<p>Did you all realize the OP’s child may be graduating soon from college by now?</p>
<p>wis75, that is true! haha.
I did not come here for entertainment, but am finding some.</p>
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<p>I think we’ve long since forgotten that there was an OP… ;)</p>
<p>UPitt. Visited a few weeks ago. Daughter loved the city but not the school. Realized she wants “traditional” (like UDel or UMD/College Park) campus near an urban area, not one right smack in the middle of it. But UPitt seems to have really engaged kids and rigorous program. Easy to see why it’s the right school for many others!</p>
<p>Divertoo, I don’t like Lehigh but I’ve been to the campus. It’s definitely too hilly. Kids there must really get a work out…lol.</p>
<p>Sent from my DROID BIONIC using CC</p>
<p>My experiences:</p>
<p>MIT- I never had an official tour; I was there for <a href=“mailto:E2@MIT”>E2@MIT</a>. I can say, though, that I absolutely loved the campus and culture, so much so that it was my top choice. </p>
<p>Cornell- tour guide was really informative and made me like Cornell more; however, I’m not crazy about the campus. It’s far too big and hilly. It’s beautiful, but just not for me. </p>
<p>Dartmouth- went for a fly-in. The campus was definitely “pretty,” but what really caught me were the people. Dartmouth’s community was inviting and very friendly; absolutely loved that about it. I actually went on two tours there. The first one was literally as soon as I got there, but it actually turned me off, do I started off the fly-in thinking “mmmm, not the place for me.” My second tour guide completely switched my feelings towards Dartmouth though. She was cheerful, nice, and really informative. </p>
<p>Yale- Yale has a gorgeous campus; it’s very lovely, but not the place for me. The campus feels too much like a city, even more so than COLUMBIA did. My tour guide was fine; very informative, but the campus vibe turned me off.</p>
<p>Princeton- didn’t go on a tour, but wow, loved the campus. It was absolutely gorgeous. The campus vibe also seemed to fit me well.</p>
<p>Penn- i went to Penn really excited, but by the end, I was somewhat disappointed. Some parts of the campus I absolutely loved, but most of it just seemed “off.” Not my scene.</p>
<p>Bowdoin- I did explore Bowdoin, and wow. Just wow. Bowdoin truly is a gem! The people are WONDERFUL. Absolutely wonderful. The campus is also pretty lovely. Definitely was impressed with Bowdoin.</p>
<p>And Columbia, my future school ^.^ I loved, absolutely loved, the campus. I loved how it was IN NYC, but when I was on campus, I didn’t feel it at all. It had the perfect campus feel. Not to mention that Columbia is literally breathtaking. The tour guide was also very informative and cheerful towards Columbia. Overall, I had a great experience visiting. It’s pretty funny considering I visited thinking “this isn’t the place for me.” Now I’m going there :3</p>
<p>divertoo & fendergirl - Lehigh IS very hilly, but it pales in comparison to Holy Cross. Both are built on the side of hills, but Holy Cross is on the side of an even steeper hill.</p>
<p>I remember walking up the hill at Lehigh once and being out of breath by the time I got there, lol. It felt like hiking!</p>
<p>Sent from my DROID BIONIC using CC</p>
<p>This is such a helpful thread</p>
<p>My DS loved the hills at Lehigh (and the food)! The hills reminded him of his sleepaway camp in the Berkshires. He would also love the “workout” of getting around campus. Just goes to show you how beauty is in the eye of the beholder!</p>
<p>(He got accepted to0, but not attending.)</p>
<p>Case Western - Went for an admitted students day last week. Arrived on a Sunday afternoon, mid-60s sunny, just a nice spring day. We walked around campus - and there were literally NO students around. Noone sitting in the grass, noone hanging outside the library…we saw more squirrels than students. Went into a few buildings - the student center - saw one kid. Finally saw a couple kids on our way back to the hotel, heads down, not smiling. Kept wondering where everyone was - we actually began to wonder if it was spring break or something. It was a big disappointment because everything on paper looked great and Dd was expecting to love it - she’s looking for that serious academic student vibe in an urban campus - but this was beyond, it was just too quiet and wasn’t really “urban” - more small city. Went the next day to the “admitted student day” which looked very interesting on paper, could choose from tours, sitting in classes or other dept. overviews. Unfortunately, it was just as low energy as the campus was the afternoon before. 6 of us went to the free breakfast - 5 admissions people chatted amongst themselves and didn’t attempt to “sell” or engage any of us in conversation. Attended a presentation from the engineering dept (everyone was yawning, prof was nice enough but it was pretty dull) and then went back down to the sign-in table to ask where the campus tours were supposed to meet. “Take a seat” was my instruction to which I added “So someone will make an announcement or scream or something when tours will start?” and the woman from Admissions who seemed in charge replied with a snippy tone “We will DEFINATELY NOT be SCREAMING” to which I replied “Actually that would be ok because it would at least bring a little energy to this place.” She was acting like she had just managed a flood of people and didn’t want to be bothered by one of these stupid parents. Again, there were about 30 families, tops. Geez, way to make people feel welcomed. Tour was actually really engaging but we asked about where all the students were on Sunday and guide told us, don’t worry, right now classes are going - but when they dismiss you will see kids flood out of those buildings… We never saw the flood. This was my 21st college visit - and it was the most underwhelming and unwelcoming.</p>
<p>D crossed UNC Chapel Hill and UVA off her list.Loved the energy but too big. She wants small class sizes, wants to know professors and vice versa, wants to recognize lots of faces on campus. Schools she is keeping on include: Wake Forest, SMU, Boston College and TCU.</p>
<p>You can always spot the Lehigh grads - thighs like tree trunks from walking up and down the mountain. (Of course, no one from the west would call it a mountain, but instead would say it is a hill).</p>
<p>University of Michigan, Ann Arbor - son and I did not like how the Engineering campus was separate from the main campus, requiring a bus ride to get from one to the other. Even at some smaller colleges such as James Madison the computer science buildings were not close to the center of campus and this was a turn-off for my son.</p>
<p>AmandaK–THAT is a funny story! </p>
<p>We were on a campus and despite how great it was on paper–the Sr girl who interviewed K2 was dull and she seemed bored with her job–K2 said no matter what was discussed, she kept saying uh-hu…
The info session powerpoint wouldn’t load the the admissions guy told the HUGE group the same things you hear everywhere–like how to use the CA…Not what made the U different…
And during the tour there was little sign of life—even with the change of classes, the campus felt abandoned…</p>
<p>so totally get your description on the lack of vibrancy/life</p>
<p>UNC CH- loved the campus and the city. </p>
<p>Wake Forest- didn’t like the vibe or campus layout. Feels like the middle of nowhere.</p>
<p>W&M- very nice campus but too big. Weird to be in a tourist town.</p>
<p>UVA- too big, no personality.</p>
<p>Univ of Richmond- beautiful, well-kept campus. Laid out very well. Felt like an LAC should.</p>
<p>W&L- very impressive. Beautiful campus. Nice little city. Gorgeous part of VA.</p>
<p>Davidson- wow, so nice. Little town is neat.</p>
<p>Xavier- blah</p>
<p>JHU- impressive. Students look stressed</p>
<p>Georgetown- ideal Catholic looking school. Great part of DC.</p>
<p>UVA - Tour guide informed us that she’s in a biology class of 700 students - but that’s not a problem, since “there are two TAs who meet with us, too.” 700 divided by 3 is too many for my D, she has decided.</p>
<p>Amherst - When asked if there was an outdoor club, the Amherst student tour guide told us, “No, I don’t think anybody does much of that around here.” True? We don’t know, but I could tell that D was ready to leave at that point.</p>
<p>Where did she wind up???</p>
<p>google is your friend … [Amherst</a> College Outing Club](<a href=“http://www3.amherst.edu/~acoc/]Amherst”>http://www3.amherst.edu/~acoc/) Given the location I find it hard to believe there is not a hard core group of outdoor types … wouldn’t want to guess how big it is.</p>
<p>I was really surprised when S3 gave Wake Forest the boot. I thought it was lovely, but that’s irrelevant. He felt it was very bland, homogenous, nothing distinctive, and the campus felt disconnected from anything around it, as if in a bubble. Go figure. </p>
<p>W&M on the other hand was a home run for him. He stood on the campus, a horrible chilly day, and said it was just the right size and everything was where it should be. It just felt right. He loved the proximity to Duke of Gloucester St, which I know drives some kids nuts. The tour and info session just grabbed him. </p>
<p>This is why our kids have choices and I feel it’s good to visit. Just look at different, even opposite reactions to schools. Neither are wrong, kids just want different things. Fwiw, both of mine love UVa (one is there). To each their own. </p>
<p>Amanda - Sorry Case was a bust. I do wish I’d been there to see you talk to the rep and tell her yelling would add some life. You crack me up!! :D</p>
<p>Charlie, I know a few young ladies a Lehigh. They have quite attractive/slim legs. I’m sure the added exersize due to hills and additional steps help. Most people, at least wemon, would be offended to have their legs described as tree trunks.</p>
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<p>Absolutely! I know kids at Case who came home from a visit and loved the place due to the visit (they’re currently students there). I know students at Lehigh who love being there.</p>
<p>But this is still a fun thread to read. 
Just don’t make “your” judgments off of it.</p>