First and foremost, Pitt is a research institution. Professors usually are working on projects and books while teaching, so don't expect too much from their classes. Classes in general subjects or that are requirements will be huge, but it can be an experience to bond with others who hate the fact they're sitting miles away from the blackboard. And Pitt is known as a party school, as Thursday through Sunday, parties rage nonstop at the fraternity houses and at off-campus apartments. It's very easy to create a class schedule where you won't have Friday classes--in fact, many students do this with their weekend party schedules in mind.

Academic Programs:

The philosophy department has consistently been ranked as one of the best in the nation, though from the philosophy of religion class I took, I don't understand why. I was in the English writing program concentrating in poetry, but my professors only wanted me to write in their style, leaving no room for creativity. Interesting! I took some nonfiction and journalism courses--which rocked. Pitt hires many part-time professors, and while this can be horrible in other departments, the English writing department benefited from some excellent journalism and creative nonfiction writers and professors. Pitt is known for excellence in engineering, computer science and the laboratory sciences. One warning, though: if you plan on taking organic chemistry, expect to repeat it at least once. Even the smartest bio and chem majors have a rough time with this class, and it's become something of a tradition to take "o chem" two or three times.

Administration:

Pitt is home to the now famous homophobic Board of Trustees who refuse up and down to acknowledge same-sex partnerships and allow their employees to share their benefits with their same-sex partners. Even after a hunger strike with national media attention, massive demonstrations, letter-writing campaigns and demonstrations at Board meetings, some Board members were saying some rude and awful things about "those homosexuals."

Student: So you don't feel that gay employees deserve the same treatment as straight employees?

Board president: "Are you asking me if I like girls?"
**This is an actual quote**

They're not very interested in the opinion of their undergraduate students.

Dorm Life:

Dorms on campus are notorious for being small and loud. Holland Hall, the only all-female dorm, is actually a converted old hotel with some big corner rooms. Suites in Forbes and McCormick halls are decent, with kitchens and everything. Sutherland Hall is up on Cardiac Hill with the fraternity houses, but has new suites and it's own computer lab and dining hall. Amos Hall is strictly sorority women. Lothrop Hall is where most sophomores stay, since all rooms are either singles or suites, with sinks in the rooms. But remember that Lothrop is right next to Children's Hospital, so if you can't deal with helicopters flying right outside your window at all hours, live elsewhere. The towers (A, B and C) are where most freshmen live since they're close to the main cafeteria and you don't have to get dressed to eat or do your laundry, courtesy of a lobby connecting the three. But these rooms are cramped and often the air conditioning (towers and Forbes have a/c) doesn't work. Live there only if you can stand walking around in circles, since they're cylindrical towers. Bouquet Gardens, a new apartment-style dorm, was just built, and it looks great from the outside, at least. Check out this living option if you're looking to stay on campus. It's very close to campus, well lit and quiet. I kinda wish I was still a Pitt student so I could live here!

Off-Campus Living:

Oakland, the area of the city where Pitt is located, is notorious for the slumlords who own most of the buildings. My advice is to look in North Oakland--you'll pay a little more, but it's worth it to have a landlord who pays their bills on time and doesn't force the city to shut off his water or put his building up for sale at auction for the back taxes he owes (it happened to me). And make sure you get your security deposit back--check out renter's rights before you sign a lease, because they'll probably want your parents to sign the lease, too, which could be a really bad thing.

Extracurricular Life:

Pitt is great for fostering counterculture...but people still love to yell "FREAK!" at anyone who doesn't look the mirror image of themselves. Because the majority of students are the frat-and-sorority type (this is the honest truth), students who are into the goth, rave, indie rock or punk scenes will seek out their own kind pretty easily--just look for those who don't wear cargo pants 24/7. And most people are pretty nice, even though they look as if they have big attitude. Club Laga is a good place to check out, because it holds a goth/industrial night as well as a techno night. The over-18 crowd has a few different places to hang, but the Attic is close, and Cumpie's is big with the athletic crowd. Oh, and there's always the O--that's the Original Hot Dog Shop for those unfamiliar to Pittsburgh. It's great for cheap pizza, 40s, and fresh french fries, but it gets rough later at night.

Student Groups:

On campus, you need to seek out any student groups you're interested in joining, as most aren't very visible. Campus Women's Organization and the Student Environmental Action Coalition are good ones, and the Asian Students Association and Black Action Society both sponsor lots of events.

Newspaper:

The Pitt News, the student-run and advertising-funded newspaper, has churned out some articles containing great breaches of ethics, so it's not too trustworthy. They're always looking for more writers, so get involved and make it better your own way.

Safety:

Date rape is prevalent at Pitt, as in many universities, so you have to be safe. Fraternities are known for being sexist and getting kicked off campus after stunts like sending pledges into dorm bathrooms to pull back shower curtains and take pictures of women showering. Tasteless. But more often than not, women are assaulted in their own dorm rooms.

I was never afraid walking around Oakland by myself, as long as I carried pepper spray with me. Close areas of the city like North Oakland, Shadyside and Squirrel Hill are particularly safe and fun to live around.

Campus shuttles run very frequently, so getting back to your dorm (or even off-campus apartment)late at night is no problem. You can even call Van Call, a service where a van will pick you up wherever you are and drive you back to campus. Expect to wait a bit for the van to arrive, though, as weekends are full of students partying all night and needing rides to their dorm rooms.

Overall Comments:

Look, I know I'm biased here in my comments, but Pitt has some great qualities. I have friends who graduated with only pleasant experiences at the school. But more often than not, every student has something huge to gripe about. I wholeheartedly recommend talking to current students before deciding to attend, as they'll be as honest as you can get.

And with the tuition being so inexpensive, you can save up for an excellent graduate school! This is a definite advantage that students don't understand until they're out of school with loans to pay--which is where I am right now.



Recommended: No