Did you get to talk to faculty/students? Wondering what the student experience is like.
No, I was there for the NCAA soccer tournament. That said, the fans, and my son said the team, were notably nice – compared to some of the other teams my son’s played against.
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Saratoga Springs has a charming downtown. It is lined with mom-and-pop shops, boutiques, cafes, restaurants, and antique stores. It is a little bit of a hike from campus but probably a five-minute school shuttle ride. Skidmore has a more “artsy” student population for our son. The campus has more of an eclectic mix of buildings. My son at the time liked a traditional campus, quad, like Union, and liked more of a student that could like poetry and fantasy football.
You have to see these things for yourself. That is why, if you can, visits are so important, in my opinion.
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As an alternative opinion, I view Skidmore’s buildings as anything but eclectic.
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Our visit to Skidmore failed because it snowed 18" overnight and they were closed. It was very pretty in the snow, but only person we saw was someone shoveling a walk. I heard not great things about the area around Union, but we found it to be pretty decent and not at all concerning…albeit, not upscale Saratoga Springs…maybe I had low expectations after reading this site.
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I think he was being diplomatic.
For those who haven’t visited, the college outgrew its original campus and moved to its present location in approx. 1960, so all the buildings date from that time forward.
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It was over six years ago so maybe I misspoke. Skidmore was just not my son’s cup of tea
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My kid went to the admitted student day quite a few years ago – pretty much at my insistence-- and this one ended up in the final mix. Very warm environment.
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Thank you - I get the feeling it would be a good fit for her --and it’s target range (I’m trying to avoid visiting reaches --I’d rather have her fall in love with something she has a decent shot at getting into -we can visit a reach if/when she gets in). The NPC is good too -and well within $ range. Seems like this might be a smart choice to visit.
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Such a shame about Wesleyan! It’s my alma mater and I absolutely LOVED my time there, as did everyone I have met who has attended (including decades ago and more recently, and regardless of major or personality). My favorite thing about it was the sense of community and that all types of people mixed and mingled. I also loved the campus, but it’s true that some freshman dorm rooms look like jails, lol–on my first day my dad joked: “For crimes against the state, you have been sentenced to the Butterfield A dormitory!” But I was so happy there. I’m sorry your tour guide didn’t show you the Wesleyan that I know/knew and love.
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It’s hard to pick up on things like community and people (if we’re thinking about the same post further upstream.) Unless there’s an outdoor event that draws everyone out of doors at the same time, you’re left with chance encounters along the walkways and sidewalks with people between classes. Football games draw one sort of crowd; the Film Series viewings draw a completely different one (unless it’s something really hyped like, “Everything, Everywhere, All at Once”); and, of course, the political protests draw another altogether. Maybe, a quiet self-tour around the Usdan Center would be more representative?
Also, someone must have overheard your father about twenty years ago and suggested Wes build these “new” first-year dorms (really looking forward to seeing “The Brutalist” at some point):
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Hi- I think your reply was to my post, and I appreciate your feedback! Wesleyan does have a unique campus and to be fair, we toured Mt. Holyoke the day before, which is a very traditionally gorgeous campus. My kid did really enjoy the student led panel at Wes though, so while our tour guide was not great, my kid will hopefully end up applying because the other students we met were very interesting and engaging.
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I just watched a short video tour on YouTube labelled “Boston University”. it was a tour of Boston College.
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Providence College: Down and off the list! The friars all over campus with their white robes, the priest graveyard, and the bar where a tour guide says a “friar” will offer to buy you a drink turned off my son. He asked to withdraw his application after the tour.
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Umass-Amherst—WAY up. Loved the students, the campus, the food, the town—just loved everything about it.
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Northeastern—Down and off the list. Hot, busy—my son wasn’t a fan of the city-like atmosphere. Tour was so huge we couldn’t hear the tour guide. It all felt cold and impersonal. BU was the same for him—he just wasn’t a fan of the city.
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Yup.
Not too terribly uncommon at religious (especially Catholic) colleges. Heck, Georgetown has a moderately sizable one in the middle of campus!
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UNC has a graveyard.
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