Nazareth College
Our first school on Sunday was Nazareth College, a school that was once Catholic but is no longer affiliated with the church (though people are often mislead by the name). "Naz," as they call it, is a small college that blends both research and the liberal arts without fitting into either the 'liberal arts college' or 'research university' box. There are pre-professional offerings, like Physical Therapy (6 yr DPT program is the most selective program on campus) and Nursing, but the school is also looking to expand their science offerings. This initiative is certainly going to be helped by their brand new math and science building, complete with a fully operational cadaver lab (something very unique for undergraduate students that will also benefit nursing and PT students). Other unique programs include music business and toxicology. Two of my favorite aspects of the school are that it is Testing Optional and relatively affordable for a private school. The average cost of attendance, after financial aid, is about $15,000 for most students after getting both need and merit based aid. Overall, I noticed the entire campus was very well maintained and almost every building we went into felt either new or renovated in the past 10 years. This is also the first campus I've seen to offer students a key fob that acts as an emergency alert system. Students just click two buttons on their fob and the security officers can track them via GPS and come to their aid. Think of it like a blue light phone on steroids. Very cool. The flight to Rochester was SO affordable and easy, if you want a small classroom experience at a private school, this could be your place.
They also have tunnels connecting the buildings - so no need to worry about the cold :)
Alfred University
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| Our tour guide's print on the left |
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| The view from the printing studio |
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| Can you tell I liked the printing studio? |
Alfred is the second oldest co-ed college in the United States (Oberlin has them beat by a few years). They also (like, I'm finding, many schools in the area) have excellent equine facilities for all of you equestrians out there. Bottom line, I think this school sells itself much better in person than on paper. If you want a smaller school experience at a beautiful campus tucked away amongst a lovely setting, come visit. For most ElRo students, Alfred is probably a target or a likely, and those don't come along all that often when we are talking about places with great facilities, happy people, merit scholarships, and diverse students. (It is also right across from Alfred State, the SUNY school, which we sadly didn't get to see). PS - Big ups to our awesome tour guide, Sam.
Rochester Institute of Technology
I didn't know what to expect from RIT - it is a technology school with 18,000 students - but I have to say it knocked it out of the park. Similar to how I was pleasantly surprised with Purdue, RIT has this really fabulous blend of school spirit/energy, top notch facilities, friendly students, and not insanely impossible admission stats. If I had to sum up the school in one word, it would be: jobs. The focus is clear: their students are prepared for the workplace and their 97% job placement rate and co-op program in 75% of majors proves it. It now makes so much sense to me that this is the college that sends me the "Job Outlook" poster that I hang behind my door each year that lists all of the careers and their estimated growth/decline for six years from now. The students and the staff made it clear - people come to RIT with a fixation for knowing that they will be employable when they graduate. The school and students struck me as hands on, friendly, and excited about attending their school. They have specialized offerings like game design, pre professional majors like physician's assistant, and almost every type of engineering under the sun. Do you like tinkering with stuff? You'll probably find a major here that you'll like (they also have fine arts, so if you like to tinker with a paintbrush, camera, or pottery wheel, you are covered). Similar to the first two schools, something I really value about RIT is they would be a target or likely for most ElRo students and they give merit aid (the sheet they gave out to the counselors listing scholarship options was double sided. And, in what I can only estimate to be 6 point font). Things to note: they do admit by major so some departments are harder to get in than others. They are also about to transition to the semester system (they currently have quarters, but will be ending that after this year). The campus moved to the current location in 1968, so don't come here looking for Gothic buildings. But I think this school has a lot going for it and is a great option for a student wanting a larger school experience.
Bonus: Maybe the coolest college club I've ever heard of:
Tomorrow we see University of Rochester and I can't wait!
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