<p>“I agree that one bad tour could give a student an inaccurate opinion of a school, but I don’t think that’s a reason not to visit any schools.”</p>
<p>I agree that visiting schools is really important…I’m just not convinced that it’s much better to let them show you around than to lok around on your own.</p>
<p>We got to the point that DD headed one way and I headed the other. She liked wandering by herself because then she was better able to fit into the campus. I liked asking pointed questions to adult workers around campus–something she prefered not to witness. I find that most campus tours share info that you could read on the Web site or in a brochure.</p>
<p>Definitely take some time to look at the parts of the campus that are not on the tour, particularly where your academic program would be based, as well as student housing complexes that they don’t show you. </p>
<p>Also, look at adjacent neighborhoods that are on the opposite side of the campus from the admissions office parking lot. Colleges have learned to spruce up their “entry gateway” and tell all visitors to take a certain driving route. Meanwhile, there may be real slums on the other side of campus.</p>
<p>Denison: too Greek/preppy</p>
<p>Earlham: D felt exposed with lack of big hills and What we saw of Richmond felt desolate</p>
<p>We have visited 7 so far and she loves every one except after her amazing interview at College of Wooster, Kenyon is probably gone…</p>
<p>Wesleyan: three male info session presenters, too many ponytails and piercings among them…left before tour…</p>
<p>Swarthmore: unsmiling students seen walking singly around campus, some bent double under heavy backpacks…</p>
<p>I think this post actually belongs here: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/705291-stupidest-reason-child-wont-look-college.html?highlight=reason[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/705291-stupidest-reason-child-wont-look-college.html?highlight=reason</a></p>
<p>NC State… ewwww, no… just no. Awful campus. Student body didn’t seem very happy. The dorms were atrocious. Also in an ugly part of town. Probably too conservative for me too. </p>
<p>Georgia… crushing disappointment. The town was great, but the campus was so disappointing. All of the other flagship state schools I had visited in the south were beautiful, but this campus was just… blah. Sprawling and bland… that’s the only way I can describe it. Probably too greek for me too. </p>
<p>Clemson… really nice campus and the town was cute… but it might be the most remote college I’ve ever visited. People seemed nice, but it was also a little jock-ish. </p>
<p>Maryland… I had always heard bad things about the campus… but I actually thought it was pretty nice. However, the town… not so much. Run-down and boring. Nicest part of it was the DC metro station.</p>
<p>what was particularly great at Wooster? D is visiting there in August, she really liked Kenyon…</p>
<p>doonerak- find mspearl’s report on Wooster on 2012 parents thread-- very detailed.</p>
<p>Number88 - Did anyone ever answer your question? Let me know. Jackuk</p>
<p>Brown - some great stuff but too cold (weather) and too northern (attitude). I think we decided to stick closer to home after this one. Culturally it was odd for her.</p>
<p>NYU and Columbia - NYC was way too crowded for her and she got claustrophobic with that many people around. Plus it snowed in March. Keep knocking off those northern schools :)</p>
<p>W&M - too far away, fear that it would be too intense, even though she’s smart enough for it, but great old feel (which is why I think she liked USC). Character of the buildings / campus and smarts of the students were nice, though but tourists didn’t do it for her. But everyone was at least friendly and it felt more southern, which was good.</p>
<p>Furman - saw when dropping DD2 off at camp. Way too small - reminded her of high school campus.</p>
<p>Clemson - I loved it. DD couldn’t see herself there for some reason. Few students around (even Furman had more students). Off the list but that’s okay.</p>
<p>UGA - surpringly positive vibe. Suspect it was the tour guides who were laid back, friendly and smart (and not greek) and who presented a very balanced image of UGA. Plus it was a Friday and people were studying (okay, not a lot, but a fair number of them). Cold and rainy but DD still thought it was a real possibility. Moreso if she can get into honors, though. Luckily she does love football.</p>
<p>Alabama - Big and pretty and friendly (and football). Places to bike and walk, great merit aid, great honors dorms. No reason not to apply.</p>
<p>USC-Columbia - as we drove into town DD wasn’t impressed (too urban). As we drove onto campus she changed her mind. Lots of students (summer as well as new ones at orientation), old buildings and brick walkways that were old (which she loved the feel of), campus had a very good feel of community. Good honors program - now a contender.</p>
<p>I had the chance to go visit colleges in North Carolina a few weeks ago. Some thoughts:</p>
<p>Davidson: This was the first liberal arts school that I had officially toured, and the college was small, but comfortable. The college has a close relationship with the surrounding community, and it’s close-ish to a major city without completely blending in. Our tour guide wasn’t particularly engaging, but I still liked the school. We were able to see a dorm room, which seemed liveable.</p>
<p>Duke: We got to tour the library, visit a classroom within one of the engineering buildings, and see some other buildings. The architectural style and the gardens of the campus are beautiful, although it was a hot summer day. During the tour, our tour guide was engaging and friendly, but ending the tour in a random location 10 minutes away from the admissions office was annoying. If any college admissions people are reading this: end your tours where you started them!</p>
<p>Valpo - Waaay too much green space, too much walking, absolutely TINY dorms and a professor who didn’t believe in his students.</p>
<p>We were visiting Georgetown with my high school sophomore who was doing a camp there, and I’d never been before so was very interested to see it. If she has the grades and the interest she could apply, of course, but I was disappointed. I’d always heard how beautiful it was, but to me it was Healy (historic) and another building with a smallish green space in front. Then homely modern buildings and parking lots galore. I guess I wasn’t expecting such an urban vibe to it. The kids I saw looked Cambridge-esque on the nerd scale. I guess I thought Georgetown was preppier or something.</p>
<p>Cornell–way too big. Cornell was my alma mater so our D’s reaction disappointed me, but c’est la vie.
Wesleyan–D uncomfortable with the look of the students…until we got to the music quad. There she felt comfortable.</p>
<p>“Wesleyan: three male info session presenters, too many ponytails and piercings among them…left before tour…”</p>
<p>I love this line. I think it was P.J. O’Rourke who said something like “If you see someone walking towards you with blue hair, a bunch of tattoos, and a bunch of piercings, you can be pretty certain there is not one interesting thing about them.”</p>
<p>We went on approximately 15 college tours across Massachusetts, Rhode Island, NY, NJ and PA. She plans to study mechanical engineering. </p>
<p>Crossed off after the visit:
Massachusetts schools:
Boston University.
D did not like the feel of the campus, and the tour guide was a little too 'dressed up" for my D’s tastes. She said to me “The shoes she is wearing cost $300!!”</p>
<p>UMass Amherst.-
D almost would not get out of the car when we arrived on campus. We were doing an info session, an official tour, and meeting my niece who attended for an unofficial tour. The campus was too large, the tour was pretty awful (over 100 people on the tour with 1 tour guide), and the grounds and buildings were in disrepair.</p>
<p>Rhode Island:
URI-
D had already applied, and we attended a Fall Open House. She did not like the way the entire open house was run, and when she spoke to a student who represented her intended major, she was totally turned off. The student was extremely condescending and not helpful at all. If she had not sent in her application already, she definitely would not have applied after the visit.</p>
<p>New Jersey:
Stevens Institute of Technology:
D wants to minor in Spanish. When she inquired, she was told that they no longer offer any language classes, and would have to go to NYU via the PATH train to take a class. The campus was nice, but getting there with all of the traffic was not fun.</p>
<p>Pennsylvania:
Drexel (my alma mater)
We attended a summer “Engineering Open House”. The weather was typical July Philly weather (95F and 98% humidity). My D is a Massachusetts outdoor girl all the way, and could not take the heat. The entire day was so poorly run, that when I saw the woman in charge of the program, I expressed our extreme disappointment, especially since I was an alum. D liked the program and the co-op, and agreed to apply, since the application was free. She got accepted to the honors college with a large merit scholarship, and agreed to go back for another visit. She just didn’t like living in the city- “too many inorganic sounds”. She also felt that she would have gotten hit be a car going to class from the dorms.</p>
<p>New York
RPI
D didn’t like the feel of the campus. The students that we saw were alone, and none seemed to be engaged in any conversations with other students. She was also told that she would need to attend a local community college in Troy if she wanted to take a Spanish class.</p>
<p>You went to 15 schools and only crossed off ONE. Wow!!</p>
<p>blueiguana-
Sorry! I hit submit too quickly, so I edited the post. We crossed off more than 1!</p>
<p>I was going to say, your student is not so picky! lol!! :)</p>
<p>@gsmomma: that’s 6 schools–what about the other 9? At the risk of going off topic (schools crossed off list), we would love your opinion of the other schools you visited.</p>