Why Choose Rose-Hulman?

If you've spent enough time on this website you've read all sorts of reasons why we think Rose-Hulman is a great school. Small, personalized classes - taught by professors even! Beautiful campus environment. And employers love to hire Rose-Hulman graduates. But why take our word for it when you can read the students' own words?

LeMoyne M. Habimana-Griffin
Year: Senior
Hometown: Alexandria, Indiana
Major/Minor: Biomedical Engineering


I chose Rose over other top schools like Stanford, Northwestern, and Washington University in St. Louis, to name a few. When I came to visit Rose it was clear that the students had personal relationships with their professors, unlike any I had previously observed at other institutions. I knew that at Rose I would not just receive a top-notch degree, but also a top-notch education.One thing that continues to surprise me about Rose is the strength and closeness of our community. I am constantly amazed by the lengths to which the members of our community go to help and support one another, from the students and professors to our housekeepers and custodians. The Rose Family experience is unlike any other.

Advice for the high school senior searching for a college
I would encourage you to take a visit, and, if possible, stay overnight at the schools you are considering. There's more to a school than what can be written on paper. Also, make sure you find out what types of extracurricular activities are offered. I've learned as much from the activities I've been involved with as I have from the classes I've attended.

The down & dirty
Q: What is your least favorite thing about campus? In other words, what would you change about Rose-Hulman if you could?
The male-to-female ratio could definitely be improved.

Q: What do you do for fun, or do you just study all the time?
A: Besides schoolwork, I've had a chance to get involved in several organizations around campus. I am currently involved in Alpha Chi Sigma, Blue Key Honor Society, Intramurals, Residence Hall Association and as a Resident Assistant. I love playing intramural sports. It's a good source of fun and stress releif. Also, just hanging out on the floor and talking with people is a blast. It's amazing what comes up in conversations at 2 in the morning when you're supposed to be doing homework. Through extracurricular activities at Rose, I've made a lot of friends and had a lot of fun, and my college experience would not be the same without them.

Q: What is your favorite dish served in the dining hall?
A: I'm a big fan of the beef stew and the chipotle chicken wrap.

Michael Bell
Year: Junior
Hometown: Pacific Palisades (Los Angeles), CA
Major/Minor: Computer Engineering, BS, Mechanical Engineering. BS

Rose offered a more focused study in engineering than other schools I was considering, like Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering, Stanford, Princeton, Harvey Mudd, Caltech, and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. A campus full of engineers, and just engineers, was one of the most deciding factors in choosing Rose-Hulman. At the majority of them, the surrounding area of would distract me to a point where I would not be focused on getting the best engineering education possible. Rose's location, which is quite remote compared to most schools, makes students focus even more on the most important thing - engineering. There are engineering programs all over the country that are excellent, but what stood out during my initial visit is that everyone thinks as engineers, and must work together to solve the problems that everyone faces together. I couldn't imagine going through as an intensive engineering program anywhere else if the majority of my peers were not math/science minded; I just don't think that a true engineering education could be done any better than here at Rose.

Just about everything you would like to venture into is available at Rose. Personally, I've enjoyed working on touch screens for our EcoCAR team, and helping design an airframe while on the Design Build Fly Team. And I've enjoyed the freedom of running my own business from my dorm room, supplying laptop batteries, docking stations, and all sorts of other items for the Rose community. I've also enjoyed the many intramural sports offered, including table tennis, indoor soccer, football, racquetball and ultimate Frisbee. There is really a wide range of classes, electives, and clubs available.

The Sophomore Advisor (SA) program and the Tutoring programs are unique to Rose. Freshmen dorms not only have RA's, but they have two SA's who plan events and help students get through their freshmen year. During sophomore year, which is considered the hardest year, there are live-in tutors that are available day and night to help with the sophomore curriculum. The amount of support at Rose is outstanding and unmatched from any university I've ever visited.

Advice for the high school senior searching for a college
You can't fully understand a college until you've seen what students do in their free time, or how well the dining services are, or how nice the classrooms are, so an overnight stay at colleges you are planning on applying to is a must. Another important factor is that you apply to a school that you want to, and not one that your parents forced you into. The most successful students at any school want to be there and want to learn the material.

The down & dirty
Q: What is your least favorite thing about campus? In other words, what would you change about Rose-Hulman if you could?
My least favorite thing about campus is the dining service. Coming from a mother who is a chef, the food at Rose could use much improvement. But there are always other meal options, such as in Subway or Noble Roman's (a pizza place) outside of the main dining hall. Also, Juniors and Seniors can live in the Apartments residence halls, which have a full kitchen, so you can cook whatever you want.

Q: What do you do for fun, or do you just study all the time?
Though Sunday through Thursday night is generally spent working on homework, labs, or projects, I also always enjoy a good game of tennis or racquetball. A couple times a quarter the entire campus plays Zombies, where hundreds of engineers run around with Nerf guns shooting other engineers who are considered "zombies." This is probably the most fun thing to do every quarter, as the game lasts from 8 p.m. to about 2 a.m., and people go running through the woods, hiding under bridges or barricading themselves in classrooms to prevent zombies from getting too close.

Q: What is your favorite dish served in the dining hall?
My favorite things to eat in the dining hall are the Paninis. You can put whatever you want on it, then the workers put it in the Panini press, and two minutes later you have an awesome sandwich.

Esteban Carrasco
Year: Junior
Hometown: Lake Orion, MI
Major/Minor: Optical Engineering/Physics major; Spanish Minor

One element of Rose-Hulman stood out over the other schools I visited: the great reception during my visit. The people at Rose-Hulman were approachable and open to any kinds of questions. I could tell Rose had a really fun atmosphere from things like the murals in Baur-Sames-Bogart Hall (BSB) and the signs that  Resident Advisors had posted. Besides that, I got to have a meeting with the Physics Department Chair. Being able to meet with "the man" of my chosen major as a prospective student gave me an idea of the open, comfortable Rose-Hulman community.

And my first impressions were right. The faculty are approachable and it's really easy to get help during office hours. They're willing to field any kinds of questions, from "how do I do my homework?' to "how do I figure out what I want to do as a career?" Rose is a comfortable environment from the top to the bottom.

There's a lot to keep you busy here too. I've been involved with plenty of Rose activities. I'm a member of the Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity and have been involved with the Rose-Hulman Men's Club volleyball team, St. Joseph's Catholic Campus Ministry, jazz band and pit orchestra, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, and I recently joined the Ultimate Frisbee Club.

Advice for the high school senior searching for a college
If at all possible, visit the schools that you're interested in. Try and sit in on a class or have a meeting with a faculty member. Overnight stays can be a great opportunity because you experience the campus dynamic for a full day.

The down & dirty
Q: What is your least favorite thing about campus? In other words, what would you change about Rose-Hulman if you could?
I wish there were more food options on campus, especially later into the evening. When you've got to work late into the night there isn't much besides snacks in your room or taking a trip into town.

Q: What do you do for fun, or do you just study all the time?
There's plenty to do around here to have fun. With a combination of Terre Haute's and Rose's activities, there's always fun stuff to do. One of my favorites is Disc Golf at Deming Park just a couple minutes off campus. If you're feeling really adventurous, Indianapolis is only an hour away.

Q: What is your favorite dish served in the dining hall?
Jamaican chicken wrap. Totally.
Pooja Saxena
Year: R-H graduate and current R-H graduate student
Hometown: Bethesda, MD
Major/Minor: B.S Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Management

I chose Rose-Hulman after considering University of Maryland, Harvey Mudd, Stanford, Columbia and Cooper Union because I really enjoyed the atmosphere I felt when I attended Operation Catapult. Operation Catapult is a summer program for incoming high school seniors to learn more about engineering and Rose-Hulman. I enjoyed that experience so much that during the past summer, I worked on campus as an Operation Catapult counselor.

After Operation Catapult, I returned to visit campus during the school year and I really liked the community feeling. I like how close floors are with each other. And I was certain that the academics would be manageable with the help of the professors. I found that engineering was not looked down upon as the "you're going to die" major like I felt at some of the bigger colleges. In short, I chose Rose-Hulman because I felt like I was home when I was here.

Now that I'm here, I'm so happy with my decision. I regularly talk with several of my professors about classes and life. The faculty and staff here are very open and very easy to have close relationships with. I've also found lots to do outside the classroom. I am a member of the Delta Delta Delta sorority on campus, and currently I am a Sophomore Advisor. With my dorm and through my sorority, I participate in several intramurals throughout the year.

Advice for the high school senior searching for a college
Go and visit colleges you are interested in. Make sure you get a chance to sit in on at least one class and go into at least one residence hall so that you can see the differences in academics styles and life styles.

The down & dirty
Q: What is your least favorite thing about campus? In other words, what would you change about Rose-Hulman if you could?
My least favorite thing about campus is the guy to girl ratio. I attended an all-girls high school, and sometimes all the boys on campus are overwhelming.

Q: What do you do for fun, or do you just study all the time?
No, I definitely have fun.

Q: What is your favorite dish served in the dining hall?
Make your own omelets, I get one every day. They are delicious.
Jojay Lee
Year: Senior
Hometown: Toledo, OH
Major/Minor: Mechanical Engineering / Spanish Minor

I chose Rose-Hulman because of its reputation and national acclaim as one of the BEST undergraduate engineering schools. What set Rose-Hulman apart for me was what I like to call the "Rose-Hulman Difference." To me, the Rose-Hulman Difference is about the ideal learning experience: focus on individual accomplishment, exceptional faculty and staff, and general atmosphere of community.

My professors are nearly always available to answer questions. When I first came to Rose-Hulman I was a little intimidated to go ask professors for help, but they were very friendly and welcoming and always helped me. Last summer I had an internship with Hill-Rom working in New Product Development. I found the skill sets that I acquired at Rose-Hulman highly applicable to the real world. This summer I will be working at Ingersoll-Rand Securities in Manufacturing Sustainability.

Advice for the high school senior searching for a college
The best piece of advice I have is to do a lot of research about the schools you are interested in.  If you are still unsure, schedule a campus visit or even stay the night.

The down & dirty
Q: What is your least favorite thing about campus? In other words, what would you change about Rose-Hulman if you could?
I wish that there were more girls at this school. I knew coming in that the ratio was not good, but I guess I am here for my education?

Q: What do you do for fun, or do you just study all the time?
Rose-Hulman is the most difficult thing I have done in my life so far, but I make time to have fun. I enjoy playing intramurals, working out at the SRC, watching movies, and hanging out with friends.

Q: What is your favorite dish served in the dining hall?
Meatball Soup.