MiamiDAP16183 replies1 discussionsRegistered UserPosts: 16,184Senior Member
I am happy that Miami made a list at #22. Pretty campus was one of D's reasons to attend there. Whatever makes them happy...she had great 4 years there. And our state of OH has few others, nice to know!
The point system we used in our ranking works as follows:
-Awards and Recognition: International accolade (2 points), national accolade (1 point), appearance on the National Register of Historic Places (1 point)
-Other Recognition: Inclusion on other noteworthy “most beautiful college campuses” list articles (1 point per list)
-Notable Features: Features, such as significant architecture, famous buildings, outdoor activity centers, farms, botanical gardens, arboretums, historical relevance, etc. (1 point each, or 2 points if there are several types of one feature, such as gardens)
-Location: If the location is of certain significance, such as part of a national park or forest, on a hilltop or mountain, forest, etc. (1 point)
-Student Enjoyment: Full-time student retention rates, as reported by College Navigator, above 75% (1 point) and 90% and above (2 points)
In cases where two or more schools have the same number of points, their rank order is determined by the schools’ affordability. The schools with lower net costs, as reported by the College Navigator Database, received the better ranking (lower net cost = lower number).
To create this piece, nominations were selected based on 1.) inclusion in dozens of comparable “most beautiful college campuses” list articles, and 2.) an informal survey of friends and colleagues both in and out of academia.
Picturesque natural features such as green spaces, bodies of water and arboretums were the key criteria, as was elegant architecture – and specific buildings and areas were then singled out for their outstanding looks. The ordering was selected simply on the basis of which, as a whole, seemed to be the most beautiful.
Of course, MY kid's school is top ten on the second list and only top 20 on the first, so the second's methodology is clearly better
So Bloomington, Indiana doesn't meet the rural definition, whatever. Drive in from I-65 on State Route 46, especially after you've made the turn away from Nashville (Indiana), observe the scenery, resist the temptation to pass slow-moving farm vehicles, and then we can have the discussion.
IUB had me at "when we built the new stadium, we transformed the footprint of the old one into the arboretum we're standing in right now." That's one very large arboretum. Also the Wells dictum that for any tree cut down, 2 must be planted in its place. Many places on campus you feel like you're in an Olmsted-designed park. And many of the buildings are breathtaking.
Interestingly we thought our D would be lukewarm about it because it wasn't in a large city like Chicago, Boston, or Philly. Turns out the campus has enough critical mass to offer lots of those resources right there, including their own theater and opera companies, art museum, and quite the cosmopolitan little downtown area. It's one of her top few preferred schools for next year.
@compmom said "Surprised Bennington is only #38..."
Agreed. Only thing I can think of is that Bennington's favorite son (Robert Frost) gave his vote to #22.
Title of the article would have been better as "50 of the most beautiful" without attempting to rank them. In matters of taste, there can be no argument.
LBowie1792 replies51 discussionsRegistered UserPosts: 1,843Senior Member
I notice that it's primarily liberal arts colleges. There are no universities on the list. If it included universities, I would nominate UC Santa Cruz with its builings among redwood forests and rolling hills.
WasatchWriter2432 replies96 discussionsRegistered UserPosts: 2,528Senior Member
edited October 2015
Call me a snob, but I think living on a beautiful campus is an essential part of the college experience. By this I mean old buildings made of brick and limestone, Georgian columns, Gothic arches, and an abundance of trees that shed leaves in a true fall season.
I don't mean to denigrate different tastes; that's just mine, and thankfully DD's, since she attends such a place -- though it's too urban to be on the list.
kelsmom15444 replies98 discussionsRegistered UserPosts: 15,542Senior Member
While it's certainly nice to study on a beautiful campus, I hardly think it's essential. My alma mater was a building in a nice blue-collar neighborhood of a factory town in the midwest. I loved my college experience.
I do have to admit that I use the "beautiful campus" hook when talking to students about the drop-dead-gorgeous campus of the college where I work, though.
Replies to: On a more pleasant note: A most beautiful college campus list
That's so stupid - practically every suburb of a city would be "rural" then.
whereas this list: http://www.bestcollegereviews.org/features/most-beautiful-college-campuses/
Of course, MY kid's school is top ten on the second list and only top 20 on the first, so the second's methodology is clearly better
Clearly list # 2 is right. Since UVA is #1 rather than a ridiculous #4 on the other list.
IUB had me at "when we built the new stadium, we transformed the footprint of the old one into the arboretum we're standing in right now." That's one very large arboretum. Also the Wells dictum that for any tree cut down, 2 must be planted in its place. Many places on campus you feel like you're in an Olmsted-designed park. And many of the buildings are breathtaking.
Interestingly we thought our D would be lukewarm about it because it wasn't in a large city like Chicago, Boston, or Philly. Turns out the campus has enough critical mass to offer lots of those resources right there, including their own theater and opera companies, art museum, and quite the cosmopolitan little downtown area. It's one of her top few preferred schools for next year.
Agreed. Only thing I can think of is that Bennington's favorite son (Robert Frost) gave his vote to #22.
Title of the article would have been better as "50 of the most beautiful" without attempting to rank them. In matters of taste, there can be no argument.
"It would be no small advantage if every college were thus located at the base of a mountain.” — Henry David Thoreau, writing of Williams in 1844.
I don't mean to denigrate different tastes; that's just mine, and thankfully DD's, since she attends such a place -- though it's too urban to be on the list.
I do have to admit that I use the "beautiful campus" hook when talking to students about the drop-dead-gorgeous campus of the college where I work, though.