University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Top Questions

Yes, this school has tons of spirits and game days can be intense, but that's part of what makes Pitt so much fun. In terms of drinking and partying, I think we're like any other big university. There are definitely a lot of kids here that love to go get wasted, but there are SO many different types of people at Pitt you never feel like the crowd is homogeneous. If you're not into partying, there's tons of stuff to do and people to hang out with. Most students are friendly, smart and serious about school.

Yes of course!

This stereotype is definitely not accurate. Pitt is much more diverse that many people would assume, including from an academic standpoint. Several of its academic programs are top 10.

It's true that Pitt tends to be less of a party school than Penn State. As far as the students, you meet nice ones and not so nice ones.

No, Pitt's campus is located close to the city of Pittsburgh, but Oakland as a whole is built around Pitt and the students. Oakland (Pitt's location) is always lively and energetic just as any college campus.

No

completely!

NO! - except for the Urban campus part. There's tons of stuff to do and hundreds of activities to get involved...you just need to look for it!

Yeah, most people on campus drink often.

No, they just go into hiding during the winter.

For the most part no, the kids that party a lot have a lot more to them than that sometimes. And not every student drinks. It can be difficult to find students that don't, but they are out there.

See above note.

Pretty accurate

Somewhat.

The city is not dirty but there are a lot of bridges and the Steelers and Penguins are amazing!

Most of the time

The truth is, there is a lot of partying if that's what one is looking for! Many students feel that the party scene is what college is all about and plan their lives accordingly. HOWEVER, there is at least an equal, if not greater, number of students that care about so much more than partying. They care about their grades, families, friends, healthy socializing, sports, activities, research, internships, jobs and making a difference in their college community. These students far outshine the few that only care about partying. It's up to the student to set his or her own priorities. At Pitt, every type of student exists. As for large classes, I must say that almost all of my classes were much smaller than my high school classes! I was shocked and elated by the amount of personal attention I received from my professors. Furthermore, in my few large classes, my professors still knew my name and I continuously spoke up in class, asking questions and offering opinions. I made it my personal policy to sit in the front row whenever possible. This truly made me forget that the class was large at all! Again, it's completely up to the student to decide how active he or she wishes to be in the classroom. Finally, I am anything but a number here at the University of Pittsburgh. In fact, and somewhat ironically, I often find it difficult to remember my student ID number! Any club, any class, any group of friends are available to me at any time here. I mold my life, day to day, moment to moment, to my exact desires and expectations. Problems are addressed, concerns are heard and dreams are achieved. People may think that one might get lost in a large school, such as Pitt, but that's precisely the reason that only some students opt to come here! The students that come are outgoing, motivated, community-oriented students that believe "the more the merrier"! We look around us every day and admire and appreciate our differences, but in the end, we marvel at how we are really very much the same. We all strive for excellence, promote individuality, work long hours, foster the growth and development of our community and above all, care and nurture one another as one big, spirited, rambunctious family.

Definitely not, females at Pitt are very intelligent and very hard workers.

Not at all. While those people are here, most are down to earth and it's definately not difficult to meet people you'd get along with.

It all depends who you talk to.

About 1/5 of the student population fits the stereotype. However, the rest of the school is full of hard-working individuals. If you're in one of the more demanding majors then all you will encounter in your classes is extremely intelligent peers.

not sure

Absolutely!

Sometimes

I don't think Pitt can be wrapped up into a nutshell kind of statement. There are lots of different people, from all walks of life. If there are any stereotypes, they aren't accurate.

In part. The CMU stereotype is funny, it sometimes makes students here feel inadequate, especially since they are easily able to see some of the extra perks student at CMU receive that those at Pitt do not...however, they are plenty of brilliant students here, who would rather not pay at least double the tuition...some could make the same argument for the branch campuses, that the students there simply want to save their money...and I cannot speak for a majority...however, from what I've seen of the students who have matriculate from those branch campuses, it appears that they were there because they were in no way academically prepared for the main campus, and oftentimes, still aren't after coming to the main campus.

Yes, most students I have met are of a high caliber intellectually even though there are a few that that you have to wonder how the hell they got into this school.

No.

No, Oakland is hardly a city...yet it is always active. No, it is only about 3.5 hours nonstop from lancaster.

Yes

Pretty much so, occasionally you'll find a cool person.

These stereotypes are not completely accurate. Yes, we have a lot of students who participate in sports, and I'm sure there are students who went to Pitt after being turned down by their first choice school. However, there are plenty of students attending Pitt for the academics and atmosphere. Pitt is full of a wide variety of students, I don't think this University could ever fit a certain type of mold.

No, not at all. Pitt is a great school with excellent academics, in addition to outstanding sports, extracurriculars, and resources for students. A degree from Pitt with a high GPA is just as impressive to grad schools or future employers as a degree from a more prestigious University. Pitt should be considered seriously by high school students.

The people that think this obviously haven't set foot on Pitt's campus. No, there is no fence separating us from the rest of Pittsburgh or a quad or oval defining the "heart of campus", but is located in OAKLAND, a completely separate community from downtown but still close enough to the city and neighboring communities to explore and find things to do off-campus if you want. But there is so much to do on campus - it's just up to you to read flyers and talk to people. This isn't high school anymore; there are no morning announcements telling you about an upcoming movie night, midnight ice skate, or tournament. There is plenty of open green around, too: lawns and fields that are great for playing frisbee and soccer or lounging around, and Schenley Park just a crosswalk away.

yes

No

Absolutely correct.

Not at all!

I don't know

Not at all. Pitt is an excellent school, particularly for the sciences, philosophy , but also for other humanities. Students are well rounded and quite involved. Further, Pitt is becoming more and more competitive, which each class improving in "stats".

Not at all. I'm going to be in debt for the rest of my life.

I don't think we're mediocre at all. Pitt has some really cool stuff going on academically, and the resources we have as students are unbelievable. It's big enough that it attracts some real quality faculty and as long as you make an effort to build relationships with them, whcih most people don't do, you have complete access to their knowledge and experiences. One great opportunity here at Pitt is to work personally with a faculty member on an independent study.

For the most part but kids are going to party at EVERY college.

Not at all.