Anchor>> Accolades today for the Rochester
Institute of Technology- RIT was recognized
for its photography program.
Anchor2>> Resource Magazine has named RIT's
School of Photography the second best photography
program in the country for college majors.
Ali Touhey has more on why the school is being
recognized.
Ali?
Reporter>> The news comes as no surprise to
photography students we spoke with on campus
today.
In fact all agree their time at RIT has been
"picture perfect"
Resource Magazine has captured the perfect
snapshot of RIT's School of Photographic Arts
and Sciences.
Just ask Madison Mckenna.
Madison>> I think it's amazing, and I agree
with them.
(why?)
I think we have the best faculty and the best
facilities around.
Reporter>> The magazine ranks the school second
in the country ahead of colleges like UCLA
and Yale School of Fine Art.
Mckenna will graduate this year with a degree
in fine art photography.
And she already has quite the resume.
Madison>> One of my professors actually helped
me get an assistant with Time Magazine to
do a photo cover shoot.
So, there's a lot of faculty willing to go
to the ends of the earth for you to help you
get whatever you want to get.
Reporter>> The magazine doesn't mention faculty
commitment as a reason for their ranking.
But it does emphasize RIT's variety in photography
education.
That was a draw for students like Maureen
MacGregor who is majoring in photojournalism.
Maureen>> I was like: "that's what I want
to do".
I was interested in current events.
I was interested in photography.
I felt like that was a really great marriage
of my two passions.
Reporter>> And then there's Lindsay Quandt.
This recent grad has a degree in Imaging and
Photographic Technology.
Lindsey>> I went into math, and physics, and
imaging science and photography and iIve gotten
to blend those all in such a way that have
prepared me for graduate school in biomedical
engineering.
Reporter>> Those are just a few of the seven
different photography majors offered at RIT
- putting it ahead of hundreds of schools
across the country.
And now, thanks to the ranking, future students
will know it too...
Peres>> Online, on websites, everyone looks
somewhat equal.
So, I think this gives us sort of a legitimizing
that we couldn't have asked for or boasted
about us for ourselves.
It's a validation by your neighbor - and that's
particularly powerful.
Reporter>> Resource is a leading photo trade
magazine.
It's published quarterly and distributed on
newsstands across the US and Canada.
School officials say while there's no way
to track how the article will help college
enrollment...they know it won't hurt.
Ali Touhey, News 8
