University of Rochester Reviews

"Highly rigorous yet supportive academic and musical environment. Financial aid is slim, but quality of education received (both from professors and from peers) is worth it."

"Thorough education of all the relevant educational theory and research. Great access to the resources of the university, new facilities. Program may be too theoretically focused at the expense of sufficient practical education."

"Program is very competitive. More faculty support is needed in the first couple of years of the program."

"The school's advertisements are quite deceiving. They say that the rate of employment for doctoral students are 100%, but now that I go here, that's entirely false. A lot of graduates don't know where to go from there. The town is also deprived, too, and there is very little chance of making extra income. Since the town is so small, they are used to taking advantage of your talents at very low compensation. The school is far too expensive considering what one can get out of it, but it's so excellent in business and management that it over-advertises."

"Tell us about your college experience.Excellent social experience. A medium size school was a good fit. It was a big change from living at home and going to high school, but not too overwhelming an environment.Would you get the same degree if you could start over?Yes, I think economic theory is important, although not worth getting into student loan debt for a degree that might be more theoretical than practical.What advice can you offer other students?Don't fall into the drug and alcohol scene in college. It is a waste of money and health, and at the end of the day, you will look childish instead of "cool." Be careful about taking on student debt unless you have a solid plan for how it will be paid back. Analyze how much your anticipated career will pay, what is the likelihood of finding a job in that field, and whether it will be enough in relation to the amount of student loans you might take."

"Not the greatest area, but an incredibly supportive network of faculty and peers to help you get through it."

"The faculty at Eastman School of Music are incredibly knowledgeable and supportive. It is worth the cost for such an enriching experience."

"Excellent program, though incredibly expensive!"

"Great program, exactly what I was looking for in a grad school!"

"Rochester is a great University with a great reputation and a lot of productive professors and patents. The population is small enough that it seems intimate but the campus rises above the riverside like a small city. It is a busy hustling and bustling area. Unfortunately the school is not inside of the city so it is not easy to walk off campus to many things. But the shuttles provide all of the transport needed and there is a new "College Town" center being built up nearby."

"I am very happy that I enrolled in the Higher Education Administration Master's program. The faculty is very knowledgeable, solid, and available. The material has proven to be very useful in executing my work in higher education and I highly recommend the program to others."

"Pros : 1) Affordable place to stay. 2) Not very far from my home. Cons : 1) Less opportunities for Financial Aid."

"University of Rochester is located in an area where there's not many things to do, which only gives the option to study as hard as possible, the scholarship that I receive is sort of enough to survive. So, having only space to study, you are concentrated a lot in your graduate program. By the other hand, when you have a break you don't have anything to do, because everywhere is far, specially if you don;t have a car and you depend on the inefficient public transportation."

"The programs I am enrolled in only offers evening and night classes so it's accommodating around the standard work day. The faculty are accessible to students and many have experience in the field and incorporate their experience in the class. The graduate programs are very challenging and have several demands for students even outside of the classroom."

"I am VERY impressed with the Marriage and Family Therapy program that I am doing; I feel EXTREMELY supported by the faculty, very confident in the training that I am getting at my internship sites and I really enjoy the academic aspect of my program. I do not think we are overloaded with assignments but I also don't think that we are not being taught, there is a good balance. Every single piece of material we are reading and reviewing in and out of class is relevant and I am confident that at the end of my program I will have a rich knowledge base. My only disappointment with this program is the lack/ nonexistence of financial aid."

"Great school with small programs that typically translate to good interaction with advisors, in spite of department squables and rivalries. Solid reputation is well deserved. History, English, and Visual Studies grad students form nice community. Rochester is excellent for graduate work: close to major research centers in New York, New Haven, Princeton, Boston, DC, and Chicago - Chi by overnight train; low cost of living makes stipends go a long way; excellent arts - especially music; great city to raise kids - much to do. If you can't handle a little cold, it's your loss. Minuses: area around campus is still "developing" so you can't walk to much, but the school provides free bus transport all over town, including to the public market, theaters, shopping, and downtown - including the Eastman School of Music."

"The English Department is supportive all around; however, it is the most supportive for graduate students specifically interested in medieval studies. If you are specializing in the 19th century, particularly British literature, there is a very limited number of faculty members available to work with. The financial support for English is great and so is the one year reprieve from teaching. Having a year to acclimate to the program before having to start teaching introductory writing classes is extremely wonderful. UofR also provides a crash course to teaching over the summer before your first semester in the classroom. On another note, the library at the University of Rochester is phenomenal due to it's extensive purchasing budget."

"Chemistry Program Pros: The faculty are all super accessible and everyone is very friendly. The research groups all have good levels of funding and a lot of equipment. Rochester Pros: Affordable, clean, many interesting festivals throughout the year, etc"

"I really like the professors. They are really indepth and like to bring in current primary literature to enhance the overall learning environment."

"The graduate students oftentimes feel like a forgotten population. Everything on campus seems to be designed explicitly for undergraduate students. The school seems to almost shut down when undergraduate classes are not in session. Graduate students also seem to occupy a strange position of being something in between a student and an employee. This dual identity the university uses has the potential to be very useful, however, my experience has been that I do not have access to many perks for either employees or students (while I have an employee number and ID, I cannot participate in a 401k or IRA program - but also am barred from full participation in clubs that serve both undergraduate and graduate students). I am firmly of the mindset that graduate students should be considered as students rather than employees."