agree with @simba9 that there is a good deal of good natured ribbing between Berkeley and Stanford. BTW, Drive through the streets of Pomona College in Claremont and you are sure to find streets named after famous colleges. Of course, the rivalry continues as two prominent cross streets are Stanford vs. Berkeley.
@preppedparent that’s one of my favorite parts of Claremont, just wandering through the streets of Claremont and seeing what schools they’re named after (as well as looking at nice houses)! There is a street named after Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Columbia, Mills, Berkeley, Oberlin, Cornell, Grinnell, Amherst, Lehigh, Bucknell, Carleton, Princeton, Bryn Mawr, Northwestern, Cambridge, Williams, Smith, Bowdoin, Vassar, Wharton, Vanderbilt, Duke, Whitman, Dartmouth, Oxford, Colby, Wellesley, Purdue, Reed, Tulane, Lafayette, Barnard, Emory, Syracuse, Wheaton, Deep Springs, Holoyoke, Macalester, Georgetown, Marymount, Brigham Young, Williamette, Emory, Radford, Knox, Emerson, Bard, Bates, Bryn Mawr, Notre Dame, DePaul, Loyola, Chapman, Occidental, Brown, Cardinal (Stanford), Trojan (USC), Bruin (UCLA), Golden Bear (UC Berkeley), Swarthmore, and Middlebury- wow, it’s like singing a nursery rhyme but with colleges instead of the alphabet. I’m sure I’m missing a couple, even with this massive list alone 
^^^ Speaks to how young the town is, but that’s true almost everywhere in California.
That’s about all there is to do in Claremont. >:)
We visited a few midwestern schools that get limited coverage on CC, but that may be great options for some kids:
Up: Ohio University. We’d heard that it was pretty, but wow! Traditional brick buildings, lots of green space, river running along the campus, very cute little town adjacent. Walkable, but felt spacious. Most of the dorms are old (I’m thinking 50+ years?) , but are lovely from the outside and were no worse inside than most I’ve seen. Good admissions presentation, OK tour guide-- but the campus pretty much sold itself. I thought it would be way too rural for my suburban S; but by the time we finished the tour and had lunch, this was his first choice. About 18,000 undergrads.
Same (expected to like them, and did):
U Dayton: Expansive, pretty campus that reminded me of Villanova. Dorms were fine. Location is not downtown, but close. The adjacent neighborhood, where the school is buying up small single homes for upperclass housing, was very cute. Good presentation and tour. Catholic (Marianist) with about 8,500 undergrads.
Xavier: Clean, attractive campus. New construction blends in nicely with renovated older buildings. New health center due to be built by 2019 will be a nice addition. Excellent admissions presentation and good tour guide. A close walk from the campus is a small retail strip, with more shopping within a 10 minute drive (and they run a shuttle on weekends, I think). Otherwise, it’s basically in a residential neighborhood. Campus is a few miles from downtown Cincinnati, which looks like a terrific city to live and work in, especially for young people. Catholic (Jesuit) with about 4,500 undergrads.
Duquesne: Compact campus on top of a bluff in downtown Pittsburgh. Before the tour, we met one-on-one with a lovely admissions rep who really seemed interested in S, asking specific questions, taking notes in his file (we’d had SAT scores sent automatically as they require all scores), etc. Although there was nothing wrong with the dorms or the overall campus, nothing stood out, either. Biggest downside for me was that most juniors and seniors live off campus; and since this is a super-urban location, housing isn’t close by – it’s across the river. Catholic (Spiritan) with about 6,000 undergrads.
With Zags in the final 4, Gonzaga has gotten on our list to see. Even though we don’t have a student in the admissions race, we are planning a trip to Washington State.
@MOMofFJ: I totally agree with all of your assessments, except one: Rowan.
I agree with your “money machine” remark, but only because that’s the mission. Mr. Rowan’s endowment was unprecedented and the college didn’t want it to go to waste. The mission is to use that endowment to develop a major economic engine for the historically neglected South Jersey region and lessen the “brain drain”. There is considerable political might behind it (Norcross, Sweeney, Christie, et. al.). I see no signs of anyone - anyone - wanting it to “be Rutgers”. To the contrary - they want to succeed in the region where Rutgers has historically fallen short, and for Rutgers to step up its game. That was the theme of the attempted merging of Rowan and Rutgers-Camden, and the dissolution of the political hack haven University of Medicine & Dentistry.
Rowan wants to be big, but it doesn’t, by any means, want to be Rutgers. And they don’t want to be Glassboro State, either.
I think you might have misunderstood the “prep courses”. They are not required for all. To serve the mission above requires some “inclusiveness”. Many schools would reject students with decent GPAs/class rank and borderline SATs outright. Rutgers would reject them in New Brunswick, but accept them in one of the satellite campuses. Rowan would accept them Conditionally, provided that those students demonstrate college-readiness before handing out grants or parents taking out loans. That’s the purpose, and I think it’s admirable.
A lot of kids “find themselves” in college and perform better than they ever did in grade school or high school, because they develop purpose and passion for something. A lot of kids who performed well in grade school and high school crash-and-burn in college. I like to look at the prep courses as risk mitigation.
The best fit is the one where any student can visualize themselves succeeding, being involved, maximizing their potential, and developing into a societal asset while lessening risk and potential liabilities. Fortunately, there are plenty of choices for everyone, whether college or trade school. The cost of the wrong choice is high.
Good luck in your search and life after college.
My comments about wanting to be Rutgers was more about competing with Rutgers. My Son’s GPA is 3.65 UW; the average Rowan freshman student GPA is 3.42. The fact that he has to wait 60 credits to be able to declare a major is beyond ridiculous. I would understand if it was the first semester, but My son has taken honors and AP classes and passed them with B+ and As. Making him wait 2 years to be able to take his CS classes is in my mind humiliating. BTW I force him to apply to Rowan, since he did not want to apply to any Rutgers campus. He is not happy with NJ state Schools.
Fordham - Rose Hill Campus - admitted students’ day on a rainy cold March Friday was great. Unexpectedly great. First time to visit the school for my Art History D18. Tours, presentations, etc. we’re pretty routine. Disappointed that there were no muffins or anything for visitors, just water or OJ. No t-shirt or anything offered. But we met some really great other potential students and were impressed by the tour guide and other students we talked with. One of the two student speakers was an Art History major. First time for that on a college tour.
Very structured academic program the first couple of years. Not a problem for D18. AP/IB credits are given, but it doesn’t help as much as most campuses to potentially graduate early. Just adds flexibility to double major or minor.
Met with a professor after the event and she was candid about pros/cons and answered all questions with honesty and integrity. A little disappointed that they didn’t have international internships connections, but the professor was genuinely willing to explore the options with D18 when the time came. Many internship options in the NYC museums, auction houses, galleries, etc.
Everyone answered my biggest concern - safety. Yes, it is a city school. And yes, it has it’s dangers. But there are a lot of safeguards.
Tour guide and another student we randomly met were going to be RAs in the fall and reminded us that there was a way to off-set room and board cost at Fordham is you have good grades and meet folks well. Maybe that $16K will be paid for via being an RA in her Junior/Senior years. Most students live on campus anyway all 4 years.
On the way back to Manhattan by train, the young lady sitting next to us overheard our conversation and offered to answer any questions we had. She was a rowing team member and was a wonderful ambassador for the campus, without being over the top. I really have liked students who want to help potential fellow students.
I was 80% sure she would end up at Pitt before the visit, now it’s 50/50 with a few weeks to go.
re choosing based on a school big on sports. The demand for tickets can be so great the chances of getting them are small. Most students watch on TV in the dorm, union or other places. Perhaps the around campus outside the event site doings make the difference.
re declaring one’s major after 60 credits. As long as a student can be taking classes towards a degree in the major it is no big deal. In fact, not tying one to a major from day one may not be a bad thing.
Down the List –
Davidson (too focused on trying to be an NC Ivy League…if my daughter wanted to go to an ivy league, she would just go to one)
Northwestern (can’t say why, but nothing compelling, I threw a softball to the tour guide to try to deflect my D’s concerns about the cold winters, but instead he answered " You just nee a really good winter coat…not a normal one, a good one…and there is a lot to do inside, so nobody really goes outside." Not the answer she was looking for.
Wake Forest – New dorms and Lib Arts buildings, but science buildings and labs looked like they hadn’t been invested in for 30 years.
UT Austin – just visited during our Texas tour to verify that a large state school wasn’t for my D. It wasn’t. The tour guide bragged that there were no buildings built between the state capital and the lawn where graduation was held, so that parents could see graduation from 1/2 mile away. Again, just clarified that this was not the environment my daughter wanted. The thing she liked best was the shaded path along a stream running in a small depression through part of the campus. A week later, a girl was killed there, so even that positive was gone.
Up the List –
Rice. It was already at the top, but the visit cemented the deal
Baylor. A surprise. This was just one of her maybe-apply-to safety-schools, but the quality of the students we met was outstanding, even just those standing around in line at the dining halls.
Wash U St. Louis. Very well prepared tour guides, and a very attractive campus.
Neutral –
Duke, Vanderbilt
“my D’s concerns about the cold winters, but instead he answered " You just nee a really good winter coat…not a normal one, a good one…and there is a lot to do inside, so nobody really goes outside.”"
As a person living in a place with long, cold winters, it sounds like an honest and accurate answer to me. 
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@NashvilletoTexas I had to giggle at the NU cold-related anecdote. My husband and I each grew up near Chicago and went to undergrad at NU. I guess we were used to the winters but it’s really not that bad. And, of course, you need a good winter coat. You would need one at any school in the Northeast or the Midwest. My roommate freshman year from CA showed up with the most ridiculous coat. She would have only needed a coat that ridiculous if she was going to college at the North Pole.
We had tons of fun in the snow while there. Snowball fights on the way home from the library at night. After a big snowfall, you’d wake up to new snowmen popping up outside dorms. It should be said, too, that winters in Chicago for the last two years have been scary warm. We only shoveled once this year. So, if snowball fights are someone’s thing, there may not even be snow anyway.
Lastly, let it be noted that both the fall and spring at NU are glorious.
@NashvilletoTexas What do you mean exactly about Davidson trying to be an Ivy League? What makes something an Ivy League-like place other than being in that conference, reputation or selectivity? Davidson seemed more like it was the NC-version of a NESCAC school when we visited which is more of a factor of being an LAC, but with Division 1 sports.
@civitas – they actually said over and over again in the session and tour that they were “like an ivy league.” Not trying to hate, just reporting our experiences and impressions.
@NashvilletoTexas I didn’t think you were hating on it, just curious what that means. I have no stake in it – other than a tour day my family has no connection to the school. I am sincerely curious what makes the tour and info session ivy league-like.
@NashvilletoTexas Citadel used to tell people they were “like West Point”. But they’re not.
Moved up:
Lehigh–wow what a beautiful campus. I was very impressed with the buildings, the academic feel of the campus, the kids who’d strung hammocks and were studying outside, and the general feel. My D who is very picky about environment and has a very clear first-choice school, seriously weighed Lehigh for awhile. She googled it on her phone once we got back into the car and found out about the heavy Greek life, supported by the admin, and that made her turn away, but if she were interested in Greek life it would have been a clear yes.
West Chester U–this is a surprisingly nice school in a darling down. While it didn’t hit our list for several reasons, such as the heavy frat presence with open partying on the lawns, it was much nicer than we expected. The town of West Chester is darling and that alone might have clinched the deal for us, if it weren’t for the heavy frat scene.
Stayed the same:
Muhlenberg–not the first visit we’ve made here. It’s a pleasant school, happy students, fine spirit and accommodating admissions dept. While it’s not the stand-out school on our lsit, it’s solid and happy place that my D could imagine herself in as a student more interested in studying than partying. She said that she could imagine this as her safety in case she didn’t get into her First Choice, but that she’d spend her first year there working on transferring into her First Choice school, and at least wouldn’t be miserable.
Haverford-- I looked for the construction that one earlier person posted about so negatively. Because of the description I thought that there would be a megacrane in the middle of the main quad or a pile driver banging away or something, but we actually needed to stop and look for the construction. Maybe it’s different now than it was a few weeks ago when first reported on this forum, things do change, but what we saw was limited to a single area, that seemed discrete. We didn’t notice it until we stopped and looked for it. Otherwise: campus was clean, neat, had nice crisp stone buildings and a nice athletic feel compared iwth other campuses. There were folks prancing about the jogging track that goes around the campus, and others on the large athletic field. In general the campus seemed pleasant, academic, and well managed. Just as we expected.
Swarthmore: Campus was gorgeous and impressive. We’d heard that it was set away from things, and it is. Nice sculptures, Adirondack chairs everywhere, trees that are breathtaking, beautiful buildings. Students seemed serious and pleasant. Again, just as we expected. One surprise was the commuter train line that passes at the end of the campus. We like trains but some families might find that odd.
Bryn Mawr–lovely campus with a cloistered feel–in a positive way. You feel like you have gone there to quietly, contemplatively study. Buildings are gorgeous. Campus is smaller than most, but lovely. I can see that it might seem too small quickly, but there’s the consortium that helps students expand as they’re ready.
Moved down–
LaFayette–maybe because of the musical Hamilton we were expecting a school with panache, but it just felt bad in all ways: stark, not that attractive; and within about five minutes of arriving a “frat ferry” went by. In our family a “frat ferry” is a usually open-topped SUV like a Jeep hauling around a corner with about four or more possibly/ probably inebriated students flying around inside of it. For my studious D, she refused to move one more inch onto the campus when the frat ferry went by.
@Dustyfeathers Never heard of a “frat ferry” -that’s funny - but based on your description I saw one on a Saturday morning at 10 am at Princeton University. There were 4 or 5 completely drunk students crammed into a golf cart circling our tour screaming unintelligible words while laughing. Seriously thought they were going to crash. The tour guide was so embarrassed. My daughter accepted the Princeton offer anyway…and has never seen a scene like that again!
Colleges that moved off the list after visiting:
Boston College - I assume she was the AD, but whoever gave the presentation before our tour gave off a total elitist attitude. “If you don’t have XYZ, don’t apply” mentality. The tour was not very informative. We had just come from Northeastern which we enjoyed so much more. Funny, it was pouring rain and freezing (in August) during the NEU tour, but by the afternoon, the sun was out and the humidity was miserable. I was thinking it would be pleasant in Boston in August, but it was just as bad as our home state of MD. Just bad timing - it was 95 degrees the next day when we were touring around the city. D17 hadn’t expressed interest in BC - we went up there to look at NEU, but decided to look at BC since we were there. I went to a similar Jesuit school that D applied too, so thought we should look for comparison sake in case she decided she preferred to be in Boston area and wanted a more traditional campus than NEU. Before we got to BC, I thought she was going to fall in love with it - I was surprised when she told me later she hated it for the same reason I did. I had not offered my opinion about either school to her initially but agreed with her when we discussed it later on the train back into Boston. A couple of weeks ago, I was introduced to my friend’s sister, who had just finished a big college tour. She was a BC alum, had taken her D there, and had the exact same impression that I did. It sounded like the AD gave the same presentation - this woman expressed very similar thoughts as mine.
College of Charleston - just personal preference but D didn’t love it. We had been to Charleston for a family vacation and she loves the city itself, so thought it might be a great place for college. I’m sure it is, and we liked many things about it, but she wasn’t crazy about how the campus is completely open/intermingled with the surrounding neighborhood. We toured three dorms, all of which she found very depressing in design. All were suite style and had very little natural light. The area where the beds are had a window, but the living areas in all the suites we saw were very small and dark. The study lounges were on the interior of two of the dorms and were also very dark - no windows, no natural light. Again, I did not say anything, but later my daughter said it seemed like she was in a prison. We also did not like that majority of students move off campus after freshmen year. Housing is expensive in Charleston, so this could be an issue later finding affordable housing. I also wondered just how far off campus some have to move - during the day, this wouldn’t necessarily be a problem, but if she was at the library studying and needed to get home after midnight, it could be an issue. While we felt there were some great opportunities in her field of study, she just didn’t get a good vibe. I think she was disappointed she didn’t like it more since she adores Charleston (as do I!).
Other colleges that stayed on the list after visiting (D wants to be in an urban area):
Northeastern
Fordham
University of San Diego
Loyola of Baltimore
Loyola Marymount