The Ivy Scholars guide to University of Rochester’s culture, admissions, and other essential information for prospective students and their families.
Statistics
Rankings
Dates + Deadlines
Statistics
Strategy
Schools +Colleges
Core Requirements
Special Programs
Housing
Campus + Area
Student Orgs + Athletics
Cost
Financial Aid
Scholarships
Nestled in upstate New York, the University of Rochester has campuses throughout the city, although the main campus is South of downtown. The school is dedicated to the motto “Meliora” an idea of “better” an expectation of always bettering oneself and one’s community. With a very open curriculum, no core classes, and over a hundred areas of concentration, the university offers avenues for exploring all academic fields.
US News Rankings:
Independent Rankings:
Acceptance Rates:
Average Applicant Pool: 21,300
Average Number of Applicants Accepted: 6,500
Average Number Enrolled: 1,550
Application Systems: Common App, Coalition App
SAT Scores: 25th% – 1440, 75th% – 1550
ACT Scores: 25th% – 32, 75th% – 35
*Test mandatory. Writing sections are not required.
Demonstrated Interest:
University of Rochester does consider demonstrated interest.
Recommendation Letter Policies:
One counselor recommendation and one teacher recommendation are required. If no counselor recommendation is provided, a second teacher recommendation is accepted.
Rochester Essay Prompts:
Special Notes:
Transfer:
The most important factors are high school academic record, extracurriculars, recommendations, course rigor, and personal character. Important, but secondary factors are GPA, interview, standardized test scores, essay, and talent.
Factors which are considered are legacy status, geographic origin, ethnicity, first-generation status, and demonstrated interest.
Interviews are of important note among the criteria. While many colleges allow for interviews, they are a key component of admissions at Rochester, even if they aren’t mandatory. The school uses the interview to determine where a student’s passions lie, and to answer key questions that often get asked in essays; namely: why us, and what major or field of study are you interested in. Interviews are informal, and should be treated as 20 minute conversations.
Rochester does recruit athletes, but they do not gain a major boost in their admissions chances.
Like most other top universities, they seek students who are passionate specialists. More, they want students whose passions can be best served by the options at the University of Rochester.
Rochester is an upper tier institution, but not at the very top level. They are competing for students with many schools at a higher tier, and in some ways they accept their status as a backup plan for students who apply to the very top tier schools. Their offers of merit based aid are an effort to attract these students.
They are still a top school, and want students who are genuinely interested in their programs and offerings. Like most other top universities, they seek students who are passionate specialists. More, they want students whose passions can be best served by the options at the University of Rochester.
Among admissions criteria, the rigor of the student’s high school classes, and how well they performed in those classes, is most important. As the school has gone test-flexible, and is moving towards entirely test-optional, standardized tests matter far less. That said, if you have done well on standardized tests, the scores can only boost your chances of admission (though high scores can’t overcome low grades). Equally important to this is extracurricular involvement. This does not reflect what activities a student has done, but rather how deeply they involved themselves with activities, and whether they properly demonstrated any passions by doing so.
Getting good grades in challenging classes and showing a clear passion are the easiest ways to boost your admissions chances for Rochester. While doing well on standardized tests will provide a boost, they are not as important here as they are at many other top schools.
Students should have and demonstrate a clear passion throughout their application. This makes them more memorable to admissions officers, and helps them stand out. The student should also try to demonstrate why they would be best able to pursue this passion at Rochester, instead of any other school.
As Rochester does consider demonstrated interest, this is a simple yet effective way to gain a small boost to admissions chances. One of the best ways to demonstrate interest is by applying Early Decision, or Early Decision II if you aren’t ready by the first deadline.
The essay question is important for Rochester. Consider which of the three you are best able to complete; writing is the most straightforward. Uploading art should be done if you had a focus on visual art in high school. If you are far better at the hard sciences, then describing what research you wish to pursue, and how Rochester will help you do it, is your best track.
Finally, you should always partake in an interview when applying to Rochester if possible. Not only is it strongly suggested and highly considered, it helps admissions officers know you better, and the officer conducting the interview will be better able to advocate for you when making admissions decisions. The interview is a place for you to discuss what you are passionate about, and why Rochester is the best venue for you to pursue those passions.
Here are some important questions to consider before interviewing, which you will likely be asked during the interview:
The interview is an informal conversation, so you should try to put yourself in the best light, but also be genuinely yourself. Trying to only say what you think they want to hear will come off as awkward or forced. What you want to present is the best version of yourself; true to who you are, and excited about who you could become.
Schools:
Core Requirements:
Courses of Study:
AP Credit Policies:
Honors Programs:
Several programs allow students from any major to participate in an interdisciplinary honors program.
Research Availability:
Study Abroad:
Business Options:
Pre-Med Options:
Pre-Law Options:
Computer Science Options:
Additional Specialty Programs:
Programs for High Schoolers:
School Motto: Even Better (or Always Better)
Mission and Values:
There are separate dorms for upper and underclassmen are required to live on campus.
Residential Housing System:
Rochester has housing for undergraduates primarily on the River Campus, although Easman has its own housing system. There are separate dorms for upper and underclassmen are required to live on campus. Room styles differ between dorms, with either traditional housing or apartment style offered. Lounges and kitchens also differ between dorms. Housing in fraternities is also available. Special interest housing is available on select floors of residential halls.
Housing Statistics:
Campus & Surrounding Area:
Transportation:
Traditions:
Student-Run Organizations:
Sports:
Greek Life:
Nightlife:
Yearly Cost of Attendance:
Financial Aid:
All students are considered for need-based financial aid. These grants are awarded after personal contributions, work-study, and merit-based scholarships have been determined, and are supplemented by loans. In order to be considered for aid, students need to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) before the deadline. The deadline is determined by when the student applied. The majority of students at Rochester receive some form of financial assistance.
Additional Financial Aid & Student Loan Information
Scholarships:
All students are considered for merit-based scholarships during the application process. These are awarded for the student’s first year, and renewed each year if satisfactory performance is maintained. Award amounts range from $2,000-full tuition. Current students may apply for additional scholarships that they qualify for, although this is a smaller and more selective group. Students will only be awarded one merit-based scholarship.
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