems was a much better fit for me. things that stood out to me upon visiting:

-the vibe at rochester is considerably more liberal in terms of academics. case is a great research school, but rochester has many research opportunities (i’m working in a lab this semester, for example) and also encourages students to pursue other interests and passions (public health, policy study, etc). this makes for a fairly diverse set of perspectives just within the rems group, and it feels incredibly non-restrictive.

-the sense of community at rochester (probably in part due to its smaller size) is very strong, and i didn’t sense the same feeling at any other school i visited. my experience may not have been representative of everyone’s, but i was immediately struck by how warm, down to earth, and intelligent everyone in the program was. also, they were all friends with one another–there was literally no competitiveness between them, which is how some other programs were.

-financial aid was fairly generous. it wasn’t the best of all the schools, and i’m lucky to be able to go to rochester, but i was apprehensive about this and it came through. so that shouldn’t deter anyone from applying. it’s a private school with private school tuition, but i know very few people here who have no scholarships or grants.

those are the main factors that struck me, but if there are any specific concerns, i’d be happy to address them.

earthsong16: it is a small program, yes, but it doesn’t hurt to apply. i’m pretty confident that rejection from rems doesn’t affect undergrad decisions. i know several people here who applied to rems, were rejected, but decided to come to the u of r anyway.