OT - Any University of Pittsburgh students (or parents) out there?

[klfrech]

My daughter is seriously considering Pitt's nursing program. We actually live about 20 miles west of Pittsburgh, so are familiar with the area, but not with the academics. Anyone care to share their experiences?

 

[Shadow Dancer]

My daughter is seriously considering Pitt's nursing program. We actually live about 20 miles west of Pittsburgh, so are familiar with the area, but not with the academics. Anyone care to share their experiences?

My daughter graduated last year with a degree in Psychology. She loved the school and the city. (She's now in Grad School at another school.) She was a dean's list student for every semester, all 4 years.

We live about an hour north of the Burgh, in a rural area.

Her roommate earned her degree in Nursing from Pitt. It's an excellent program.

The school is rated very highly.

 

[klfrech]

Thank you so much for your response. My daughter has always said she would never go to Pitt because she didn't want to go to a city school, but now is seriously considering it, knowing what a great nursing program they offer. Ultimately, she'd like to become a nurse anesthetist, a program that Pitt offers to its graduate students.

Can you tell me where your daughter lived as a freshman? She sounds like she had a great experience and was a fabulous student. Good for her!

 

[Shadow Dancer]

Thank you so much for your response. My daughter has always said she would never go to Pitt because she didn't want to go to a city school, but now is seriously considering it, knowing what a great nursing program they offer. Ultimately, she'd like to become a nurse anesthetist, a program that Pitt offers to its graduate students.

Can you tell me where your daughter lived as a freshman? She sounds like she had a great experience and was a fabulous student. Good for her!

My daughter was in Holland Hall - it was one of the older dorms in the Quad. It was all girls. (The dorms in the Towers are nicer.)

She got an apartment with 3 other girls for her Sophomore through Senior years.

Has your daughter taken a tour of the campus and surrounding area? My daughter is actually getting married in Heinz Chapel this fall.

 

[EdiePA]

The Towers rooms are nicer, but much smaller. If housing is important to you, than Pitt may not be the best choice. BUT if strong academics and a great chance for practical learning are what she's looking for, then Pitt offers a great program. Even though Children's Hospital has moved to Lawrenceville, you still have many of America's top hospitals all in close proximity.

Also, included at Pitt is transportation through the PAT bus system and a system of University Shuttles. (My son is a dental student at Pitt and I work for UPMC)

Edie

 

[klfrech]

ShadowDancer:

How do they determine where freshman will live? Does the student have a preference or are they just randomly placed?

We actually went down there today, and my daughter just fell in love with it. Of course, the nicest part of the campus is down by the the Cathedral of Learning. The Towers are about a 10 minute walk to the nursing building, which I didn't think was too bad.

We also visited Duquesne, which is nice also, but a bit more money.

Now for a rather personal question--how well did your daughter do on her SATs? My daughter is only entering her junior year, so is yet to take them. She is ranked #1 in her class (out of 250--tied with about 5 other students), and has a 4.2 GPA. Of course, now that's she fallen in love with Pitt, I'm worried about the SAT situation. I'd love to hear what your experience has been.

BTW--Heinz Chapel is just beautiful; what a gorgeous setting for a fall wedding!

 

[Shadow Dancer]

My daughter scored well on the SAT (the old version) but nothing spectacular.

She had excellent teacher references, was involved in school, Church and community activities and a 3.99 HS GPA.

It's been 5 years since she entered Pitt as a freshman student, so I can't remember all of the details, but I know that she didn't ask to be assigned to a certain dorm - she was randomly assigned a single at Holland.

You are right - a 10 minute walk isn't bad at all. My daughter's apartment was on McKee Place and she had a minimum 30 minute walk to every class.

Duquesne is also nice - she thought about going there but liked Pitt better.
Duquesne is a private college, so they will usually give money in academic scholarships. My son will be a college junior in the fall and goes to a private college that costs $24,000.00 a year, but he gets academic scholarships that cuts the cost almost in half.

Heinz Chapel is gorgeous, isn't it? Although we were a little upset at first on her insistence in getting married an hour from home, once we went inside the Chapel, we were sold on the idea.

 

[klfrech]

Thank you so much for replying. We actually took a road trip today to visit Kent State and Case Western in Cleveland. We weren't overly impressed with either of them. Next on the list...Penn State. We are actually visiting family later on in the week in NJ, so we'll probably make a side trip to State College. So far, Pitt is the clear front runner.

Thanks for all of your help.

 

[Shadow Dancer]

At first my daughter also wanted to go to Penn State but once she visited Pitt, that was the only college she applied to!

Penn State is much, much larger than Pitt. Some of her friends went there and really like it. Another kid lasted only 3 days and switched to a local school because the campus was just too big for him.

Kent State has an excellent medical program.