<p>Umm…the bathroom didnt just smell. It wasnt because someone used it. It was disgusting in every way. </p>
<p>Thanks for judging me and my family because I made one comment as to why we did not like a particular school. I thought that was what this thread was for.</p>
<p>WOW. I think I said other people may like Haverford…didnt say “it wasnt a wonderful school.”</p>
<p>Not judging you or your impression at all ( I promise) but haverford is consistently ranked as one of the most beautiful campus in the country. I live 10 minutes from campus and the campus has always been a place locals love to go walk or feed the ducks in the beautiful pond. The area itself is smack in the middle of the “main line” one of the most wealthy suburbs in the country ( old money, not new so not flashy pretty but still beautiful). Yes, this thread is about schools u didn’t like so you have every right to have and voice your opinion I’m only commenting in case others interested in the school want another view before they cross it off their list. It’s a wonderful school but absolutely not for everyone that’s why they make chocolate and vanilla.</p>
<p>It’s hard to resist the urge to defend favorite colleges when others have viewed them negatively. But the point is that cakeisgreat and his/her family had a bad first impression of Haverford. It doesn’t matter that it is “in a different league” from other schools they toured (and I think that’s a snotty thing to say, Snowdog).</p>
<p>No one place is perfect for every student or every family. And we don’t all have to “give them a chance” if we don’t want to. Sometimes a visceral reaction upon reaching the campus is enough to make someone turn the car around and have more time at the next school, which may turn out to be a better fit.</p>
<p>thanks momentscaught. I appreciate your response I realize that to each his own and didn’t mean to offend anybody who does happen to like Haverford. that is why I said I’m sure other people will like the school. just wanted to give our thoughts.</p>
<p>sally305 – Right you are. I just resisted the urge myself. If everyone in the entire country loved my university as much as I do and one million students applied there, it would make it nearly impossible for any of my loved ones to get in! If the architecture, weather that particular day, or one stressed out admission person turns someone off, then so be it.</p>
<p>I will add that my daughter and I thought the buildings from Haverford looked like the Hobbit. The whole day was weird but we did stay for the tour!!! We drove by Swarthmore for an emotional pick-me-up afterwards.</p>
<p>What Sally305 said is so true - it’s hard to not defend a place that you yourself like or love. Cake - your feelings are your feelings and are valid and if it didn’t feel right, that’s really important! The good news is that there are SO many colleges and universities in the U.S. - there’s bound to be a match.</p>
<p>Thanks sally305 also for your post. I appreciate your comments and agree with what you said.</p>
<p>Thanks BTMell. I was just trying to join the club and post our feelings about schools that we did not feel the right fit. 
I am glad that there are so many options for all of our kids and am positive that there are scores of happy people at every school we chose to take off our list.</p>
<p>I actually love this thread and still read it occasionally (even though the college touring years are behind us) for a good chuckle! I totally appreciate everyone’s opinions and fully understand that no harm is meant. So many of the comments are hilarious. </p>
<p>Heck, my younger son quickly took our state flagship and our alma mater (UMCP) off the list because he thought it was “dirty and too many kids wore jeans”!</p>
<p>I wish my daughter would take some off the list! Every college we visited, she just loved and they’re not even remotely the same. We’ve got apps in now and she STILL can’t say what her number one choice is. We’ve even added to the list. I’m praying some of these last few visits will have her disliking at least one or two campuses because otherwise choosing a college will result in even more visits and drama.</p>
<p>That’s pretty cute - is she always agreeable about everything?</p>
<p>The funny part is no, she’s not. But suddenly, when looking at colleges, she loves them all! ARGH! What happened to my picky kid?</p>
<p>My youngest crossed off all schools we visited except one. He wanted a coastal school (& tropical marine biology/science) and soon realized that “being in a coastal city” wasn’t quite enough comparatively - esp when traffic could make it tough to actually get to the coast or grad students got to do all the “fun” once there.</p>
<p>Except for that one detail, he liked the schools. I think a big part of that might have included the palm trees, great weather, and being able to skip school back here for the week.</p>
<p>Now we just have to see if that one still on the list with application pending ends up being affordable or he’ll be taking a gap year to work and save… he knows that’s his back up plan if he opted to choose just one.</p>
<p>I think many times its actually an intangible that gives you a positive or a negative. The school could be absolutely everything you thought you would want and it just doesn’t feel right. When my son and I go on tours eventually we sit somewhere on campus and I ask him, “can you see yourself here, could this feel like home” and sometimes even though everything appears to be what he is looking for he say’s no. Other times, I’m ready to bolt thinking there is no way he is liking this place and he say’s yes, I can see myself here? Go figure.</p>
<p>My older son was adamant that he wanted to go to college in a city (we live in a small New England town, home to the smallest Ivy). At the last minute, we added Hampshire College to our weekend visiting colleges. We drove there and parked next to a cornfield and met with admissions in the red barn and all the while I’m thinking “way to go BTMell - he’ll hate it here”. And he absolutely loved it and is now a third year student at Hampshire and is thriving. You never know!</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>That’s great, much better than having her obsessed with one school where she might not get in or might not get enough money to make it feasible. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I’d suggest you head this off by establishing financial and other criteria before she gets any acceptances, and by making it clear that she is going to have to limit herself to some reasonable number of schools when deciding to attend accepted students’ weekends. Say, three.</p>
<p>Over 7-8 college visits my D has developed a preference for consistent architecture. As in, Miami of Ohio good, Carnegie Mellon bad. </p>
<p>She actually liked Haverford - and we were just driving through to Philly and stopped on a whim. It was a summer Sunday, NO ONE was around, and it was hot as Hades. We parked, walked around a little, and she said she was interested. Based on the architecture, I guess…we couldn’t see anything else.</p>
<p>Kids I tell ya :)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>My DD2011 was similar…didn’t really have a favorite. As we were living in Germany at the time, she made a decision without further visits. She ended up basing it on Cost + where she wanted to end up living later + How much credits she would get for IB Diploma.</p>
<p>When it gets nearer, you could have her pick a top 3 or something and then do admitted student visits to those.</p>
<p>DD2015 and I just visited Rutgers (our state school) yesterday. It has 30,000 students across 5 campuses withing the flagship campus. It was too big for her even as we discussed ways to make it seem smaller (special interest housing, etc.)</p>