<p>Hi, all you wonderful CCers. We just got back from a whirlwind trip to the states and I thought I’d share our experience with you. We ended up visiting 19 colleges in two weeks and are exhausted but satisfied and glad that we did it. It was a worthwhile trip. Needless to say, D,H and I each had our favorites, but of course, it is D that is going to college, so H and I tried hard to keep from convincing her to apply to OUR favorites! This is only the impressions we got from each campus and it does not, by any means, constitute the academic side of all these wonderful colleges. I would have to write a book if I included that too!</p>
<p>Georgetown: D loved it. I did too, but didn’t like the neighborhood surrounding it. H was neutral.
Princeton: D fell in love with it. H and I liked it too. I didn’t like the approach to the university. We drove in from the back, right by parking lot #7 and I thought it looked ‘industrial’; however, I quickly changed my mind after we arrived at the main area of the campus, via a shuttle provided by the school. Nice campus. The cute little town reminded me of one in CA where we used to live.
Yale: D and I both didn’t like it. H liked it. No campus feel with public roads running through the campus. I guess the buildings were pretty nice, but the area surrounding it ruined our perception of it.
Brown: D didn’t like the area surrounding the campus. I loved the campus. H was neutral.
Connecticut College: Beautiful campus, but in the middle of nowhere. Need a car to get anywhere.
Boston College: D fell in love with this one too. H and I too. Gorgeous.
Brandeis: D hated it. H and I didn’t think it was so bad. I guess compared to the other older schools with the gothic, colonial or what not architecture, this one pales in comparison.
MIT: H’s favorite. D and I liked the view of the river. The area behind it wasn’t nice, although it got better as you drove further away from the campus.
Harvard: Beautiful campus. We all agreed on this, but D says there’s no way she’ll apply to this one.
Tufts: Was totally deserted (spring break), but D still loved it. Nice campus.
Middlebury: Beautiful campus but in the middle of nowhere. H couldn’t believe they would build a campus so far away from civilization. Too rural for D.
Dartmouth: D loved it. Beautiful campus. This is also supposed to be rural, but D liked the little town right by the school. H and I liked it too.
Amherst: Another one D loved. Me too. H didn’t go on tour. He and younger D went to KFC to eat and get take-out for D and I. Time constraints!
UMass Amherst: Huge. D thought too big. H and I neutral.
Hampshire: D hated it. Me too. H stayed at the Admissions office, drinking coffee. Ugly dorm and campus not well kept up.
Swarthmore: I loved it! Gorgeous campus. D, H and I all loved the campus, but D didn’t like the inside of the buildings.
Haverford: D liked this one too. At this point, the campuses started to look the same to me!
Villanova: Nice campus. D liked the fact that it is religious.</p>
<p>That’s only 18…Oh, Columbia. H loved the campus. D and I liked it, but D hated the area surrounding it. She said the campus is nice, but once you step out of it, it’s awful.</p>
<p>That’s it. I’m sorry if I offended anybody who likes the campuses we didn’t!
But, to each his own!</p>
<p>Man oh man! How in the world did you keep it all straight! We are gonna have a good time following your decision process for the next several months! You get a medal for fortitude!!!</p>
<p>About the schools- do you have any other thoughts? What about the programs the dorms, the libraries, the student body, that kind of stuff.
That would really be helpful. </p>
<p>We visited Georgetown and had no problem with the neighborhood. The area around the school is mostly student apartments etc, and like any city, a little worn. But very quaint and homey. The main street is a bit pricey for its stores and restaurants, but there were enough cheap places to eat. We walked aroumd there at night, and felt safe. We are from a big city, so we are used to things being a little older.</p>
<p>Damom, Wow, you were really moving. We are also an international family and when we made our grand tour we visited about half the schools on your list for a total of 14. (Son ended up at Williams. Sorry, you didn’t get there, but it seems she doesn’t need another option.) </p>
<p>Organizing the college application process from afar isn’t easy. Does your daughter intend to return again for follow up visits? Especially for the LACs, demonstrated interest is a big deal for these selective colleges so if you didn’t have time to take the tour or attend the info sessions or in any other way go on record, your daughter should e-mail the adcoms to let them know that she was there. </p>
<p>Also, please don’t take this the wrong way as I know nothing about your daughter’s qualifications, but many kids this year were surprised by their matches and safeties. It seems that your daughter started out with a few less selectives but that they bit the dust except Villanova. My suggestion would be to work on this category even if it means going outside of her ideal geographic area or considering woman’s schools.</p>
<p>Nothing was wrong with the area around Georgetown. D loved it and said that it reminded her of the 101 Dalmations. I just thought it looked a bit worn. Nothing major. Absolutely loved DC, though! Was my first time there and will definitely return to see more of it. </p>
<p>Thanks for the advice, momrath. Yes, I was a bit disappointed that she didn’t like any of her safeties. H and I talked about returning again this summer for another round of visits. Any suggestions? We found out on this trip that D doesn’t like rural nor urban. She’s a suburban kid. She wants to stay in the Northeast/mid-Atlantic region. Safeties that are in the UMass, Villanova, Hampshire range. She doesn’t want to go to an all girls school. I can’t think of anything so please allow me pick your brain! </p>
<p>citygirlsmom, are there any particular schools you’re interested in out of the ones we visited? I can look over my notes to see if I had written info. on the librairies, etc.</p>
<p>Damom, I think you’d do better asking for suggestions on the regular parents board as the elusive nature of safeties (or less selectives or sure bets) has become a major topic! Having said that, you could also take a look at the thread “What worries me about safeties” on this board.</p>
<p>For your daughter Skidmore, Goucher, Sarah Lawrence and Drew come to mind. The only one of these that we visited is Skidmore which son liked very much; however, I don’t know what your daughter is looking for.</p>
<p>Damom: campus beauty is a short-term thing. My college had some pretty weird-looking buildings on it (still does) but after a while it didn’t matter; we joked about it, but for four years it was my home. College students don’t spend much (if any) time enjoying the aesthetics of their campus (campii?) or bemoaning the lack of them; they spend the time hanging out with their friends and enjoying (or not enjoying) the overall atmosphere.</p>
<p>Match/Safeties not in the sticks-- Syracuse might be a poss. U of Rochester, George Washington?</p>
<p>Not sure what your D’s stats are, nor (other than the look of the schools) what appeals to her. Dartmouth, BC, & Haverford have virtually nothing in common… need more info about style, feel, personality…</p>
<p>Thank you all, for the suggestions! We will look at the websites for each school.
My D is a BWRK. She likes to be academically challenged, but is not overly competitive. Only hard on herself. She isn’t exactly a WH/PH type though. More a WH/R type. She’s usually pretty laid-back even if she has a million things to do. Doesn’t drink or smoke, and is perfectly happy staying at home instead of going out with friends. She likes to have fun, but always with an ingrained sense of responsibility. Will prefer bird-watching to hiking(!) Loves books, and will pick a bookstore over a clothing store any day. As for a personality “fit”, I’m a firm believer in “everyone will find their niche.” I don’t think categorizing a school in a certain way (liberal, conservative, sporty, etc.) necessarily means that every single person at the school is like that. My D will find someone who matches her personality wherever she goes. She found out on this trip that she doesn’t want to live in a city, but doesn’t want to be totally isolated either. She has specific classes she wants to take in college and wants to join a specific club too; thus the aforementioned list of colleges we visited.
Momrath, could you give me some of the impressions you and your son had of Skidmore? If I remember correctly, I read somewhere that it is a school that is attractive to boys…why is that??</p>
<p>Skidmore was originally an all girls school and still has a greater percentage of girls (last I checked it was 60%, but that may have changed) thus it is somewhat less selective for males than females. It’s located in Saratoga Springs, which is a lovely small town, quite lively in the summer, quite snowy in the winter. Skidmore for years had a reputation of being a “finishing school” for affluent girls, but lately with the trickle down affect from selective colleges, it’s greatly improved its academic standing. The focus is, I think, heavily on the humanities but it also offers a well-rounded liberal arts education.</p>