<p>We , too, found American to be sterile and unfriendly . The over produced admission video was slick and superficial. Our tour guide was underwhelming . None of the kids on campus seemed happy. We really wanted to like the school because of the amazing opportunities in DC, but at the end of the day felt like it was a lot of money for not a lot of substance .</p>
<p>Boston University- I was surprised at how much I liked it. My tour guide was really funny and down-to-earth and the campus was surprisingly campus-y considering how urban it is, and felt really safe.</p>
<p>Brown-My parents fell in love with it, my mom especially. She wishes sheâd attended there instead of Cornell, which is saying something because she loves her alma mater. Itâs beautiful and seems pretty cool and quirky, and my tour guide was charismatic but didnât seem to care very much about his major (American Studies), which was disappointing because I chose him because thatâs what I am passionate about and plan on majoring in. </p>
<p>Northeastern- My dad fell asleep during the information session, which sums it up pretty well. They read from a powerpoint and included videos of students even though at a school of 20,000+, you would think that Admissions could convince three or four of them to talk to prospective students. Terrible presentation, and out of the 50 or so people there, only about ten had even <em>heard</em> of the co-op program, which they made sure to shove down our throats. I was too underwhelmed to waste mine and my parentsâ time on going on an official tour, but looking around I did think the campus was really nice and didnât feel like it was separated by one of the busiest streets in Boston (Huntington Ave). My best friend attends, however, and likes it but would probably transfer if not for the co-op program. Definitely for a certain type of person.</p>
<p>Tufts- It was my top choice for years and visiting only made me love it even more. The info session was entertaining and informative, and the tour was amazing. My guide told a lot of stories about her experiences there as well as explained little things about the school like showing us the Tufts Cannon (which she had staked out at the night before) and telling the story of Jumbo the Elephant. Gorgeous campus and it feels really welcoming and accepting (although I may be a little bit biased!)</p>
<p>Cornell- I personally wasnât impressed by Cornell and neither were my parents, who were disappointed in how much itâs changed since the 70âs when they were familiar with it. Itâs a great school and Ithaca is great, but itâs too big and not nerdy/quirky enough for me. I was fortunate enough to meet with a professor in my area of study that my mom knows and he was very warm and welcoming and excited about his job. I still love Cornell, itâs just not a good fit for me! (Cornell Dairy is a must-try for any visitor, thoughâŠbest ice cream Iâve ever eaten, hands down!) </p>
<p>SUNY Geneseo- SUCH a great school! The campus is beautiful and doesnât look at all like most public schools besides the fact that a lot of the buildings were originally school buildings obtained from the town. Despite that, the facilities were all really nice, and we got to see classrooms, a dining hall, and a dorm. Oh, and their science building had me freaking out to the extent that my tour guide noticedâoops! Our guide was so informative and enthusiastic about her school, and really influenced my admissions search. The admissions office was really nice and had lots of complimentary snacks and beverages, and they even went so far as to mail me a t-shirt a few weeks later with a note saying, âYou made our day when you visited Geneseo! We hope the feeling was mutualâ and shortly after that, I got a hand-written note from my tour guide. Amazing place, it feels super home-y and I canât say enough good things about it.</p>
<p>(Kudos to you if you read all of that! Good luck to everyone going through campus tours! 
)</p>
I found this thread last night, and I have loved reading lots of the replies. I thought I would add our experience.
We are from California, but I grew up in Texas. My son is a junior at A&M, and my daughter is a senior in high school. Both kids crossed off all the California colleges after visiting Texas A&M. My son didnât want to visit other colleges, so heâs at A&M. They both like small college towns with lots of spirit.
Iâll give run downs on good/bad college visits with my daughter.
My daughter originally wanted to be a music major studying flute, but she had to give that dream up when she was diagnosed with musicianâs cramp (focal dystonia).
When we were in Dallas visiting my mom, we drove up to North Texas. My daughter absolutely loved it! The kids and administration were very friendly. We got lost, and someone from admissions saw us looking confused, and he walked us over to admissions and gave us lots of information. The kids in the music dorm were great. They started talking to my daughter. They knew all about musicianâs cramp, and were very sympathetic. She would love to study music there!! Unfortunately, not much else for her there academically.
She is smart, and has decided to go pre-med,specifically neurology (maybe find a cure or treatment for dystonia). Wants to major in food science or microbiology.
Hereâs a list of colleges sheâs been too:
SMU - Drove through. Didnât want to even get out. Too urban.
Baylor - Went right after North Texas. Not very friendly. I thought it would be a top choice, but she did not like it at all. She thought the campus was pretty, but that was it. Even after her best friend decided to go there, she wonât look at it.
Southwestern- Too small. Her sister liked it.
Emory & Georgia Tech - Too urban. didnât stop.
University of Georgia - First college she fell in love with. Loved Athens. Loved the tour guides. Loved the hills. Loved it.
Clemson - Very pretty campus. Deer running around. Very, very small town. Not off the list, but concerned about the size. Has the major she wants.
University of South Carolina - Didnât like the location.
High Point - I think one of the least favorites. Looked liked a cross between a country club and Disney. Too stuffy. Nothing around.
Wake Forest - Didnât like the area. Wouldnât get out.
Elon - Pretty campus. Friendly staff. Liked it, but thought itâs better suited for her sister. Itâs kind of far from everything.
NC State - Too urban.
Duke - Her original top choice. Beautiful campus. Horrible information session. Talked about having to apply early decision, and my daughter left asking âWhy would I ever apply like that before I have seen all my scholarships?â Horrible tour guide - dressed in a tank top and talked about sports. Freshmen live away from the pretty part of campus, next to downtown Durham. Daughter said that Duke may be okay for grad school because of opportunities, but not what she was looking for in undergrad.
University of Alabama - Best tour by far. Honors college scheduled a meeting with Dr. Caldwell who is doing dystonia research. He met with us for 2 hours and showed us his lab. I was very, very, very impressed. Daughter met with associate dean of the Honors College, Dr. Morgan. My daughter said she was âfabulousâ. My daughter loved the dorms and the campus was beautiful.
The final 3 are Clemson, Georgia, and Alabama. I think it will be Alabama because she has their Presidential full tuition scholarship, but she just got a great scholarship from Georgia. She also says the kids on the Clemson facebook page are very friendly. I think we may go back one more time to compare those 3 colleges.
Can we keep this thread alive? I was just thinking of how we crossed off Villanova after our tour: boring and pretentious info session, and the girls reminded my daughter of the mean girls at her HS. 3 of her HS classmates went there, 2 are happy but one is miserable and transferring out now, at the end of her 1st semester.
You guys, we crossed Wellesley off my childâs list after visiting (earlier post), however, she did apply, get in, and is very happy there. YOU NEVER KNOW!
Bump for 2016âŠI wonder what the most crossed off schools are.
MODERATORâS NOTE:
I think this thread has run the distance, and has been superceded.
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1883008-colleges-your-child-crossed-off-the-list-after-visiting-schools-that-moved-up-on-the-list-why-p1.html
Closing.