Rural Girl goes Urban

Introduction
The biggest mistake high school seniors make when choosing a school is they go for the big name on the cover instead of the substance behind it. Pitt, and may schools similar, offer the same education as the big name schools, at a much more affordable price. Seniors should also keep in mind that although distance can be a hurdle, there is very little difference between three hours and seven, you will most likely still go home the same number of times throughout the semster. I chose Pitt because of the great buy for the money and the fact that I could still go home on breaks with great ease.

Campus Life and Social Life
When a student hears Pitt, immediately college basketball comes to mind. It probably should, but quickly followed by arts, museums, pro sports, and greek and city life. Pittsburgh, PA offers something that very few other cities in the US can. It hosts three pro sports teams, constant plays and ballets and filled to the brim with museums. Although Pitt often gets lumped as a party school because of its large nature, it offers so much more. Wander off campus to the north and you will come face to face with the frat houses, with that notorious college feel, girls in herds laughing and having a good time. Wander to the east and you're probably on Carnegie Mellon's campus without ever realizing it. To the west you can see Mellon Arena, home of the Pittsburgh Penguins. South campus is off-campus housing, bustling pratically every night of the week. Any day of the week a student can pick for a sporting event, a ballet, or "freshmen kegger"! Academics
Pitt is known for its great science/medicine departments, yet it has great things to offer in other disciplines. The Engineering, Pre Med, Pharmacy, Psychology and Physical Therapy departments are among the top. One downfall of Pitt's is their lack of a spanish minor.
Professors range from life-changing to terrible. However, this is true no matter what college/university you go to.
I think that Pitt's workload is much more than outsiders might assume. Compared to friends who attend other state schools of similar size, including Virginia Tech, Penn State, and University of North Carolina. Pitt expects more of their students and create a much more demanding workload. This fact is never adddressed and often overlooked.

Student Body
There is NO way you could describe the typical student at Pitt. I think it is probably one of the most diverse campuses in the country. You could take any student and put them at another university and they could fit its mold perfectly. But, in complete honesty, there is no TYPICAL student at Pitt. There are sorority girls with uggs and vera bradleys, and those who attend every underground concert on in the area who wear band sweatshirts and skateboard all over campus.
Many Pitt students are from Pennsylvania, so are not only obsessed with Pitt sports but also Pittsburgh and Philadelphia pro teams.
Inorder to be typical at Pitt, you have to be unique, be yourself.
Side Note: Don't expect to dress up at Pitt, sweatpants, jeans and a sneakers are mandatory, if its an Abercrombie or Taking Back Sunday one, is the students call.

In Closing...
Pitt's worst attribute is their dining services. Probably the worst in the nation.
Housing is wonderful. Guaranteed Housing through Junior year and more housing is currently being built.
It rains... at least three times a week.