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Replies to: What school was unexpectedly your least favorite when you visited?
A lot of folks also mentioned UCSD, I personally liked the campus, or parts of it anyway. My daughter, however, did not care for it. Also, she was turned off by the information session before the tour. The first thing the speaker asked the audience was "Has anyone here already been admitted?" It was a pretty full room, maybe 150 or so people. A few students raised their hands. The speaker went on to say "You should feel really honored to have been accepted." That just rubbed my daughter the wrong way - no "we're lucky to have you" or "we would love for you to choose us" to counteract it.
Both daughter and I very much disliked the tour at Rutgers. The campus is too spread out and dorms and classrooms were very dark and dreary. That said, we toured prior to many new renovations. They built and opened dorms/facilites for a new Honors college, new student apartments, an upgraded/new research facility for biomed and health sciences, not sure what else.
We went to to the presentation the next morning then left. It really is in the middle of nowhere.
If you wait long enough you'll find that every school will eventually be trashed. As my friend in Texas says, "It takes all kinds to fill the freeway." Now back to the hating!
But don't you feel good about all the smack downs being directed at UVA and its "Grounds"?
UPenn - Surrounding area was too congested
What sealed it was we walked around, finally found somewhere to eat that wasn't closed. First impression - expensive - really wanted to know where the 'broke' college students hang out, that's what we usually look for - didn't find anywhere at UVA. What we did find was a table full of overly dressed, preppy frat boys getting drunk on bottles of white wine. Loud, unbearably pretentious - D wouldn't even tour afterward. For a kid wanting a great downtown scene for her college and outgoing, nice, earthy, non-preppy kids - that table of boys totally turned her off.
For my son, it was a visit to JMU. I loved the school, took my daughter back there. She at least kept an open mind throughout the day, he felt the whole place was creepy. It was like 'Stepford Wives' nice to him. He's a weightlifter and hockey player and the overly excitable, super friendly tour guide was a bit too nice for him. He kept asking me why everyone was so nice.... he kept looking for some balance but everyone we saw just loved the school and was very enthusiastic about it. One of his classmates is very much like the tour guide we had, she ended up there, loves it - she is a perfect fit!
The creepy turtle pond at CalTech ....not to mention the fountain with no water (EVER!)(yes, yes I know...water conservation, but really whatever is the point then)
The cigarette butts strewn all around the dorms at Swarthmore (kinda messes with the arboretum mojo to have butts in the hellebores)....sacrilege truly
What the freak with all the weeds and unkempt interior courtyards at MIT....there has to be more to life than PSets and Pranks
Okay...feeling better now
That's interesting. I remember being shocked at how ugly the MIT campus was. Visiting in February may have had something to do with that, though.
I mentioned that once to a friend who went to MIT, and he laughed and said, "Yeah, it's oppressive."
Berkeley is disappointing because it's in such a great location, but so shabby. It's like every trail and pathway through campus leads to a parking lot.
I thought U of Florida was pretty bland and generic, too.
Brandeis just didn't click - lackluster tour guide and a campus that didn't feel cohesive. Penn was a big no, due to the pre-professional vibe, but that really didn't come as a surprise.