By Elizabeth LaScala, PhD
Located in a vibrant city setting, University of Pittsburgh, aka ‘Pitt’, is one of America’s leading research universities. As further evidence of its status in the academic world, the dominant building on Pitt’s campus is the Cathedral of Learning, a 42 story building that is the tallest building on any college campus today. An interesting fact is that Pitt is home to the original studios where the famed children’s program Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood was filmed.
Pitt’s campus is an open campus, located between two retail centers, downtown Pittsburgh and a more college-oriented dining, drinking and shopping center as you walk towards Carnegie Mellon, less than half a mile down the road. The campus also borders the lovely Schenley Park; with over 300 acres it is one of the largest and nicest urban parks with many hiking, biking and walking trails as well as a public golf course and outdoor summer theatre! Pitt also encourages undergraduates to take full advantage of the city, arranging discounts at the Carnegie Museum and the Carnegie Music Hall, both in the heart of campus, as well as for tickets for Pirates baseball and Penguins hockey.
By showing their student ID, Pitt students may use the city bus system as well as the incline cars from downtown up Mount Washington without charge. Pitt also guarantees housing for three years, a huge plus considering that the university is in one of the more expensive neighborhoods in the city.
Prospective freshmen apply to the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, the College of Business Administration, the Swanson School of Engineering, the School of Computing & Information, the School of Nursing, the School of Public Health, Rehabilitation Sciences, Information Sciences, Pharmacy and Social Work. Incoming freshmen are assigned an academic advisor who can help them to transfer into any school, excluding the School of Nursing, if they are undecided. If you are interested in Pitt, it’s wise to apply early in the fall. Admissions decisions are made on a rolling basis, with decisions typically arriving only six to eight weeks after the application is received.
Those who choose to come to Pitt tend to stay. Freshman retention rates have been over 90 percent for some time. Four-year graduation rates have also risen, to about 70% over the past three reported cycles.
About 2,200 undergraduates are associated with Pitt’s Frederick Honors College. A unique, exceptionally rigorous, Bachelor of Philosophy (BPhil) is available to Honors College students enrolled in any Pitt major. It requires an independent research project approved by Honors faculty as well as a BPhil thesis that must be defended much like a thesis required to earn an advanced degree.
Another reason to seriously consider Pitt is the Freshman Guarantee Programs. Pitt extends these programs not only to master’s degrees but also to its dental, law and medical schools. These programs lead to assured admissions to graduate or professional school, provided that they continue to make the proper academic progress required under the guarantee.
For sports lovers, Pitt competes in 19 sports, football being the most popular. Football and basketball fans should join the Panther Club to get the best prices and student seating. The football program has sent more players to the Pro Football Hall of Fame than all but four other universities.
A very bright student who has their sights set on a large, city-based research university with plenty of perks and options to transfer if undecided about your major, will not be disappointed in Pitt.
Public: 20,220 undergraduates, 9,268 graduate students;
50% acceptance rate;
mid-SAT: RW 640-720, M 630-730; mid-ACT: 29-33;
5% International, 34% Diversity, 41% Out of State;
Student-Faculty: 13 to 1
Image Credit
Title: The Cathedral of Learning, Stephen Foster Memorial, and Heinz Chapel on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh as viewed from Schenley Plaza
Author: Crazypaco
License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0
Source: PittCampus.jpg
