Review of University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus
from Ohio
Describe your college in three sentences.
Pittsburgh is a city. It has everything you could want: a social scene, amazing academics and professors, museums and movie theaters, literally EVERYTHING. It can be overwhelming if you are not a city person, but if you like life busy and on pace, you should definitely consider the University of Pittsburgh.
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
1) Get to know your floor ASAP. Especially people from the city so you can get use to how the busing system works and where things are. Also, these people might have cars so... DEFINITELY GET TO KNOW THEM. (Note: downloading the app ride systems keeps track of the university busing as well).
2) Move in is harder if you are at Towers. Sutherland might be far, but you do have to pass the gym every day... Nordenberg is becoming the Honors dorm so there's that. Choosing a dorm is difficult, but you will love and defend your decision for all four years no matter what!
3) Get seriously involved with 1 and only 1 club first semester. Then branch out. It's hard to maintain everything and you might want some free time to actually have a social life, especially if you're an engineer.
4) HAVE FUN AND CALM DOWN EVERYTHING'S GOING TO BE FINE.
Do you find there’s enough academic rigor at your school?
Classes that are advertised as hard (e.g. honors classes) WILL be hard. However, you will learn a lot in those classes. Definitely use ratemyprofessor despite what any adviser tells you. You can learn a lot. Intro classes are meant to weed-out people so expect Bio 1 or Chem 1 to be relatively difficult; in fact, a lot of my friends regretted not using their AP credits, but take that as you will.
Describe the dorm life at your college.
Towers has small dorms but you are in the center of everything.
Nordenberg is also, but the dorms are much nicer (although the state is being hampered a bit by the current class...), the residents tend to be over-confident.
Sutherland West is the current honors dorm, although it will be Nordenberg next year--Westers are very close because they arrive a couple days and have more bonding activities than the other dorms.
Sutherland East is a conglomerate of athletes (who move in and get to know each other very early), business students, international students, and randoms. There isn't a lot of talking between the various cliques.
Holland is an all-girls dorm. It is scary for me (as a guy), but some girls say they like it... Other girls don't. I can't offer a lot of good advice on that one, sorry...
There are a couple other possibilities, but for freshman year, those are the big ones. Dorms are relatively nice, not the nicest, but not the worst.
Describe the food and dining at your college.
Get more dining dollars than swipes. Most of the time a swipe will just get you meh pizza, whereas dining dollars are more flexible. Eating out is also a great option, but can get expensive. Watch your finances when it comes to food.
What’s there to do for fun at your college?
http://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/Pittsburgh-Magazine/April-2011/50-Fun-Things-Every-Pittsburgher-Must-Do/
Can't fit everything here, but Pittsburgh is a city. It might not be New York or L.A., but it's pretty close and has just about everything you'd expect from a city.
Do you feel you’re getting value for the money you’re spending on college?
Depends on if you are in-state or out-of-state. In-state, for sure. It's tuition is insanely low. Out-of-state, only worth it if you get an enormous scholarship, for which you must apply very early (or do ROTC, whatever floats your boat).
Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus
Sorrento's... Awful pizza, but it's open 24 hours?
The Brotel... Ask about it on campus, can't really explain well enough to do it justice here!
Going to the top of the Cathedral is a must; it's one of the largest academic buildings in the world!
There are hundreds more, but I'm only in one semester, the best are yet to come!
Which types of students will excel at your college?
If you love the city, if you love museums, if you love movies (Perks of Being a Wallflower was filmed here after all...), if you love music, if you love academics, if you love medicine, if you love art, etc., Pitt is for you. If you don't like buses, walking, the city, or lots of people in tiny spaces, well, don't go here?
Are you involved in any clubs or activities?
Just about everything is here. If you want anything specific, check out: http://www.studentaffairs.pitt.edu/sorchome.
Are you involved in any clubs or activities?
You don't have to be a part of it to have a good time. There are definitely clique-y, overly-confident, typical frat guys here, but they aren't a big issue. Most decent frats have closed parties though, so getting to know upperclassmen is a must if you're about that life.
Sororities are a different story; due to Pennsylvania law, there are no sorority houses, but sorority girls are good at getting the name out there. The sisterhood on campus is sometimes stronger than the brotherhood.
How would you describe campus safety? Do you feel safe on campus?
Safe rider. Safe rider. Safe rider. It's a bus that picks you up nearly 24 hours, anywhere on campus, no questions asked (most of the time). It's a life saver. Save the number in your phone as soon as you get to campus and you'll be fine.
Pittsburgh is a city. It has everything you could want: a social scene, amazing academics and professors, museums and movie theaters, literally EVERYTHING. It can be overwhelming if you are not a city person, but if you like life busy and on pace, you should definitely consider the University of Pittsburgh.
1) Get to know your floor ASAP. Especially people from the city so you can get use to how the busing system works and where things are. Also, these people might have cars so... DEFINITELY GET TO KNOW THEM. (Note: downloading the app ride systems keeps track of the university busing as well). 2) Move in is harder if you are at Towers. Sutherland might be far, but you do have to pass the gym every day... Nordenberg is becoming the Honors dorm so there's that. Choosing a dorm is difficult, but you will love and defend your decision for all four years no matter what! 3) Get seriously involved with 1 and only 1 club first semester. Then branch out. It's hard to maintain everything and you might want some free time to actually have a social life, especially if you're an engineer. 4) HAVE FUN AND CALM DOWN EVERYTHING'S GOING TO BE FINE.
Classes that are advertised as hard (e.g. honors classes) WILL be hard. However, you will learn a lot in those classes. Definitely use ratemyprofessor despite what any adviser tells you. You can learn a lot. Intro classes are meant to weed-out people so expect Bio 1 or Chem 1 to be relatively difficult; in fact, a lot of my friends regretted not using their AP credits, but take that as you will.
Towers has small dorms but you are in the center of everything. Nordenberg is also, but the dorms are much nicer (although the state is being hampered a bit by the current class...), the residents tend to be over-confident. Sutherland West is the current honors dorm, although it will be Nordenberg next year--Westers are very close because they arrive a couple days and have more bonding activities than the other dorms. Sutherland East is a conglomerate of athletes (who move in and get to know each other very early), business students, international students, and randoms. There isn't a lot of talking between the various cliques. Holland is an all-girls dorm. It is scary for me (as a guy), but some girls say they like it... Other girls don't. I can't offer a lot of good advice on that one, sorry... There are a couple other possibilities, but for freshman year, those are the big ones. Dorms are relatively nice, not the nicest, but not the worst.
Get more dining dollars than swipes. Most of the time a swipe will just get you meh pizza, whereas dining dollars are more flexible. Eating out is also a great option, but can get expensive. Watch your finances when it comes to food.
http://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/Pittsburgh-Magazine/April-2011/50-Fun-Things-Every-Pittsburgher-Must-Do/ Can't fit everything here, but Pittsburgh is a city. It might not be New York or L.A., but it's pretty close and has just about everything you'd expect from a city.
Depends on if you are in-state or out-of-state. In-state, for sure. It's tuition is insanely low. Out-of-state, only worth it if you get an enormous scholarship, for which you must apply very early (or do ROTC, whatever floats your boat).
Sorrento's... Awful pizza, but it's open 24 hours? The Brotel... Ask about it on campus, can't really explain well enough to do it justice here! Going to the top of the Cathedral is a must; it's one of the largest academic buildings in the world! There are hundreds more, but I'm only in one semester, the best are yet to come!
If you love the city, if you love museums, if you love movies (Perks of Being a Wallflower was filmed here after all...), if you love music, if you love academics, if you love medicine, if you love art, etc., Pitt is for you. If you don't like buses, walking, the city, or lots of people in tiny spaces, well, don't go here?
Just about everything is here. If you want anything specific, check out: http://www.studentaffairs.pitt.edu/sorchome.
You don't have to be a part of it to have a good time. There are definitely clique-y, overly-confident, typical frat guys here, but they aren't a big issue. Most decent frats have closed parties though, so getting to know upperclassmen is a must if you're about that life. Sororities are a different story; due to Pennsylvania law, there are no sorority houses, but sorority girls are good at getting the name out there. The sisterhood on campus is sometimes stronger than the brotherhood.
Safe rider. Safe rider. Safe rider. It's a bus that picks you up nearly 24 hours, anywhere on campus, no questions asked (most of the time). It's a life saver. Save the number in your phone as soon as you get to campus and you'll be fine.