<p>Just got back from a “five school in six day” college tour - during the long drive back home, we started to debrief, and concluded that the perfect school for D would be one where we would “cut and paste” the best parts of every school we have seen (Juniata’s health professions advising and internships, Dickinson’s study abroad programs, F&M’s dorms, Rhodes’ library, etc.). Out of curiosity, if you were to cut and paste from schools you and your child/children have visited, what parts of which schools would be in your ideal???</p>
<p>Hmm. The energy at UFlorida, the money and weather at USanDiego, the peaceful isolation at Gettysburg College, the social life at Tulane, the location at Boston University, and the riding facilities at Sweet Briar College.</p>
<p>That sounds like a great school! I’d imagine the Gettysburge/Tulane vibes are completely incompatible, though…</p>
<p>The residential college system at Rice, the sports environment at UT, the academics at Austin College, the personal attention of Southwestern, the rec center at North Texas.</p>
<p>The dance program at Vassar, the money from Muhlenberg, the weather from Boston (yes, we like fall & winter!) and everything else that University of Rochester has!</p>
<p>Yale as a LAC. Especially the library. <em>swoon</em></p>
<p>The game development major from WPI, the view from Stevens, the learning community dorms from Missouri S&T, the midwest nice from Rose-Hulman.</p>
<p>On a goofier note, the goat’s head from WPI, the Attila the Duck mascot from Stevens, the Stonehenge from Missouri S&T, and the maid service from Rose-Hulman.</p>
<p>The dorms from Scripps College, the academic offerings from Yale, the dining halls from Bowdoin, the weather of Cal Poly SLO, college town feeling of University of Colorado, and the friendly atmosphere from Grinnell.</p>
<p>The college town feel from Michigan; the dorms and gorgeous coastline from Bowdoin; the language programs, performing arts facilities, and scenic vistas from Middlebury; the sense of community and ethical standards from Haverford; the Athena traditions and hard-working but non-competitive vibe from Bryn Mawr; the intellectualism from Swarthmore; and the acceptance rate from Earlham.</p>
<p>Great thread! Puts it all in a whole new perspective.</p>
<p>The stone buildings and rolling green hills from VaTech; the smart and gracious professors from Duke; the knowledgable advisors from UMD, the co-op program from Drexel and (for son!) the female/male ratio from James Madison!</p>
<p>I can see the new brochures already… Would you like to spend the next four years at a school that combines the ______ of _________
the ________ of _________, etc., in our unique setting…</p>
<p>“I’d imagine the Gettysburg/Tulane vibes are completely incompatible, though.”</p>
<p>Almost as incompatible as the asphalt campus of BU and the 4000 bucolic acres at Sweet Briar!</p>
<p>Money and food from Olin, academic breadth from Swarthmore, size from HMC, campus from Swarthmore, people from Olin.</p>