<p>Or notice that MathMom noted that she was talking about southern red states in terms of climate, not politics.</p>
<p>Mathmom how has your son found the âcompetitivenessâ level at CMU? What I mean is are the kids more laid back and supportive of each other or is it a higher stress/more cutthroat place? We are planning to visit CMU at some point in the next year (my son is a junior). I was just wondering what the vibe was there. My son loves an intellectual community, since he is a math/science geek (but not nerd), but he would not do well in a high stress atmosphere (especially since he will be so far from home). Just wondering.</p>
<p>I wouldnât say that CMU is competitive, but itâs hard work especially in computer science. My son works very hard at the stuff he cares about, but heâll also let slide things he doesnât care about. He was happy to turn in papers late for downgraded grades. He also stopped going to a math class last term because the same material was better covered in a physics class. Unfortunately he also forgot to go to a midterm. He calculated he still couldnât fail and made no attempt to make it up. My son is Mr. Supernerd he hangs out at the Linux cluster and plays geeky board games. I think there is room for more broadminded kids, but my son isnât one of them. My sense is that kids are quite cooperative letting each other know about available internships and opportunities.</p>
<p>Child crossed off Clark University (MA) after visiting & hearing from a Clarkie who attended childâs former high school about not feeling safe. Too much crime vs. Clark students.</p>
<p>Sent from my ADR6300 using CC App</p>
<p>Vandy-Drove 800 miles to Vandy D wouldnât even get out of the car. Said her âhair looked badâ from sleeping in the car and didnât want anyone to see it. There were like two people on campus on that Sunday. I loved the campus walking it with my six year old while D stayed in the car. Teenagers!
TCU- D didnât like TCU because all of the buildings were yellow brick, and the ad counselor bragged at the hundreds of 35 ACT applicants they had. Hundreds? at Texas Christian? Really, hundreds? Also 105 degree day and they had a walking tour and no water available anywhere. Off the list.
Tulane- D. thought Tulane looked too ghetto going into N. O. off the bridge, crossed off list. Teenagers!
MI State-D. saw too many rainbow flags on campus and thought dorms were yucky.
William & Mary-Is this a senior citizen hot spot or what.
Now considering turning down top choice with huge scholarship because they require a TB test. Afraid of needles. Teenagers!</p>
<p>mommidwest - Too bad about Vanderbilt. S and I flew to Nashville last fall after he decided he wanted to have a serious look. We had a good session and a great tour guide on campus. Itâs an excellent school with a hefty price tag. Of course it is now one of his top 3 or 4 choices if he is accepted.</p>
<p>Williams - my alma mater. Visited three times. The third time my d. did a Thursday overnight. Women started drinking at 6 p.m., and took flasks to a capella concert. Lots and lots of athletes. My d. ended up tutoring a student in her music homework.</p>
<p>Great school - for the right student. She turned it down for Smith.</p>
1 Like
<p>HartwickâŠhated it! Too bad because they give great merit aid for âBâ studentsâŠoh wellâŠâtoo much brickâ and âtoo many hillsââŠhmmâŠ</p>
<p>Hartwick, you need to be a mountain goat to navigate that campus! :)</p>
<p>âToo much brick,â âTB test needlesâ (I think all schools require this), ârainbow flagsâ (meaning respecting gay rights??). I donât get it.</p>
<p>Avonhsdad:</p>
<p>My hunch is that mommidwest is a â â â â â . Best to ignore âherâ. My nephew is a senior at Vanderbilt now and has had a terrific 4 years there. Hope your S gets in!</p>
<p>I donât think mommidwest is a â â â â â ; I have heard many other stories similar to hers. The daughter of one of my friends went to Princeton and refused to get out of the car. I wouldnât put up with such nonsense, but Iâm a mean mom.</p>
<p>This school is still on the list because my daughter liked it, but hereâs something I really didnât like: At Wake Forest, there are no restrooms directly off the cafeteria. As a result, in order to wash oneâs hands before eating, one has to go through a door, up some stairs, and down the hall to get to a restroom. That seems to discourage hand-washing. In addition to being a mean mom, Iâm a clean mom, I guess.</p>
<p>My daughter didnât want to get out of the car at Brandeis a few years back, she didnât like the look of the campus and the kids that she saw walking around the parking lot (too earthy crunchy granola type for this designer loving republican teen). I made her get out of the car and sign in at the visitor center but didnât make her do the tour. FWIW, I liked the look of the place (but then, I am more liberal in my politics and more uncaring about whose label I wear). ;)</p>
<p>I should add that while I would make my child get out of the car, Iâm not sitting in judgment of parents, including my friend, who donât do so. Itâs your kid and your family; take whatever approach you want.</p>
<p>This is a cumulative for D1/D2 btw '04 & '08:</p>
<p>DUKEâGorgeous day, beautiful campus & gardens, pretty snooty info session director. D1 applied, only school not accepted to, prob would have attended if she had beenâgood for me $$$-wise!</p>
<p>UMIAMI/CORAL GABLESâLike a different planet, students studying out by the poolâŠin February! Good departments, D1 accepted w/half-ride, did not attend, too far away from home would be my guess as to reason.</p>
<p>MIAMI U (OXFORD, OH)âPicturesque, one-on-one in meetings, seemed cliquish, D1 did not apply.</p>
<p>BOSTON UâNeat tour, happening area, impressive facilities, D1 accepted w/good merit, did not attend, was #2 choice.</p>
<p>UIUCâBoth D1 & D2 accepted, neither attended. Too many friends there (âlike high schoolâ), not a lot of campus spirit it seemed to them. Good, informative tour, but like a cattle call.</p>
<p>SAINT LOUIS UâPerimeter of campus very sketchy safety-wise, facilities old, nice folks, trying hard. D1 accepted w/good merit, both of us decided SLU was not a good fit.</p>
<p>U IOWAâboth Dâs accepted w/merit, D1 attended, D2âs #2 choice.</p>
<p>IL WESLEYANâD2 almost fell asleep in one-on-one interview (up most of night studying), did not apply. Nice campus, great tour.</p>
<p>AUGUSTANA (IL)âBeautiful campus, spread out, top-notch facilities. D2 applied, was accepted with great merit $$. Did not attend, she thought too homogeneous & small student body (2000).</p>
<p>UW-MADISONâD2 did campus tour in a blizzard, loved everything about it. Great campus spirit, facilities. Decent diversity for the Midwest. Applied, accepted (no $$$!) & is attending.</p>
<p>
LOL, mommidwest, whether you are a â â â â â or not! D and I agree with you wholeheartedly!</p>
<p>CCC, if mommidwest is a â â â â â , how do you know her nephew is at Vanderbilt? (honest curiosity) </p>
<p>We visited Brandeis in passing, wasnât on Dâs list-- 5 minutes talking to a kid in the theater and then the very charming info session, seeing kids having coffee with profâs, and it went to the top. Itâs slipped a bit since. </p>
<p>jnm123 my U of Iowa pride forces me to commend your D1! I loved it there, so much!</p>
<p>Hey Gwen! Wife & I are both Hawkeye grads as well, albeit long ago. D1 graduated with a degree in integrative physiology, prepared her well for med school.</p>
<p>Only prob Iâve had with Iowa City in the years D1 attended as opposed to our years there was the metamorphosis of downtown to the sports bar/drinking mentality. Seemed to be a lot more laid-back, hippie-ish, and wonderful in the late '70âs. A lot more great little stores/coffeehouses & the like back then.</p>
<p>However, a recent law requires all bar attendees to be 21+ only, which could bring it back full circle. This is a huge change because now 19-20 year-olds cannot get in, and theyâre really watching for fake IDâs now, where before it was nod-nod-wink-wink. With that also comes a major loss of revenue to the city because the Iowa City police would routinely give out underage drinking tickets at $300 a pop. Seems to be a common thing, at least on Big Ten campuses.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Every school is a matter of personal preference, but in the spirit of an opposing opinion for anyone who hasnât been there, I could not disagree more. My student loves the school and would have loved to have it on his list. They donât offer his major, so it wasnât a consideration. I will say his time on campus was never through the eyes of a prospective student, but many visits with a friend whose parents are alumni and took him to football games.</p>
<p>I would never discount how another person feels about a school, we are all individuals. I just wanted to offer a different point of view.</p>
<p>blueiguana, Iâm sure your view of W&M is better informed than mine. We only did a glancing visitâcouldnât help laughing at that description though. </p>
<p>And, jnm, Iâm sorry to hear that-- I was a grad student at Iowa so I was always of age but my memories of the bars is of great music and good times among friends, the beer being of fairly minor importance! I think of all the trees blooming, porch swings, some amazing blues bandsâŠI must have done some studying too, right?</p>