RIT is a private university of approximately 14,000 students located in the town of Henrietta in the Rochester, New York metro area. The school was first created when Rochester Athenaeum, a literary society founded in 1829, and Mechanics Institute, a Rochester institute of practical technical training for local residents founded in 1885, merged into Rochester Athenaeum and Mechanics Institute (RAMI). In 1944, the university changed its name to Rochester Institute of Technology.
The school prides itself on offering academic programs that provide students a top-notch education and solid preparation for their future careers. RIT offers more than 200 academics programs in nine distinctive colleges, and favors a more pre-professional curriculum. Students pick one college as their academic “home” and concentrate their studies on their chosen major within this college. The school is best known for its fine arts, computing, engineering, and imaging science programs. RIT is the only school in the nation to offer a B.S./M.S. in imaging science. In addition, several of its fine arts have consistently been ranked in the “Top 10” according to the US News & World Report. RIT is also a member of the Rochester Area College Consortium, allowing students to take classes at other colleges in the Rochester metropolitan area without paying tuition.
RIT has a number of attributes that make it a unique campus. RIT’s co-op program, which began in 1912, is the fourth oldest in the world, and fifth largest in the country. A cooperative education experience, commonly known as a “co-op,” gives students academic credit for structured job experience and experiential learning. Approximately 3,500 RIT students complete a co-op each year at over 2,000 businesses.While participating in a co-op, students do not have to pay tuition to the school but are still considered to be full time students. Co-ops frequently give students a leg up in the job market after they graduate and give them valuable job experience for their potential future careers. RIT is also home to the National Institute of the Deaf, with deaf and hard of hearing students comprising almost 10% of the student population. A fair number of classes are translated into American Sign Language, and the school also has a number of deaf and hard of hearing professors.
RIT’s career focused education, diverse student body, and unique learning opportunities make this a great school that will appeal to students looking for solid preparation in the job market and a well-rounded education that will extend far beyond their four years of college. For more information, check out http://www.rit.edu/emcs/admissions/high-school-students.
