A couple of recent visits with S26:
Cornell – Same/UP – his biggest concern was that it would be in the middle of nowhere, but it really did not feel isolated. The views were breathtaking. The area around the campus felt lively, with lots of shops and restaurants. The campus felt like its own little city, it was big and buzzing with lots of places to eat and shop. The student body seemed very diverse and eclectic, with kids wearing anything from pajamas to suits. There were preppy kids, athletes, alternative kids. It seemed that you could find your people there. We had a fantastic tour and our tour guide was experienced and knowledgeable. We visited both the CALS and CAS info sessions as my son is planning on majoring in bio and both schools have it. The lower tuition (we’re in New York) is certainly appealing at CALS, but CAS has more options should you decide to double major (you cannot double major across colleges). One negative was it seems that finding research opportunities may not be as easy as in some other schools, especially early on. My kid liked it and felt that he could be happy there.
Tufts – Down – The campus was very pretty and we had a great tour and a lovely tour guide. The easy access to Boston is a huge plus (I believe the green line was extended there pretty recently and it’s right off campus). The info session was kind of boring, basically a lecture, with no questions allowed. The campus felt sleepy and empty. We were there on a Saturday morning and saw very few kids around even closer to noon. Not sure if they were still mostly asleep, but my son was not feeling it. He also got the impression that the bio major there is more general than he would like as they don’t seem to offer specialized concentrations. It’s staying on the list for now but with very low acceptance rates and his lack of enthusiasm I don’t see it making the final list.
Boston University – UP – saw it right after Tufts and the contrast was obvious. He loved the urban setting, loved the housing on the leafy brownstone streets, loved the apparent energy, and the fact that the campus is open and spills out into the city. The info session involved a current student and felt interactive. S26 said it was the best info session we’ve attended. The tour was great, our guide was engaging and funny. The school seems to be a great fit for my kid’s academic interests too. It’s likely a target school for him so I’m thrilled to have one on his list that he really likes.