Admitted Student Booklet

WELCOME

WELCOME

COMING TOGETHER TO LEARN. DISCOVER. HEAL. CREATE. Congratulations! Based on your outstanding academic preparation and the strength of your character, we selected you to be part of our exceptional community at the University of Rochester. We celebrate your drive and commitment to improving yourself, those around you, and the world. Here, you’ll live and study amongst the most tenacious and unconventional students from around the world. Together with our world-class faculty and staff, you’ll thrive from the push, and the support, of intellectuals interested in learning from other people and impacting the world around them. We want you to join us in making the world ever better!

Dr. Robert J. Alexander Dean of Admissions, Financial Aid, and Enrollment Management

RESOURCES:

TO HELP YOU NAVIGATE YOUR TRANSITION, STAY UPDATED, AND CONNECT WITH STUDENTS AND STAFF ON SOCIAL MEDIA. LEARN MORE AT ROCHESTER.EDU/COLLEGE/ORIENTATION.

I have always been very keenly aware of the things that I do and do not like to do, so being offered nearcomplete autonomy in my studies seemed like a dream. On top of this, the gorgeous campus reflecting both traditional and modern styles, the huge selection of extracurriculars, and the not-too-big and not-too-small student body made Rochester a perfect fit for me!”

Banc

Briarcliff Manor, NY English (Theater)

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

CONNECT ONLINE

Connect with future classmates and find important information.

Admitted students Facebook group Transfer students Facebook group facebook.com/groups/uradmittedstudents2223 bit.ly/urtransfer

Families of admitted students Facebook group facebook.com/groups/urfamiliesofadmittedstudents2223

Being a part of the Indulgence Dance Team has shaped a big part of my college experience. I used to be shy about dancing in front of people, but since joining, I have gained confidence in my abilities and I fell in love with dance all over again. I get to perform, be myself, and be part of a team where we treat each other like family!”

Zeke

Starling San Francisco, CA Psychology

The flexible curriculum makes it a perfect fit for me. Rochester understood who I was: someone with diverse interests who was looking for a structured way to combine them. Only by intertwining disciplines—even those that are on seemingly opposite ends of the spectrum—as I am able to do here, am I able to gain the most out of my college experience.”

HopeBarkley

Tarrytown, NY Digital Media Studies

STUDY WHAT YOU LOVE

ROCHESTER CURRICULUM

From your very first day, your education is yours to customize. You won’t spend time or money on classes chosen for you. Instead, select courses from among thousands of possibilities, including a “cluster” of three related courses in two areas outside of your major. Maybe you’ll complete a double major, study abroad, intern at a local or international company, conduct individualized research, or all of the above.

Education your way.

AP/IB/COLLEGE CREDIT

We award AP, IB, and/or college credit to students who qualify by the College Center for Advising Services. If you have not already sent your official scores or college transcript, please send them before Orientation. rochester.edu/college/ccas

GET STARTED WITH RESEARCH

Rochester is a Tier-1 research university where students and faculty team up across disciplines to challenge current conventions and theories and discover new ones. From day one, you’ll work with other creative thinkers and find solutions to the world’s problems. rochester.edu/research

WHAT’S A CLUSTER?

A cluster is a set of related courses that falls within one of the three academic divisions. Each cluster contains a minimum of 12 credits of coursework. They’re just one more way you can customize your education.

I am currently working on a project that I would like to submit next year to the Davis Peace Project. My project will look at improving reading and learning in kindergartens in my country so that students are ready to enter the formal education system.”

Sekelile

Mbabane, eSwatini International Relations

Mkhabela

START YOUR JOURNEY

FIRST-YEAR HOUSING

First-years and sophomores must live on campus unless they have an exception to live with their family in the Rochester area. Most undergraduates choose to live on campus. In fact, 90 percent of students live on campus all four years. First-years live in five residence halls: Susan B. Anthony Halls, Genesee Hall, and Gilbert, Hoeing, and Tiernan on the Residence Quad. In addition to residential advisors, there are D’Lions and First-Year Fellows living in first-year housing. D’Lions promote community spirit and organize events that help students acclimate to their new environment, and First-Year Fellows offer academic mentorship and guidance.

ORIENTATION AND WELCOME WEEK

At Rochester, orientation begins ahead of your arrival to campus with Rochester Ready, an online program designed to introduce you to University academics and student life through videos and tutorials. Then, right before classes begin, you’ll travel to campus for Welcome Week, an in-person program of events to help you connect with fellow incoming students, learn how to navigate campus, and explore opportunities to get involved with student activities. You’ll get more information about Rochester Ready and Welcome Week once you enroll at Rochester.

MEET ROCKY

I haven’t met a single person here who isn’t truly passionate about something they’re studying, researching, performing, or pursuing. ‘Typical Rochester student’ is kind of an oxymoron; everyone has something unique to contribute to campus, whether in terms of musical talent, an entrepreneurial drive, or an unbounded curiosity about the world.”

Morgan Medina, NY Linguistics, Economics

Rocky is Rochester’s Yellowjacket mascot, based on the yellow jacket wasp common in North America.

TRANSFER HOUSING

Rochester welcomes transfer students to join the residential community as much as possible. In recent years, the popularity of campus facilities has exceeded the number of available spaces. Thus, we can’t always accommodate every transfer student who wants to live on campus.

On-campus housing availability is often determined shortly before the start of each semester. To be considered, you must submit your reply form and deposit to secure your enrollment at Rochester. At that point, you will get access to the Housing and Dining Services Contract in your MyRoc account, where you can indicate preferences to live on campus. The Office for Residential Life & Housing Services will add you to the list of students who want housing and do their best to accommodate. If you plan to seek off-campus housing, Residential Life has resources to assist you.

rochester.edu/reslife

TRANSFER

STUDENT ORIENTATION

AND WELCOME WEEK

At Rochester, transfer student orientation begins ahead of your arrival to campus with Rochester Ready, an online program designed to introduce you to University academics, services, and student life through videos and tutorials. Then, right before classes begin, you’ll travel to campus for Welcome Week, an in-person program of events to help you connect with fellow transfer students, learn how to navigate campus, and explore opportunities to get involved with student activities. You’ll get more information about Rochester Ready and Welcome Week once you enroll at Rochester.

TRANSFER ADVISING

New transfer students are assigned a College advisor to help with course selection and guide you throughout your entire academic experience at the University of Rochester. You can expect to receive an email from your College advisor prior to the start of your first semester to discuss your course selections, transfer credits, course placements, and registration information. Advisors will begin emailing new transfer students about a month prior to when you register for your courses. Please contact the College Center for Advising Services at cascas@ur.rochester.edu with any questions.

Rochester students have a unique blend of intelligence, creativity, and heart. This shines through in so many ways, from the students who major in engineering and minor or double major in the humanities, to the students who spend their breaks building a water filtration system in the Dominican Republic, to the students who start a company to help minimize traumatic brain injuries, to the students who encourage young kids to pursue STEM careers. Our students truly do make the world ‘ever better.”

Dr. Wendi Heinzelman Dean, Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

MELIORA: EVER BETTER

ENJOY THE VALUE OF ROCHESTER

The University of Rochester will prepare you for the rest of your life. In fact, Rochester routinely receives top rankings for value. As a student at a premier research institution in a global residential community of the highest order, you’ll develop connections, skills, and perspectives from all corners of the world. When employers of Rochester graduates describe our students, their responses reinforce the immediate value of a Rochester education. Our students are ambitious, curious, responsible, and team-oriented problem solvers. They’re professionally nimble, effective communicators, and diversely skilled.

MEET STUDENTS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE

The University of Rochester is proud to be home to more than 3,000 international students from over 140 countries. We understand that the student visa process can be stressful and time consuming. The Office of Admissions will coordinate the issuing of your student visa documents several months prior to the start of your program. For the University of Rochester to issue your I-20 or DS-2019, you must first enroll at Rochester. Then, we will send you step-by-step instructions to help you complete your I-20 or DS-2019 and apply for your student visa.

Rochester, NY Neuroscience

Having so many cultures, ethnicities, races, and backgrounds all mixed together creates such an innovative and collaborative environment for learning inside and outside of the classroom.”

Brumfield

LIVE IN A BIG CITY ON A SMALLER SCALE

THE CITY OF ROCHESTER

With more than a million people living in the metropolitan area and surrounding suburbs, the city of Rochester has the entertainment and culture of a big city, but the friendliness (and lack of traffic) of a small town. You’ll get where you’re going fast, whether it’s to our world-renowned jazz and film festivals, professional sports events, independent theaters, golf courses, museums, beaches, parks, or one-of-a-kind restaurants and shops.

ROCHESTER FUN FACT

Rochester fostered the motion picture film industry, abolition, and the women’s rights movement.

My favorite thing about the city of Rochester is the serenity. The city is still filled with amazing places to visit, like the Eastman School of Music, the Little Theatre, and the George Eastman Museum, and it’s all there, present, without the noise that you’d hear in a big city. What could be better than that?”

Haddad Beirut, Lebanon Mechanical Engineering

I enjoy meeting with students one-on-one or within groups to talk about the current campus climate. By facilitating these conversations, I get to watch students explore how they self-identify and learn new ways to express themselves authentically. I believe that in order to cultivate global citizens, we need to have open and honest dialogue with each other and with folks that differ from us. I hope you will join us at our University Presidential Diversity Award Winning One Community program or our LGBTQ Meet & Greet Event during Welcome Week to start your journey here at the University of Rochester. Meliora!”

Dr. Jessica Guzmán-Rea ‘10W (EdD) Director, Paul J. Burgett Intercultural Center Chair, College Diversity Roundtable