Colleges you/child crossed off the list after visiting

Parents Forum
2201

<p>Like others, I love reading the positive and negative visit threads!</p>

<p>I find it interesting to compare what we expect of our visits. Quite a few visitors are turned off when they visit a campus and the current students are “cold” or unfriendly, or if they go into the coffee shop and all the students are studying or on their laptops.</p>

<p>Everything is such a matter of taste! (which is why these threads are fascinating!)</p>

<p>I remember being a student, I would never have paid any attention to prospective students on tours. They were like leaf peepers in New England or tourists in DC, better ignored and rendered invisible, certainly not “real.” As a visitor, I would find it excessively creepy if a current student approached me in the dining area and tried to… talk to me. Stalkerish! (Unless I asked a question first… but my boys usually make me swear to the No Talking To Strangers Rule.)</p>

<p>But then, I’m from NYC and live in DC, but I smile when friendly student make YOU happy!</p>

2202

<p>We visited MIT with S a few weeks ago. I was surprised at the architectural mishmash of the campus, but it seemed okay. I do like that it is located at the “quiet” end of Mass Avenue. S seemed to be in nirvana - loved everything about it, including the tour guide’s hacking stories.</p>

2203

<p>akapiratequeen, she is at Elon (in NC).</p>

2204

<p>i wonder how many students don’t visit a single college they get accepted too and just go based on what they’ve seen online. well i’m one of them =]</p>

2205

<p>theColorRed - and is it everything you expected?</p>

2206

<p>^i’m still a senior lol.</p>

<p>i’m about 90% sure though that i’ll fit in at cornell. i certainly think i’ll be okay. i have seen videos of the campus and the college town and they’re beautiful, and i’m ready for snow and cold. and i think i’ll find a niche socially there</p>

2207

<p>My nephew chose Princeton and had never been there (though he had visited a lot of colleges, just never made his way there). His first glimpse was for move-in. Oh well, what was not to like?</p>

2208

<p>Silversas that’s hilarious about not talking to anyone. My kids are the same way but I paid no attention and got more info talking to students on the sidewalk, even in the loo to get the scoop. At one college which was very rural I asked a girl I just happenned upon if there was enough to do on campus and she said, “Well, um, you have to look really hard but,if you do, yea, I guess.” That was enough for me that I wouldn’t have heard on the tour. Crossed off the list. (I’m from the NY area, too and yes, my friendliness drives the kids to distraction.)</p>

2209

<p>D hated U Penn and Philadelphia; didn’t like U Wisconsin, Claremont McKenna or Loyola Marymount. She liked Notre Dame and LOVED William & Mary. Is now a junior at W&M and has thrived there.</p>

<p>S visited RPI, Drexel, DePaul and WPI and crossed all off his list after visits. So far, he’s heard from RIT, Miami of Ohio and SMU – all acceptances with great scholarships and other perks. Still waiting to hear from 4 more schools.</p>

2210

<p>Gourmetmom,</p>

<p>Another difference! I went to MIT (A zillion years ago) so I EXPECT colleges to have all different kinds of architecture, to me that reflects intellectual liveliness and creativity. Thus, I liked Bard, Brandeis, Oberlin and even Vassar (as its newer buildings were distinctive).</p>

<p>I found the U.Md. College Park architecture to be b-o-r-i-n-g, and I found it particularly horrifying that the more contemporary student center was designed and built to actually look like and blend in with the old boring style!</p>

<p>S1 didn’t care at all, S2 prefers modern eclectic architecture.</p>

2211

<p>We’ve been slowly looking at schools the past year as we go on vacation, to volleyball tournaments, etc. Tours so far with D1:</p>

<p>Duke: beautiful campus, people friendly, facilities clean, lots of library space, good social atmosphere, visited dorm room- small but cute. Did not see the freshman campus. D1 could see herself there.</p>

<p>Richmond: smaller, similar suburban location, gorgeous brick buildings, nice range of programs but students seemed too preppy, no longer interested.</p>

<p>William & Mary: nice size, colonial W-burg a plus given her potential interest in history, D knows many people there, did not get the vibe that it was “too intense” as its rep indicates. A definite possibility</p>

<p>UVA: our hometown school, D1 has grown up around it, gone to camps there and enrichment activities. Is a wonderful place she would really like but we live 15 minutes outside of town, so doesn’t really seem like going away to college. On the list, though.</p>

<p>Franklin & Marshall, kind of small, dorms looked somewhat monolithic, D1 not excited. Now off the list.</p>

<p>Georgetown: big, with jets going by overhead all the time as the campus is on the flyway to national airport (I refuse to say Reagan International Airport). Old campus is pretty but behind them the dorms and other academic buildings rise from a blacktopped sloping hill with a football field stuck right in the middle of campus. It was the antithesis of the spacious grounds that Duke or UVA have. Seniors can live in great apartments overlooking the potomac river. Science buildings are tired and renovations are on hold pending financial issues. A major disappointment and now off the list.</p>

<p>Princeton: showed up on a Sunday, took a tour but all buildings locked up tight. Campus is spectacular architecture, facilities first rate hardly any students to be seen. Where were they all? Couldn’t figure it out. It was Presidents Day weekend, had they all left town? Went by the eating clubs, could see how this could really fragment junior and senior year which tour guide confirmed. Butler dorms that get the bad rap actually look fine but just look incongruous next to the rest of the gothic buildings. Great program in genetics/evolution (D1 other interest). “I could see myself here if I could only get in, Dad”)</p>

<p>Swarthmore: visited the next day, cold rainy grey February. Grounds beautiful even then, small but spacious suburban campus. Tour guide went everywhere, even into the mens bathroom in the dorm (it was very clean). Place is well organized, great facilities for a school of this size, students seemed very happy, not the nerd-magnet school I feared. Did not seem too small as this was D1s fear. Overall conclusion “I liked this better than Princeton, Dad”</p>

<p>Big tour planned over spring break through new england!</p>

2212

<p>doonerak, my D felt the same way about G’town. She added that all the students were too serious and intense.</p>

2213

<p>I’m a student, but I stumbled upon this thread and I wanted to post my visits.</p>

<p>Harvey Mudd-I wasn’t really interested when I went on the visit, but I absolutely loved it. It had an awkward layout but the students seemed eccentric in a good way.</p>

<p>Scripps-The campus was beautiful and the general atmosphere was very friendly.</p>

<p>Reed-I went into this visit with this as my top choice college, but I didn’t end up applying. It seemed dirty and bug infested to me. Also, I knew the nature of the student body, but they seemed much more extreme compared to what I had thought. </p>

<p>Davidson-Loved it! The campus was put together, friendly, and cohesive. The student body seemed great, and the faculty was even better.</p>

2214

<p>I’m a student as well:</p>

<p>Mount Holyoke: absolutely fell in love with the all women atmosphere, but it was too small and too quiet (surrounding area included) for my liking. Nice students and staff. and since I was the only sophomore who visited, i got to sit down with a current student about to graduate and someone from admissions. I wasn’t expecting such wonderful treatment and i know now to be prepared, although i always bring a notebook to jot down notes on college visits. crossed off list, though it’s a great school</p>

<p>RPI- loved the buildings. disliked the hills i had to walk up and down. and disliked the surrounding area. my pre-calc teacher went there and said it was boring (and i certainly get tha vibe.) the student panel said they had to travel to downtown troy or even farther to have fun. loved their programs.</p>

<p>Yale- LOVED IT! all smiles, literally, and not in a creepy way either. just the right city-feel for me. and they have a program i want (computer science and psychology.) their multicultural scene is amazing, i’ve yet to see a college display something of that caliber. not sure of the extent of other colleges having separate cultural houses for native americans, asians, african americans (this is exclusive however IMO but i’m sure all black peoples are welcome,) and hispanics and actually having them play active roles in the school and neighborhood community.</p>

<p>MIT- didn’t like at first. the campus overwhelmed me with it’s degree of techie-ness. i still like it though, and i’m going to apply. felt uneasy about the rush of the city, but that’s because i’ve never lived in one before. but the boston area is great.</p>

<p>Rutgers- didn’t have an actual tour, just a drive around. it was way too city for me and i was overwhelmed, but i will apply and visit again if accepted.</p>

<p>visiting smith in a couple weeks, and wellesley, northeastern, and boston u in april, does anyone have feedback on these schools? thanks!</p>

2215

<p>My son just showed me this ad - I feel like people on this thread would love it:</p>

<p>The Honest College Ad
<a href=“Dropout - Independent, ad-free, uncensored comedy | Dropout”>Dropout - Independent, ad-free, uncensored comedy | Dropout;

2216

<p>^That is SO awesome, Lafalum! Loved it!!</p>

2217

<p>My S LOVES those videos. They really can be a pretty amusing commentary on college life.</p>

2218

<p>BRANDEIS!! EW. Extremely Ugly Campus, Terrible Tour Guide, and Powerpoint Stuttering infosession. I thought it was a joke.</p>

2219

<p>^^^^There you go! We found the Brandeis campus eclectically charming, the tour guide leader wonderful, and the powerpoint presentation informative and professional. S1 was not very interested in applying, after the visit it rose to #2 after oberlin.</p>

2220

<p>My son didn’t care for the many modern buildings at Brandeis (I loved them however), but loved the tour guy. I thought the info sessions was better than average and I loved, loved, loved the flyers about every major available at the info area. Unfortunately we visited the afternoon before Passover and the campus had already emptied out. I also was disappointed by the interior of the dorm we saw - the old castle building. It had been completely insensitively renovated a long time ago.</p>