Advice Please: Narrowing Colleges

ST2
Sat, 10 Mar 2007 19:44:10 +0000

I see nothing wrong with selecting Rhodes over Yale. It is all about fit and where the student feels most comfortable. Size, location, campus atmosphere and culture and who knows what else. Four years is a long time to be somewhere where you exist or are at best semi happy.

We visited the Ivys prior to application time. After on campus visits both of mine refused to even consider an Ivy. Does not mean that the Ivys are not great schools - they just were not where my kids felt comfortable. They both ended up with big merit money at top 20 schools and were/are very happy with their choices. It is all about the right place for the right student. That is why I always advise people to visit the schools on their final list if at all possible. During the visit have the student spend an overnight in a dorm. Being with the students at 2 am in a dorm is the best way to see how they might fit in.

Certainly hope this thread returns to civility again. Many of the posters have a lot of valuable experiences to share. Very few seem to be know it alls - and everyone should remember what works for one may or may not work for another.