Who went to Pitt Revisit?

[choker]

i couldn't make it.

what happened? impressions of school, city, people???

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[pipper]

I went to second look and I am totally sold on the school. Everyone there is so genuinely nice and really want to help each other out. I am not a cut throat person so Pitt just seems like a good fit for me. Most of the time was spent getting to know the current first years and connecting with potential future classmates. The whole weekend seemed very food-centric. I had a great time and although I went there thinking that I wanted to go to Pitt, the weekend sealed the deal.

 

[SuperGrover]

Hi Choker,

It's too bad you couldn't make it, but hopefully we can fill you in well enough! I was there, and met a couple of lovely other SDN people there as well. (Hi guys...you might not recognize me now with my Super disguise on--the cape always throws everyone off! :wink: )

Anyway, I had a fabulous time and the weekend really helped confirm for me the sense of humanity I feel emanating from PittMed. Everyone was very low-key and everyday-seeming--friendly, and easy to relate to. I say this about the current students as well as the prospectives, and there were incidentally many of both around. Most of the prospectives seemed to be either heavily leaning towards Pitt, or else completely sure they would be there in the fall, although a few folks I talked with still have some difficult decisions to make (myself being one of those people, but I am leaning at even more of a dramatic angle towards Pitt since the weekend).

One thing that was kind of cool regarding the experience was that it was entirely student-run. Apparently, the second-look weekend used to be run by the administration, but when they decided to do away with it a couple of years ago, the students protested, citing its importance and its meaning for incoming students. Since then, it's been funded by the admin. but completely organized and run by current students alone. To me, this is a phenomenal example of the friendliness, helpfulness, and cooperative nature of the people attending this school, and that in itself could sell the place to me. The students involved hosted us, hung out with us all weekend, cooked meals for us, gave slideshows, and even drove us around to check out the neighborhoods and apartments/houses in the area. We were let into all of these students' homes to get a sense for how much our stafford dollars will buy next year---this was overwhelmingly helpful, and really it was a nice reflection of the kindness and openness of these people.

If you are wondering, there were many nice places that we saw that were very low priced, IMHO. I saw a really great 3BR apt. for $850, I think it was, with big bedrooms, a big kitchen, DR, LR, and even a small computer office. We saw a nice studio in the 500's and a really cute 1BR for $640, which included all utilities and parking. I even saw a great house that the proud homeowners had closed on the day before!

The little neighborhoods were quaint, with Squirrel Hill and Shadyside being the most popular places to live. They seemed very safe, and are on bus lines that go directly to the school. City buses are free for all Univ. of Pitt students at any time. (!) These 2 neighborhoods are more expensive than other options (although the prices above reflect Sq.Hill and Shadyside), so if you want to live further away or even more cheaply, there are many other places to live.

My student host took me and some other prospectives on a city tour by car, and she hit many of the little places that might be important to us next year. There are a few areas in the outlying neighborhoods that have shops and cafes, and there are a couple of major shopping areas in the area (with an IKEA!, a Lowes, a Target, etc.). There are lots of museums and places to go to see games (Pirates, Penguins, and Steelers). The city has some nice, quiet, and expansive parks that are green and safe. There is a place called "The Strip" that has farmer's market-style fresh produce, a place to buy fresh fish, and a place that sells homemade pasta. There are lots of little pubs and restaurants here and there, and an elevated area called Mt. Washington where the cityline view is very nice. We saw many interesting nooks and crannies of the city that really gave me an impression of the livability and functionality of the place.

There wasn't much that was formally presented about the school or curriculum itself, but my discussions with other students as well as my host were very informative. It is hard to explain in a nutshell here, but there were many points brought up about the school's attention to training sensitive and kind doctors, with a lot of support and sensitivity displayed towards the med students as well.

If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask them...I or someone else reading probably has asked it over the weekend, so we might have some scoop for ya! PM'ing is fine but it might benefit others to post discussions like these on the thread.

Overall, it was a fun weekend with very kind and very spirited people, who seem to authentically be happy that they chose the school themselves.

 

[choker]

wow! thanks a lot!!

now i really wish i could've come.
-it's cool though, because, unless a waitlist calls, im going to pitt in the fall. i think i'll go there one time this summer just to check out some apartments and stuff.

thanks for your replies! i hope to see you guys in the fall!

 

[bebe2]

SuperGrover and Pipper have summed it all up very well. If you decide to go to Pitt, you will have great classmates in these two for sure!

I was almost sold on Sinai before this weekend. I am still confused! Hopefully, my Pitt financial aid packet will come in soon. The caliber of the education is excellent. And Pitt is on the rise. Predicitions are that they will continue to rise rankings-wise and will continue to expand their research.

I think you should definitely check out the housing on your own. Drive around and write down some phone numbers. But I understand your dilemma, i am waitlisted at Cornell and Duke, so I cannot start making housing plans just yet. But as soon as you know, start shopping around.

Hope this helps

 

[pipper]

thanks for the love bebe and right back at ya. I really hope that you come to Pitt. You and supergrover rock. Good luck in your decision. You can't make a wrong one unless you choose Sinai. Just kidding. Hope you are headed my way next year.