pyrosarco

When visiting a college, everyone asks about the dorms or the food.  Here are somethings that should be asked, but often are not.  In many cases the parent may have to ask the tour guide or admissions person about these:

1. Health Care

Don’t just take it for granted.  Sure the school could be huge, and most likely they will have a docotor and nurse on campus.  However, some schools are small and may not have these facilities available to students.  Especially if the school is mostly a commuter college.  So be sure to ask what kind of health care is available to students.

2. Anti-Drug/Alcohol Housing

I was just at RIT and it is the first college that said they offer housing for students who are totally against drugs and alcohol.  The students make a pledge not to bring drugs or alcohol on campus and not to use off campus.  This is something worth investigating if you don’t feel comfortable around people who abuse substances.  I personally know someone who came into school clean, not having alcohol or drugs, but is now using both every weekend.  Parents, you will probably have to be the person who initiates this question.

3.  Teaching Assistants

Ask if the teaching assistants teach or if they are just used as helpers in labs.  Teaching assistants are just that, assistants; they should not be teaching.  In my experience, every time I have had a TA assigned to me to teach a class, I have learned less, become more frustrated, and had less questions answered because they don’t know what the professor meant by X in this situation or Y in that.  Get into a school that does not allow TA’s to teach, but to do research, help in class, field questions, and collect papers.

4.  Ask for more money

This is something you will have to do after you have been accepted at a college or university.  When you receive your letter of acceptance, some schools will include a scholarship package.  In many cases you will be blown away at how much money they are willing to give you.  It will bring many schools into the affordable range.  However, don’t be afraid to ask for more money.  A simple letter to the admissions office explaining why you deserve more money is usually enough.  Tell them about your good grades, all the extra-extra-curricular things you participated in, and most of all tell them what you will bring to their school–why you are deserving.  In many cases, just asking for more money will be enough.  I know someone who asked for more money and they just about doubled his scholarship.  It doesn’t cost them anything, and you gain a lot more.

5.  Cost to education ratio

This may sound weird and it isn’t something you ask the admissions people.  It is something you will ask current students and yourself based on observations.  Ask other students if they feel they are getting a good education for the price they are paying.  Ask them about the professors, do they let out before class is scheduled to be over?  Do the professors seem knowledgeable or do they just b.s. their way through the class?  Ask students about events that the school puts on.  What speakers does the school bring in, are there perks for students in the community?  After all part of the college education is learning and experiencing things that make us more cultured; these happen outside of the class room.  And after you have done this asking, ask yourself based on the information you have gathered and your experience: Is the cost to education ration even? or would I be wasting my money by coming here?

So there you have it.  Some uncommon things to ask when visiting a college.

Five and a half hours of driving from mid-state PA, and I finally arrived in Rochester.  On a trip that seemed initially to be wasted time and effort, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Rochester Institute of Technology could very well be just what I am looking for.

Finding the campus took little to no effort on my part, everything was well marked and the map they sent me had enough outside roads to make life simple.  First impressions: the campus looks a little bit boring, everything is made out of red brick.  As for the size, one could look at it and say smaller than Penn State University Park–maybe a third to half of the size–but perhaps triple the size of Lehigh University, or double that of Bucknell’s campus.

The campus is well maintained; everything looks groomed, the snow is out of the way, there are trees and brick walkways and courtyards if your into that sort of thing.  The buildings are also well taken care of.

The people in admissions were courteous and quick to help out with questions, guidance, or requests.  Be warned that if you are planning on visiting for anything dealing with design, people in the department will not meet with you same day scheduling.  On the phone they said the wouldn’t meet with me unless I had a portfolio for review.

There are a variety of majors to choose from.  RIT has a good engineering program, anything tech based, and it also scores with in the top 5% in the nation for business.  As for art programs, it also does them very well.  A search turned up RIT in the top 60 graphics design schools in the world.  I am looking at RIT for graphics design or new media.

Academic buildings are nice, maintained, well light, well used by students–there were plenty of kids hanging around outside of class–doors were open (open as in come into the classroom as well as unlocked, get in from the outside).  There seemed to be plenty of different labs for research by upperclassmen, as well as a plethora of computer labs–PC and Mac.  As for lecture halls the biggest holds 300 people and it was said that it is seldom used.  Large lectures of 80-100 people, and small classes depending on the major and class, of 20 people.   TA’s do not teach, but help with labs and field questions.

Recreational areas were well maintained and plentiful.  Division 3 sports except for hockey which is Division 1.  Nice pool, weight room, indoor track, indoor tennis, indoor soccer, basketball, etc.  Plenty of outdoor athletic fields, and just regular fields for the occasional Frisbee throwing.  Skiing/snowboarding does happen on campus occasionally, but there are mountains in Buffalo and Syracuse.  Buffalo gets more snow, but Syracuse has better mountains is what I heard.  I also heard that there is about 100 inches of snow on average.  (92.3 inches apparently, 11th in the U.S.) That makes me happy.

Students stay in mostly on campus housing.  There are plenty of options ranging from apartments that look like beach houses, to regular apartments, to dorms (the freshmen are required to live in dorms and take a meal plan), to off campus options in Rochester and the surrounding area.  Every dorm is connected by underground tunnels, this is very nice in my opinion.

Security is pretty low key but present.  There are blue boxes everywhere, campus police driving around, card keys to get into the dorms.  One notices while perusing the public safety pamphlet, that incidents of crime are fairly low and can probably be avoided by locking doors when leaving a room.  The campus is secluded and unto itself.  The public has to drive to get onto the campus because it is set just outside of the city.

After a visit, I would say RIT feels like Drexel University in Philadelphia, known for its engineering, business and art programs, meets Penn State University Park’s country side appeal while upholding both schools education standards.  You have the best of both worlds, the country side and a large city with in 5-7 miles from campus; Rochester has a little over 200,000 people.

Overall, I find the campus pretty, peaceful, well maintained, secure, and easy to get around and deal with.   I would say that it is definitely a possibility for me.