We all know Pitt is expensive. We all talk about how much debt we'll have when we leave, usually as a joke, but we're all serious. Why did I come here? Was it worth it? I'm here to tell you that despite the sum on that bill after college, Pitt is worth it!
Pitt has some amazing academic opportunities; we know that. However, it is the things outside of the classroom that really give Pitt its value.
1. Lifestyle options
Not only does Pitt have a multitude of gyms, but they also have fitness classes you can take for credit or for free. Recently, they added free classes to teach safety and prevent sexual assault. Name me another school that has Badminton, Pilates and Party Dance fitness classes. Even the counseling and health center can't be taken for granted because other schools don't have one or both. Perhaps most important to your lifestyle is eating. Pittsburgh has a number of restaurants and stores that cater to every type of diet, from gluten-free and vegan to hungry football player. At a smaller school, or maybe one in the middle of nowhere, it would be much harder to find so many diverse options. And by options, I mean, there is some pretty awesome food in Pittsburgh. If you don't want to leave, there is always Market.
2. Free and almost free stuff
Perhaps the best thing at Pitt is the free stuff! I'm not just talking about T-shirts and pizza, I mean the awesome opportunities we have for free. Walk the Moon concert – it was free. Bill Nye lecture – it was free. Phipps – it's free. Carnegie Museum – it's free. Ballets and musicals downtown – they can be free. Basketball and football tickets – lets face it, compared to other schools, they're basically free. Other schools either A) don't have this kind of stuff or B) you have to pay for all of it. Pirates tickets are so cheap for an MLB team, and PNC Park is one of the best ballparks in America. Student rush for Pens games gets you some of the cheapest tickets in the NHL. If you're paying that much to be here, why not take advantage of all the extra stuff you can't do anywhere else? There is literally always something free to do on campus or just a short bus ride away.
3. The experience
The experiences you can have at Pitt are unlike many other schools. Just this past month, all of the major presidential candidates and the Vice President visited Pittsburgh. Very few other schools have that opportunity. We have a bus pass at our fingertips; you can explore this entire city if you take advantage of it. There are almost 500 student organizations on campus! That is 500 things to possibly get involved in. The leadership opportunities and chances to make real change here are abundant if you take Pitt for everything it has to offer. The people here are pretty great, too, and you'll always have a friend in Cathy.
Pitt is expensive, but if you take advantage of everything this university and city has, you'll realize Pitt is worth it because you can't get this experience anywhere else.
