I felt I could fit in at any college, but RIT really stood out to me in my college search because it has outstanding communication access and a friendly learning environment loaded with deaf students like me. I felt that the opportunity to interact with a large deaf community on campus was a once-in-a-life-time chance. RIT has been a perfect match for me. Seeing how other deaf people go about things has taught me a lot, and I learn from them. That's definitely helping me succeed because I'm learning from people who share the same identity as I do. RIT is above and beyond all of my expectations. I've gotten so much exposure to wonderful people, and I wouldn't be the same person if I didn't go here. I'm pretty grateful that I'm calling RIT home!

I've never felt like I belonged more than I do here. Everyone is so willing to help whenever I need it. The support and access services I get and the expertise that RIT has working with deaf students mean I no longer feel isolated like in high school. That has given me a sense of relief because RIT is so welcoming of students who are deaf and hard of hearing. It feels great to be part of such a warm place.

I was mainstreamed my whole life and was the only deaf person at my school. I used an FM system and sat in front of the class to help me understand my teachers. Sometimes I would miss the information that was spoken, so I would have the teachers clarify the information for me after class. I was interested in RIT because I knew I would meet people like me who have gone through similar experiences. Because I didn’t know sign language I took a one-week pre-orientation program to learn some basic sign language to help me communicate with other students and faculty and staff who sign. I met so many new friends like me who didn’t know sign language and who went to mainstream schools. We bonded immediately and they are some of my closest friends today at RIT.

In high school I was in classes with mostly hearing students, so when I was in the college search process I looked at colleges that offered me the opportunity to be with both hearing and deaf people like me. It also was important that I find a college that offered support services, including speech and audiology services and interpreting. When I visited RIT I felt comfortable right away. Now, I can’t imagine myself at any other college because I don’t think I would have been so successful anyplace else. I really appreciate the access services I receive for my academics, enjoy the social life I have with other deaf and hard-of-hearing students, and like the relationships I have with faculty here. I’m able to communicate easily with students and faculty, and that’s important to me. 

I’m smart and I am capable of doing anything I want. Being deaf means I just have a different way of communicating. The factors important to me in my college search were having a great engineering program, access services for the deaf, interaction with other deaf students because I didn’t have that growing up, a friendly environment and lots of clubs and intramurals to join. RIT has been a great fit. I’ve met so many friends like me from all over America, the engineering program is awesome, and I’m getting outstanding access services that I don’t think I would get any other college. 

I was the only person who was deaf or hard of hearing at my high school. I was a good student, a little shy, with my own group of friends. My entire family and all of my friends at home are hearing, so when I was looking at colleges I wanted a diverse campus and the opportunity to meet and be around deaf people, something I hadn’t had before. I wanted to find a college where I would be accepted in general…I’ve always struggled with finding where I fit in, and sometimes I don’t feel like I belong in either the deaf or hearing world. I also wanted a college that offered a lot of majors since I was undecided which career path to choose. When I discovered RIT, I knew it was pretty much the only college I wanted to attend. And when I first visited the campus I had this amazing feeling that confirmed this was the place I was supposed to be. I applied early decision. I’ve made awesome friends here—both deaf and hearing—and I found a career path in Media Arts and Technology that I love.

Growing up, people would call me hard of hearing, but I identify myself as Deaf because both my parents are Deaf, and I was raised in a culturally Deaf family. I went to a mainstream high school with a large group of about 50 other deaf students. There was a group of us who socialized together, but we didn’t share the same interests. When I arrived at an Open House at RIT, I fit in right away. I met other students interested in technology that I connected with, and I met a faculty member who could sign and I was impressed with that.  After my visit to campus, I knew this was the right college for me. I appreciate that RIT faculty understand Deaf culture and that our varied communication needs are met here, and that the college provides great support and access services to help me be successful.

I view myself as a culturally Deaf person, exclusively using American Sign Language, general gestures and written English to communicate with everyone. For high school, I attended a school for the deaf, and with an interpreter, I went to another mainstream school to take more specialized classes for part of the day. I knew RIT would be a cultural fit, and as I suspected, I fit in perfectly. I have full access to everything on campus, and people at RIT are very accepting of diversity of all kinds. Faculty, staff and students understand and are familiar with deafness, so I’m very comfortable here. Most of my friends are deaf or strong ASL users, but some of my friends are hearing as well. Many of my hearing friends are learning ASL. My friends and I are so active on campus it’s sometimes hard to find time to eat meals together! The atmosphere at RIT is perfect for me.