<p>Whitworth’s rules are a little on the conservative side, but don’t seem to extreme. I guess the dress code is for health reasons. Thanks for the info. I learned something new.</p>
<p>SteveMA said that his kids dropped schools off their lists because “looking around, none of the other students “looked” like them”. Mine had the opposite reaction. They dropped Franklin and Marshall and Wake Forest because everyone there looked just like them. </p>
<p>I know that Wake is trying very hard to increase diversity, though. I don’t know about F&M.</p>
<p>eastcoascrazy–our kids would have defiantly been the “diverse” kids at that campus :D</p>
<p>Clark. Student assigned to take my d to lunch ignored her and texted her friends the whole time. Food was horrific. Admissions person refused to give me a brochure – said they were for kids only. Given I was the one who would have to pay $45k a year to send the kid there, you’d think they’d spare an extra leaflet. </p>
<p>Neighborhood was horrible, campus had some nice buildings but nothing exceptional. WE didn’t stay for the tour.</p>
<p>Both of mine are looking at engineering programs. Possible to rule out because of campus vibe, but to choose wisely in this area, you need to compare courses, coop and internship opps, ease of transfer if desired, etc . We’ve visited their top engr. choices twice. Starting in 10th grade is great idea, but if your child is interested in a very specific area, make sure you know how to research the program, not simply go on a tour.</p>
<p>My d is looking at engineering as well. Which schools stood out for your kids?</p>
<p>Sometimes impressions are affected by the previous school you visit. </p>
<p>Syracuse - On a school shopping trip through central/northern NY after just visiting Colgate on a beautiful autumn day we headed north to give Syracuse a chance. Our D wouldn’t even get out of the car. She found it too big and “depressing,” so we called up Cornell and set a visit up and headed south. She loved the layout of Colgate so much that Syracuse looked too “state-uish.” She also liked Cornell but felt it too sprall-ish.</p>
<p>Wesleyan - The info session was pretentious. The admissions officer was condescending and rude and just seemed generally unfriendly. Our tour guide was meh. The campus’ layout was average with some nice new dorms and cafe but overall It didn’t give our D that “come to us,” vibe, especially after the info session.</p>
<p>I thought Cornell looked very “state-uish” too. But agree on Colgate–awesome on a nice Fall day.</p>
<p>Boston College–left 1/2 way thru. If you are interested in Boston look at Tufts, Brandeis, etc.</p>
<p>We didn’t like Brandeis because of the town around it - kind of depressing.</p>
<p>Wentworth. Looked like an old high school, and the architecture class we visited was a complete mess. The work also looked like bad high school projects. The tour guides were so blas</p>
<p>Gonzaga was great but small. We were a little concerned about the religion aspect but our smart tour guide explained the religion classes well-as more of a philosophy and study of.</p>
<p>WSU -I know there are diehard fans, but it was in the middle of nowhere.</p>
<p>UIdaho-my son would not get out of the car. Too many fraternities and non campus feel.</p>
<p>UW-my D wouldn’t get out of the car-too jock looking.</p>
<p>Evergreen -loved the program aspect-my D is thriving here. Last week they handed her a chain saw, chaps and gloves for a sculpture project and said, ok you’re good. Learn by doing. </p>
<p>Lewis & Clark -D found it creepy.</p>
<p>Brandeis
S likes pretty girls, he likes beautiful campus too. After seeing Brandeis, a few days later, he visited WashU, he fill in love in a second.</p>
<p>Western Carolina University. It was just a bad experience. </p>
<p>The entire appearance of the campus was just bleh. Even their brand new quad was all poured concrete and brick. </p>
<p>Student tour guides admitted that the dorms were very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter. That might be true at many colleges, but it’s not good advertising to be so blunt about it. </p>
<p>Theatre Design/Tech “not an important program here,” told to my face.</p>
<p>I was treated very rudely by the Honors College representative, which not only made me not want to join the honors college (even though I qualified) but it made me not want to go to the school at all. </p>
<p>We were given one $5 meal voucher. Yeah, thanks. </p>
<p>The worst part however, was the location. On the tour we walked by wonderful downtown Cullowhee, it was this - <a href=“http://www.wcu.edu/WebGraphics/Cullowhee_business_district.jpg[/url]”>http://www.wcu.edu/WebGraphics/Cullowhee_business_district.jpg</a> - Not exactly your vibrant college town environment.</p>
![http://www.wcu.edu/WebGraphics/Cullowhee_business_district.jpg[/url]](http://www.wcu.edu/WebGraphics/Cullowhee_business_district.jpg%5B/url%5D){kind=link}
<p>LOL on photo!!! :)</p>
<p>We visited following schools for admitted students day:
RPI - did not like. Greeted with cold bagels and coffee served outside on a cold April morning. Then inside gymnasium, there were not enough seats. About 100 people had to stand!!! The President’s welcoming speech was so lackluster, unenthusiastic, and canned that we were surprised, considering her impressive cv. RPI’s engineering bldgs look like cement jails inside and out. The greeting staff all disappeared at 3pm, and we couldn’t find anyone to help us find the shuttles to the parking lot that was a 10 min, bus ride across campus. Some bus shuttles came, but refused to take us to parking lot, since this was not part of their route. Very unimpressive and poorly run. </p>
<p>Boston University - s did not like, since campus was basically a long strip along two sidewalks. bumped into friend’s daughter and got the feeling, it was hard to connect here. Also Clark Tower (Freshmen dorm), apparently the most condensed amount of people in any apartment building (from tour guide), was a ZOO. Escalators, packed with people like xmas in the mall. Dining Hall where they told us to eat, (I forget name) was dismal, in the basement. Also, apathetic FA dept, who basically told me to get more loans. Out of all the schools, they offered least $.</p>
<p>Northeastern - another really boring presentation from Head of Engineering Dept. How do they intend to spark interest, when the Head of Engineering is so boring!</p>
<p>RIT - S did not like, did not impress him.</p>
<p>UMass Amherst - Husband disliked, seemed like a huge State institution. Other students on tour looked like they were in a stupor. sorry.</p>
<p>Georgia Tech - admitted students invited to alumni’s house in NJ. Thought we were going to be treated to a “Nice” event, instead, the house was extemely small. Welcoming speech given in small kitchen with lights turned off!!! Mostly talked about sports and spirit and how it took everyone at least 5 years to graduate. </p>
<p>Cornell - d grad. 2011 and we all loved the school, campus, surrounding state parks, waterfalls!</p>
<p>Case Western - s attending Fall 2012. Was pleasantly surprised, great campus, dorms, dining hall, Engineering program, Loads of $ spent on facilities and new buildings. University Circle! Frank Gehry Management Bldg. Museums, Cleveland Clinic, on campus and generous Scholarship and Aid! School has free printing, computer software, laundry, Cleveland buses/shuttles free. Great bang for buck. New private apts. going up, new Contemporary Mus. of Art, and New Student Union in the works!</p>
<p>D also visited UMBC for Honors College - dismal,small. high schoolish.</p>
<p>Carnegie Mellon - Pittsburgh looked ugly and depressed. CMU looked sterile.</p>
<p>Johns Hopkins - scary neighborhood, were escorted from parking lot by police on bikes. What does this say?</p>
<p>UPenn - also neighborhood issues.</p>
<p>Yale (not that she would have made it) but we visited. I did not like town, lots of partying, clubs.</p>
<p>U of Maryland, very big, spread out.</p>
<p>Vassar - Really old, nice secluded campus, gated.</p>
<p>Columbia - Son took weekend classes here, but did not like campus and vibe.
NYU - Living in NYC, definitely kids did not want to go here. No campus. Crowded. Lost in crowd atmosphere. Hard to make connections.</p>
<p>U of Rochester - town looked like it’s going down hill. S did not want to get out of car.</p>
<p>MIT - Wonderful presentation, campus okay, but son was intimidated since we have friend’s daughter who graduated there and has a high paying job, but had absolutely no life and did not recommend going there.</p>
<p>Wow. I don’t recognize the schools I know from the above descriptions. Everyone has his/her own taste, absolutely. And NYC isn’t for everyone, but Columbia definitely has a separate and secluded campus. University walk and the Low Steps are shown in so many movies that it would be silly to list them. Columbia is practically a gated campus.</p>
<p>Across the street, Barnard definitely is, but Columbia itself is NOT very intermixed with the city.</p>
<p>NYU is for sure, but people love NYU.</p>
<p>jujumak–wow, your S sounds like my D–lots of ones coming off the list. With all of those “nos” we are having hard time coming up with a “yes” list.</p>
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<p>On a sports website I found Western won the dubious distinction of ‘worst game-day experience’ in the Southern Conference. If you can’t get people to have fun at a football game your location has issues.</p>
<p>
At first I thought ‘10 minutes?’ So I looked up the campus on Google Maps. HUGE sprawled out mess, I couldn’t deal with it.</p>
<p>
Isn’t there a freeway behind it too? I know someone who visited and remember her complaining about that.</p>
<p>Yes, parts of BU abut the Mass Pike. (aka Massachusetts Turnpike, I-90). On the plus side, there are tall dorms there and the upper floors have a great view of the Charles River.</p>