<p>^^^ Why not share the name of the school?</p>
<p>Itâs impossible to learn anything when people are coy about naming colleges in their posts. Just sayin. Has to be my pet peeve about cc.</p>
<p>sheesh! sorry! canât at this time. </p>
<p>I can say that on another trip my athlete said Bentley had âtoo many stairsâ. I think back to my own 4th floor dorm and how thankful I was for the opportunity to work off that cafeteria food.</p>
<p>Weâre finally done visiting colleges for our senior D. After visiting over 20 schools, there was only one school that we all were turned off by and that was Harvey Mudd. The school is a wonderful school, but when we saw the dorms (San Quentin Prison-like with used couches everywhere), my husband turned to me and said that this is a tour that moms should not be allowed on. The tour guide was charming, the school excellent, but we just couldnât picture DD living in that squalor for 4 years.</p>
<p>Had a similar reaction to Harvey Mudd in 2003. Sounds like they havent done much to update the dorms in 9 years :(</p>
<p>Cousin crossed off JH after going there.</p>
<p>D-2 crossed off University of Notre Dame!!! Visitor parking is by the football stadium-we live in a waaa-ay over the top football stateâŠour tour guide was very right-wing Catholic, religiousâŠbetween the two-âMOM!!! What exactly did we go there for?!â I was surprised at her reaction, but hey-no legacy here so the chances are small anyway.</p>
<p>This Mom likes well-worn couches (at Caltech not Harvey Mudd) and was put off by the too pristine Stanford. :)</p>
<p>Mount Holyokeâit just didnât feel right.</p>
<p>Amherstâtoo preppy for my tastes.</p>
<p>Kalamazoo Collegeâfelt cramped.</p>
<p>I know Mudd students and they absolutely donât care about the dorms. It takes a certain type of student to forgo having even slightly luxurious dorms for the opportunity to receie the education you get at HMC. And the campus is pretty ugly, but you do have the other Claremont colleges right next to it if you want to escape the brown mess that is HMC.</p>
<p>Duke. Everyone there just seemed very aware of how intelligent they are, so to speak. Iâm sure that the vast majority of students arenât snobs, but those that I encountered didnât leave the best impression with me.</p>
<p>And the Gothic architecture, while beautiful, was kind of a downer!</p>
<p>^^Speaking of Dukeâhusband was very unimpressed with the East Campus where the freshman live when he took D on a tour. Described it as looking like a war zone; separated from the main campus by a very busy highway. Crime rate in Durham is fairly high. In addition, many of the dorms on campus are not air conditioned (in NC, A/C could be used Aug-Oct. and Mar-May). You would think with the cost of tuition they could afford to install air conditioning! On the other hand, the Sarah Duke Garden is beautiful.</p>
<p>Thanks so much! So far, so good. My son has been so happy so far, which of course makes his parents thrilled! He said that life is very fast paced at AUâwhich he likesâand he said that the students on his hall are like his family now. For the past two weekends in a row, he and a group of students have explored different stops on the metro, trying different restaurants and having a blast. Heâs also very impressed with his professors, and liked the fact that the author of his summer reading book came and spoke to the students. He couldnât have chosen a better school.</p>
<p>D didnât like Duke either. After our campus tour she wanted to just sit on a bench and people watch for half an hour. She said very few students looked HAPPY. (So far her top pick is UVa.)</p>
<p>S crossed off Bryant. It was a huge turnoff for him that almost all the classes are in one building. Too much like high school. Itâs funny, an above poster stated they chose Bryant based on the beauty of the campus and the recent renovations and harmony of all the handsome buildings. S however said it looked like someone with a lot of money just decided to build a college overnight.</p>
<p>we visted Duke three times for S. I thought the east campus was terrible too. I was surprised to see the east campus look so shabby and I agree, we were shocked that there was no AC. One time when we visited it was 105 degrees. I canât imagine the dorms were comfortable. I think its a great school that blend academics with athletics but it wasnât for my S either. On the other hand my husband loved it. He was ready to go back to college. I think my D will love it too. Just gotta hope she can get in in a couple of years.</p>
<p>I crossed Michigan-Ann Arbor off my list for engineering because the majority of the engineering buildings (with the exception of the new comp sci building) just looked tired. The hallways reminded me of the hallways in the basement of an old hospital in the Chicago suburbs. It wasnât very well lit or clean. Also, the tour guide did not seem to know very much about the north campus or any buildings he didnât have a bunch of classes in.</p>
<p>DD liked the Oberlin campus but says its way too close to home so its off the list.</p>
<p>Byebyesavings, I took some graduate classes at Bryant about 20 years ago and got the exact same feeling from âthe unistructure.â At that time they had a lot of commuter students so parts of the hallways were lined with lockers, making it feel even more like a high school.</p>
<p>Williams  Went there expecting it to be daughterÂs dream school, but they were all so very impressed with themselves, right down to the secretaries working in the admissions officeÂit was very off-putting. Admissions rep memorized students names at the beginning of the info session and then called on them by name to quiz them and see whether theyÂd been listening. Daughter had liked the idea of a rural, mountain setting, but the actual campus did not appeal at all it all felt very closed. And that little strip of town was abysmal. Student tour guide was unpretentious and pleasant, but that wasnÂt enough to make up for the rest of the experience.</p>
<p>Dartmouth  The other school near the top of the list before visiting. Students didnÂt impress, however. No one seemed to have any but the most superficial reasons for choosing the school. Lots of loud broÂs . Big, boxy Georgian buildings. Seemed altogether very conventional.</p>
<p>Middlebury  Absolutely gorgeous campus: mountain views, spacious feeling. Tour guide was energetic and witty. Daughter almost fainted when she saw the campus ski slope. The initial visit pushed it to the top of her list. When she returned to visit in the Fall, however, she thought it seemed too much like the homogenous prep school she currently attends and bumped it down a bit.</p>
<p>Wesleyan  Based on a few negative CC posts, expected a hippie student body and dangerous surrounding community, but found it totally charming and invigorating. Friendly, down-to-earth students, all seeming very intent on their studies but still relaxed and happy. Artistic, intellectual feel but with student athletes well represented, as well. Daughter loved the graduated housing plan they offer. Admissions rep was vibrant and frankâbest info session we attended. Incredible selection of student activities posted everywhere. We went back to Middletown for dinner that night and felt quite safe walking around.</p>
<p>Bowdoin  JÂadore. Warm, friendly faculty and students. Daughter liked the admissions repÂs claim that they wanted people to feel free to try new things, to stretch intellectually, even if it meant risking failure. Beautiful campusÂnot as wild and wonderful as MiddleburyÂs, but flat might be good when the snow is 3 ft high. Daughter was almost skipping when she finished her day there. Also, we spent the weekend in Portland and loved it. Slight drawbackÂthere didnÂt seem to be as many concerts, shows, etc to attend on campus as at, say, Wesleyan.</p>
<p>Hamilton  Very high-end, polished campus. Um, excuse me? Walk-in closets in a dorm room? We had known our tour guide when he attended my childrenÂs high school and he clearly loved the place. He seemed to have blossomed there, too, both intellectually and socially, which spoke well for it. Seemed a little conservative for my daughter, however.
Kenyon  Artistic, bright and incredibly friendly students. Everyone seems so happy! Daughter felt right at home immediately. Writing program a big plus but also has a highly successful pre-med program. Campus is charming and didnÂt feel at all too isolated. Dorms could be nicer but no one there seems to mind. Housing options seem to improve dramatically for seniors.</p>
<p>Johns Hopkins  Great science and athletic facilities. DidnÂt seem at all like the pressure-cooker weÂd expected. Yes, thereÂs Baltimore, but we had taken the children there a few times when they were growing up and they had come to love it - it has a lot of funky, offbeat charm.</p>
<p>MG9999-What âloud broâsâ are you referring to at Dartmouth? Iâm originally from NH and Dartmouth has always seemed very peaceful and serene. My favorite time to visit is in, of course, the fall with the leaves at their peak all over the state (although that doesnât really matter to this discussion, just missing New England right now).</p>