Past National Merit Finalists

Opie_ofMaybery2
Sat, 08 Sep 2007 15:59:02 +0000

“Did anyone visit”

We did visit UA and ASU for spring break during our search. Both schools had alot to offer. UA “really” rolls out the red carpet. We spent 8 and ahalf hours touring, eating and seeing everything there. For my D they asked ahead of time what her interests were and then made sure she had a chance to visit every interest. My D wants to be an equine vet or pharm, and they took us out to their stables, hydroponics farm, pharmacy school and around campus.
Nice people, I liked the layout of campus as well. She could have joined their ncaa equestrian team and been able to compete as she did in 4-h.

Later in the week, we visited ASU and really liked Barnett Honors college. But maybe because it was the end of the week and really hot (75 is a hot day to us) and no water (clue to ASU tours, UA made sure everybody had a couple bottles of cold water… not everybody can handle that heat) and it is really a big campus (65,000) we (read I) had a harder time covering the campus tour.

Both schools had alot to offer, they really did. For us, the deal breaker for my D was too far from home, Heat (which my wife loved, but that’s what you get when you marry the Irish.), lack of fir trees. None of those factors were the school’s faults, they were my D’s preferences. Had those schools been in the Pacific NW, not a problem. Educationally they had alot to offer. However, for us, what to do away from classes was more of an issue. But that’s because we’re pasty white northerners who think a beautiful day is 60 degrees. Alot of the kids attending were from all over the country. It’s funny some kids really like the sunshine… alot.

But as Atomom, posted… visit. See for yourself. If anything it’s a nice vacation if you throw in the grand canyon.