I just have a few minutes for an update:
S26’s top 5 included: Kenyon, Susquehanna, UVA, Va Tech, and William & Mary. All of these schools were right at or below our budget! He then narrowed it down to Kenyon, Susquehanna, UVA, and Va Tech for various reasons. You cannot get a more mixed bag of schools than this! Haha!
We went back to each school. Someone here suggested we record/jot down S26’s thoughts after each visit and to observe his reactions. We ended up using these observations/thoughts as additional info for his pros and cons list/talk with me and my husband, and boy did it help S26 tremendously!
We tried to level the “playing field” as well so S26 requested to sit in on a class at each school, have a chat with professors and students. These experiences, while varied a bit, helped inform S26 of his decision too!
Interestingly, S26 did note the vibe at each school, but his decision wasn’t so much steered by vibe. His decision was steered by strength of the school’s English/Creative Writing program and History program, liberal arts education, room for growth & exploration, opportunities, food options (LOL), diversity, and campus size! He told us he will find his people!
More to add later!