I am from Rochester and i just started my Graduate studies at RIT. Its a top notch school, recognized not just in US but all over the world. Lot of international studies. Its not a small school, its really big. They are actually building new apartments and townhouses in RIT. If you can’t get into a dorm, there are many apartment complexes available near RIT. Technology, Computer Sciences, Engineering, Graphic Design, IT, Physician Assistant and lately their Business programs are the most sought after. Its very competitive to get into, especially the Engineering and IT programs. If you can’t get into the program of your choice, you can apply to Multidisciplinary and spend couple of quarters there and just transfer over to the program you want to get into (don’t tell that to the department chair). Cornell is also a great school, RIT has the advantage of Rochester, its a pretty decent size city and many things to do here than Cornell. Hope this helps!