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Going to RIT

YoshoKatanaYoshoKatana
edited June 2007 in Everything Else
Hello everyone. As I mentioned in the "Introduce Yourself" thread, my name is Nelson and I'm a high school senior. I've been looking into attending RIT after hearing about it from Scrym and reading some magazines about tech colleges. I currently live in California and have a 3.2 GPA, but I'm intelligent and creative (One of those people who values knowledge over grades). I'm the president of our school's Anime and Democratic clubs, and I practice Aikido. Also, I volunteer. A bit.

I know there are quite a few people on this forum who have either graduated from RIT or are currently attending. I was wondering if you would be willing to give me a little advice. I'm primarily wondering about finances. RIT's numbers are a little fuzzy, and I've never lived in Rochester (The closest I ever got was Providence, RI). How did you (the people who attend(ed)) pay for it, and do you think it'd be remotely possible with scholarships and student loans?

If people are willing, I'll expand my questions to cover more of RIT. Hopefully, other high schoolers might ask about it, and we might be able to turn this thread into a general information resource. Thank you for helping us, O Great Alumni.
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Comments

  • SailSail
    edited June 2007
    I'm (as of 10 am today) a Junior in High School. And my mom is always nagging me to look at colleges. And I don't know about colleges. So info on RIT sounds good, and would be greatly appreciated by me also.
    Post edited by Sail on
  • CorbinCorbin
    I know for in state residents it's roughly $33,000 an academic year, I don't know if it differs for out of staters (Rym should know). At least that's the price when I applied in spring of 2004 it might have gone up since then. I don't think there's a chance of paying that all off in scholarships and loans unless you got really lucky. I was a senior with a 4.0 ending GPA and they offered me scholarships, but they would only cover about half of the tuition. That is one of the reasons that I didn't end up going to RIT, I didn't want to have tons of loans out and spend so long post-college paying them back.

    Also if you are at all unsure about what you want to major in, I wouldn't recommend RIT. I've heard many horror stories of trying to change you major at RIT, so just be sure that the major you decide on is what you really want.

    I don't know if it's still true, but the freshman dorms (that I believe you are forced to live in the whole of freshman year) are small as helllllll. You somehow fit two people in a room that's really only suited for one. At the college I currently go to, when I lived in the dorms, the single rooms were the same size as the dorm at RIT.

    If you can deal with those downsides, I say go for it, because those are the only negatives I know of. All the positives that Rym and Scott have mentioned are true. The choice is up to you. The more you know... (sorry couldn't resist, oh G.I. Joe how I miss you)
  • KieyKiey
    I'm personally looking into the RIT Grad school. Hopefully I'll be able to get in for the Spring quarter, worst case Fall '08. I have a lot of prerequisite stuff I need to get done before I can apply.
  • tehmarkentehmarken
    edited June 2007
    Well, I'm from Virginia and currently just finished my 4th (out of 5) year at RIT. Tuition for me sits about $42k/year. I had a 3.3 GPA comin out of high school, and good SAT score (1430 i think) and managed to get good federal loans, scholarship, merits, and grants. I couldn't exactly pay what the out of pocket cost is for me now, as I very thankfully have awesome parents that handle the finances and student loans (Until I graduate and start payin them off).

    As stated above, you are forced to live in teh dorms freshmen year. After that, you are basically screwed. Either get to know upper-classmen and move into their on-campus apartment your 2nd year, or have a car and find a place off campus (I did both, just moved off campus this past year).

    All in all, it's a great school. Great variety of people since we have all the different colleges (science, engineering, comp sci, art, photo, film, business, ...) and a lot of big active student organizations. The gender ratio is beginning to equal out, and because it's a dry campus that aren't that many annoyingly boisterous parties at god forsaken hours (key word: not many).

    When I was looking at colleges, I had narrowed my choice between 3 schools: FIT (Florida Inst. Techn.), GWU (George Washington in DC), and RIT. I visited all three. And the day I visited RIT it was an ice storm in the middle of April. And talking with professors and deans for a while, I made my mind up on the spot I wanted to come to RIT. It really is just an awesome school.
    Post edited by Andrew on
  • AtheriShadowAtheriShadow
    edited June 2007
    My experience there was quite enjoyable, although you won't have the Front Row Crew around so much to provide fun. The dorms, last time I heard, were getting overcrowded, but not perilously yet.

    As stated above, try to get an apartment by inheriting one from an upperclassman or take your chances with whatever system they have for getting a new one (still a lottery, anyone know?). Beware the meal plans, which they like to force dorm students into and if you must have one, try to get all-debit ASAP especially if their main cafeteria sickens you.

    No big drunken parties to worry about. There was one very entertaining one a few years back, especially when viewed from the front row view that was Rym & Scott's window. All attempts to repeat that one were swiftly crushed, though.

    As the guys have stated in the show, it's the kind of place where you need to give the effort needed to pass your classes (however much or little that is) but have enough fun to stay sane. You being a GeekNights listener, there's enough clubs and cool people to keep you well-supplied in that regard.

    The snow sucks at first, but you learn to live with it, and I even started to enjoy it once the "Fuck, it's cold" factor went away.

    Ok, so my arguments for the school were a bit on the emotional and not so much on the logical side, but I hope this helped.
    Post edited by AtheriShadow on
  • omegafinalomegafinal
    I just have to say, if you're in the dorms, and your roommate moves out, ASAP request it to set it to "double as singles" status, or find a friend who has an open spot. Why? Because I went through three roommates in the past year alone. One was my friend who moved out due to his co-op at Albany; the second, who was alright and a foreign student, wanted to move in with his best friend; and the third was a whiny selfish prick who highjacked my general-level password-protected computer erasing five hours worth of flash work by turning it off then on to surf the net, he moved because we mutually hate each other in the end (and I tried making his life a living hell after that). Granted, I'm the REALLY worst case scenario, and don't let this stop you from going to RIT, because...
    The campus as a whole is pretty good. You'll meet some cool people, the clubs I went to are pretty good. I'm now the Public Relations Officer for the Electronic Gaming Socity. There is a Game Developers Club that's being bought up, if you're interested in designing your own game. Obviously the anime club is there too.
    I'm also thinking about Grad School there too just for the clubs and the people, so I need to get some work done if I want to stay.
  • AprecheApreche
    edited June 2007
    highjacked my general-level password-protected computer erasing five hours worth of flash work by turning it off then on to surf the net
    I did this to Rym once. There was a period of a week or two where my computer was broken. Rym made me an account on his computer so I would have something to use. One morning I woke up, and his computer was locked. I can't login to it from a locked state, I have to login from the login window. I restarted and Rym lost part of a paper he was working on. I actually knew he was working on a paper, but he also should have pushed the got-damn save button. I think we'll share the responsibility for that loss.

    I don't know about other people, but no matter what I'm working on, I have a natural reflex to hit save almost constantly. DO IT.
    Post edited by Andrew on
  • NeitoNeito

    I don't know about other people, but no matter what I'm working on, I have a natural reflex to hit save almost constantly. DO IT.
    I have a theory about computers saving. The first time you tell it to, it's not listening. The second, it's testing you. The third, it's just making sure you're serious.

    (i literally hit save about five times every time i wish to save a document.)
  • SailSail
    edited June 2007
    (i literally hit save about five times every time i wish to save a document.)
    Me too. I can't trust one click at all.
    Post edited by Sail on
  • omegafinalomegafinal
    Yeah, I often save about every ten minutes. I don't know why I didn't do it at that [perfect] time [to screw me over], but it involved time constraints, and a 12-hour Invader Zim marathon.
  • m16 elitestm16 elitest
    I have been reading the rate per year you guys paid to attend RIT and all I have to say is wow. Let me explain myself, I live in Canada, Ontario to be exact and the most for a school of technology I have encountered is $15,000 a year. These cheap rates are most likely because we Canadians pay more taxes from a pure percentage perspective and education is one of the top priorities. Any ideas of why it's so much cheaper for schooling in Canada is welcomed.
  • CorbinCorbin
    RIT is a private school, which is much more expensive than a state school. The university I attend (SUNY Institute of Technology) costs about $12,000 an academic year.
  • KieyKiey
    It's cheaper in Canada because education, including University education, is highly government subsidized.

    I had a professor in college who was from Canada, and one of the students in our class was looking to go into medical school after college. She told her she should look into Canadian schools, since you get the same education, but at a much cheaper rate because of the large government subsidizes even if you aren't Canadian. That same sort of thing happens in the US, but only with state schools, and 90% of the time if you are from that state. Then the tuition is ridiculously low.
  • StarfoxStarfox
    The snow sucks at first, but you learn to live with it, and I even started to enjoy it once the "Fuck, it's cold" factor went away.
    Ahahahaha. You have learned. The rest of the country doesn't know what they're missing. I just wish our lake didn't freeze over.
  • AtheriShadowAtheriShadow
    The snow sucks at first, but you learn to live with it, and I even started to enjoy it once the "Fuck, it's cold" factor went away.
    Ahahahaha. You have learned. The rest of the country doesn't know what they're missing. I just wish our lake didn't freeze over.
    Yes, I swear walking across that campus on a snowy night with the bricks and the lights was like walking through a work of art.
  • RymRym
    The expense of RIT is justified by the prestige of the degree.  RIT is the premier IT school in the nation, not to mention very well respected in many other fields of study.  Even if the education is the same, the "RIT" on the diploma commands more pay and higher position at the start.  It's like a +1 sword.
  • GreatTeacherMacRossGreatTeacherMacRoss
    Following what Rym said, many employers care a great deal about your school, but don't bother to look at the classes you pick. Choose your classes and major wisely.
  • Our_Time_Is_NowOur_Time_Is_Now
    I would love to go to RIT after I graduate. I looked into it and was willing to go into a lifetimes worth of debt to go there. But I'm going to join the Army National Guard next summer and they will pay for me to go to most colleges in Michigan, where I live. So I think I'm going to stay here and go to the Motion Picture Institute or the College for Creative Studies.
  • HMTKSteveHMTKSteve
    edited June 2007
    I thought Devry was the gold seal for a tech degree?
    Post edited by HMTKSteve on
  • ZeehatZeehat
    edited June 2007

    The expense of RIT is justified by the prestige of the degree. RIT is the premier IT school in the nation, not to mention very well respected in many other fields of study. Even if the education is the same, the "RIT" on the diploma commands more pay and higher position at the start. It's like a +1 sword.

    I thought MIT is the premier IT school.
    Post edited by Zeehat on
  • rhinocerorhinocero
    The expense of RIT is justified by the prestige of the degree. RIT is the premier IT school in the nation, not to mention very well respected in many other fields of study. Even if the education is the same, the "RIT" on the diploma commands more pay and higher position at the start. It's like a +1 sword.
    I thought MIT is the premier IT school.

    No, it's definitely DeVry.  Maybe ITT...
  • YoshoKatanaYoshoKatana
    IIT in India is quite prestigious, I heard. Right now I'm looking into student aid and such, because I can't possibly afford it on my own. I'm also thinking of going to community college for two years, then transferring to UC Berkeley. It's cheaper, and Berkeley is awesome. It'd be less technical, so I'd have to do more self study, but I think it's more cost effective.

    RIT: $33k / year + expenses
    Berkeley: $25k / year + expenses

    I'm not sure which is better on a resume, though.
  • AprecheApreche
    Going to community college and transferring to a real college is a great plan if you are low on money. I know some people here who did that, and it worked out very well for them. If you look around hard you can find a community college that has a really good teacher or teachers and learn a hell of a lot of stuff if you try hard. Then you transfer to a "real" school, and you can get a degree that is respectable for half the price.
  • RymRym
    I thought MIT is the premier IT school.
    MIT is known for other computer disciplines, but IT is squarely in the realm of RIT.  RIT created the Information Technology degree, and was the first university in the nation to offer an accredited one.
  • trogdor9trogdor9
    You can add me to the list of GN listeners planning to go to RIT. Only thing between me and going to RIT is the admissions office. And $37,000 per year.
  • kiwi_birdkiwi_bird
    $37,000 per year? Really? Is that normal for a college in America?
  • SailSail
    $37,000 per year? Really? Is that normal for a college in America?
    No.
  • RymRym
    $37,000 per year? Really? Is that normal for a college in America?
    No.
    It is for a top-tier tech school if you include basic expenses.
  • Victor FrostVictor Frost
    edited November 2008
    It's on the high side, but it's a private school I believe, so yeah. The exception is if you are going to go to a California college and have live there for one year or more prior to your application. For example, CSUN, my college, has an in-state tuition cost of $3,702. However, you can't prove that you've been a California resident for 1 year or more, the tuition is $13,872.
    EDIT: Hypothetically, if you have a relative who lives in California, you could have them fudge some documents to make it appear like you lived in CA for the requisite year. Of course, such a thing would be very wrong. *cough*
    Post edited by Victor Frost on
  • NuriNuri
    edited November 2008
    $37,000 per year? Really? Is that normal for a college in America?
    No.
    Hahaha, no. My tuition was more like $4000 per year. State school FTW.
    Post edited by Nuri on
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