<p>St. Lawrence
An upscale school. Really, really, nice facilities, in the middle of nowhere (e.g. - a little over 2 hours to get to Syracuse. Or Montreal, but then you’ve got to deal with whatever the border delay is.) A somewhat ‘barren’ campus (i.e. - few trees, not unlike reclaimed farmland).</p>
<p>Campus more spread out than I’d personally like – don’t imagine it’d be fun getting from A to B on a cold winter’s day. But then, my boy has thick, maple-syrupy Canadian blood, and he’s already thriving at a cold New England boarding school. Sadly, too early to get to see the campus with students, or sample the food.</p>
<p>Admissions reception struck me as, well, not relaxed. Still, a lovely chat with the admissions officer after she interviewed my son. Charming, energetic international student tour guide. S didn’t have an immediate reaction to the school, but after we’d seen more schools a week or so later, he said SLU was on his ‘High’ list. Works for me.</p>
<p>Wheaton College
Again, really nice facilities. Enthusiastic returning students. Awesome brag wall with many Fulbrights. Really didn’t care for the food. Nice wooded campus, better designed for a New England winter. Overall, a little small, tho’. Other than the food, can’t fault it. S may apply, but I wouldn’t bet on it.</p>
<p>St. Mary’s College
A gem. Whole greater than the sum of the parts. Extraordinary river locale for studying biology. Yes, my boy, it’s in the middle of nowhere. But it’s less than 2 hours from D.C. for your International Relations internship. Serviceable dorms. Excellent facilities. Really nice rock wall (my son was a climbing instructor this past summer). Liked the faculty we heard speak at a panel discussion. Had a lively lunch discussion with the head of the Environmental Science dep’t. Most excellent food. Down-to-earth students. This school knocked Clark from S’s First Choice to ‘High’.</p>
<p>McDaniel College
For me, the whole was less than the sum of the parts. Lovely campus. Excellent facilities. Wouldn’t let us see the dorms. The line to enter the dining hall was too long by half (I don’t think a student should have to budget an hour to get lunch). Not blown away by our tour. Lovely, quaint town. S won’t be applying. YMMV.</p>
<p>Goucher
I liked it more than my son (maybe too small?). Like most of the schools we saw, excellent resources, mostly new. Lovely wooded, nicely-sized jewel of a campus, belying its proximity to Baltimore. The best food of the tour. Accessible faculty. Enthusiastic students. Really energetic tour. Somewhat crunchy granola vibe. S may apply. </p>
<p>Ursinus
Architecturally stunning, suburban campus. Excellent facilities. Nicely-sized campus. Terrific 1:1 tour, tailored to my son’s interests. Food was pretty meh. Dorms beginning to show their age. I don’t doubt that this is a terrific school, but it didn’t grab either of us.</p>
<p>Arcadia
A lovely campus, if a bit small. Nice castle. We crashed an introductory session for first year IR/Political Science majors; liked the faculty very much. Liked the overall vibe. Terrific, energetic tour guide. But, at the end of the day, not a school to which S will apply.</p>
<p>Muhlenberg
Mostly excellent facilities; some showing their age, but nothing problematic. Lightly-treed suburban location. Dorms serviceable. Austere and (to me) off-putting admissions office. Energetic tour guide. Good food. I got a distinct sense of privilege here, tho’ not over-the-top. Not a fan of Allentown. All that said, son will apply, but given the temporal logistics, probably only if he doesn’t have a result which he likes by the end of January. (And I suspect that he’ll have that result.)</p>
<p>Susquehanna
Surprise #1 of the trip. Son was expecting to like it based on his review of the website. Beautiful, remote wooded campus. Wonderful, forthright discussion with the admissions officer. 1:1 tour, during which the heavens rent asunder. Son held a large umbrella shielding the enthusiastic, attractive, female sophomore tour guide (she had a dislocated shoulder and an arm in a sling). With the rain pelting down on my umbrella, I couldn’t much of what they were discussing, but S seemed engaged. :)<br>
Decent dorms. Passing through a residence common area, S was swarmed by some very jazzed freshmen, introducing themselves, wanting to know where S was from and what he (and I) thought of the school. Palpable enthusiasm. Didn’t get to see or try the food. Some excellent facilities, including a brand-spanking-new science building. On the ‘High’ list.</p>
<p>Allegheny
Lightly-treed suburban locale. Attractive campus, if a little austere – perhaps a bit too spread out? Many extraordinary resources (the environmental science building stood out for me). 1:1 tour from (I think) a junior. Nice, clean dorms. Didn’t get to see or try the food. Clearly an excellent school, but S not sure if he’ll apply.</p>
<p>Wooster
The facilities here are other-worldly. Truly, a cut above. Somewhat intimidating. That said, the general vibe was one of smart, open kids who are keen on pursuing their education as best they can. The admissions office was friendly & relaxed, and the admissions officer took the time to engage my son.</p>
<p>Overall, I was really impressed - tho’ not by the food, which (IMHO) earns a solid ‘C’. S undecided at the time of this writing (tho’ I think he should bloody well apply! :)) </p>
<p>[Aside – had dinner in Wooster at the Broken Rocks caf</p>