Several of the schools that we didn’t like (ASU, Harvard, USC) had a common issue – very busy/crowded and/or in a big city. My D also didn’t like USD because of the architecture.
@1518mom - LOL! I love Pomona’s grounds because it has so many trees! (So does the Claremont neighborhood around it). I guess it’s all on what you are used to.
Williams. I visited there with my son after he was admitted (but not on admitted students’ day). A very tiny town that would not afford a student a chance to “get away from it all.” One of the classes we attended (astronomy) was a ridiculous waste of time, with no student interaction. Another (polisci), however, was interesting and the students were attentive but it was basically a lecture course, not a discussion. We had expected more.
UVa. We went over spring break a few years ago expecting to love it and were shocked by the graffiti tags for the secret societies that were EVERYWHERE. I get it that they are on the Greek houses but we saw them on university buildings too and it seemed like a signal that the secret societies run things and the administration isn’t really in charge. Or maybe they are in charge but they don’t mind graffiti on their academic buildings?
We were also surprised by Charlottesville b/c we had expected a cute small town, but it was lots of car dealerships and fast food places with some horse farms every now and then. The little shopping area (the Corner) adjacent to campus was pretty small so it seemed like a student would either need a car or have to take shuttle buses everywhere, and it made my D realize she wanted a more compact campus adjacent to a town so she could pretty much walk everywhere she went. So from that standpoint it was a helpful visit.
This was also right after the poor girl was kidnapped on the mall and was later found dead so the whole town sort of seemed menacing to us. I think the use of the term “grounds” instead of “campus” also seemed offputting to my D (and me, TBH).
Just wanted to thank the poster dad who mentioned that he
. Best quote ever!
Lol, ok. I have to agree with thumper, but for different reasons. I was certain my D would choose Drew. No doubt about it. But then we did an official admissions visit (we had been on campus many times as H had worked there). We were completely turned off by the attitude of admissions and financial aid. It was a “you will be lucky if we accept you” from admissions, and a “don’t expect to get much money from us - we don’t have to do that” attitude from financial aid. To top it off, our tour guide was obnoxious. He was quite vocal with his political thoughts all through the tour - not the time or place for that. And as I recall, we never got to see inside the science facilities or hear about the programs. D was planning to be a chemistry major. She never even applied.
I hope they have changed their attitude as they seem to be in some serious financial trouble now.
We were fine with all our other college tours. None that stood out like this.
@ClaremontMom Lol, I think I’ve shared that comment of hers on the “stupidest reason” thread. We are Angelenos, so that’s exactly what she’s used to, which is why she didn’t like it: too much like home. She ended up in the Midwest with lots of trees.
UVA. I believe DOTL (their admitted students day) torpedoed the school in my D’s eyes. From elated to subdued in 5 hours or less. We didn’t even stay for the whole day.
Granted, it was misty that day, but man was that campus flavorless. Check is was disorganized and the students checking folks in seemed to want to be anywhere but there. My D thought our one tour guide was snotty and there was a palpable stressed out vibe from the students going to and from class. No one, and I mean no one, seemed to be having a moment of fun there. People didn’t make eye contact, didn’t seem to say hi to anyone they passed, just drone like.
Surprised the heck out of me as we live in VA and you can’t throw a rock without hitting a Hoo, and they all seem so gung ho rah-rah. Guess school spirit was taking a day off when we were there.
@lvvcsf I thought Kenyon would be perfect for my D so a while back we watched “Liberal Arts”. Big mistake. She now refuses to even visit the school. In the movie the campus looked dead as a door nail.
I visited UVa as a tourist, a side trip after visiting Monticello. While the Jeffersonian Lawn are was magnificent I thought that the rest of the campus was mundane. Too much pseudo colonial architecture.
We are doing that same trip next month. I am curious to see UVA.
Wittenburg University was one of the schools my son hated. The tour guide told us that students would do the annual streak through campus before spring finials and take pictures of themselves sitting in the fountains nude. Son heard this and was not amused, my husband and I thought it was hilarious ! Another school was Case Western, son didn’t like the fact that it had a very busy road through the middle of campus. He also as were we grossed out that there was a dead cockroach in a light fixture in the dorm room.
For my S, it was UCSB. He didn’t like that the school was isolated with only the little town of Isla Vista easy to get to. Exact opposite of me, I loved that campus.
Unlike almost every other VA family, my son had an immediate, visceral dislike of James Madison University. I thought it was great. He was immediately turned off by the wholesome preppy vibe and the surrounding area. It’s too bad because it would have been a match for him.
Hampshire was founded in the 60’s by UMass, Smith, Mt. Holyoke and Amherst so those “damn hippies” would have a school of their own and leave the others alone. Yurts makes total sense–still a school for non-conformists.
I don’t want to throw gasoline on this fire. OK I’m lying, I’m evil and want to throw gasoline on this bonfire. I knew from the pictures on the Internet that Skidmore was not my daughter’s idea of an ideal picturesque campus, but I’d been to Saratoga Springs when I was young, and had fond memories. It turned out the Skidmore was far worse than I expected, the campus non-descript and in a stark contrast to to the beautiful town. In addition their presentation became the template for LAC bingo that we continued to play within the family as we moved through our two weeklong school tour. Acapella groups, black box theater, study abroad , quidditch (bingo!) While these were commonly mentioned at every LAC, at Skidmore they appeared to be the focus. My daughter said that Skidmore looks like the place that kids who wore capes to highschool would feel comfortable.
I had to laugh at your comment about Skidmore. A friend’s child is there - he loves it but is definitely the theatrical type and I can easily see him stalking the campus with a cape on. He tried to get my son to apply but when I ran the NPC, it was so ridiculous that I told my son don’t even get attached to it.
Bates in Maine. During spring break my Ds junior year we did a college tour that went from Maine to Connecticut. My kid knew she wanted a liberal arts college/university in New England. We saw lots of schools - Wesleyan, Bowdoin, Haverford (which was too small), Dartmouth and Tufts - but as soon as we drove into Lewiston, ME, my kid said the town looked “sketchy” and I have to admit it did not like it either. Even her dad, who was just there for moral support and to drive, agreed that he did not like it.
Although we did not officially visit Hampshire, we did do a drive through. Felt like the gulag with less charm and worse architecture.
UW-Madison. I had heard all my life what a great college town Madison is but when my son was admitted we flew there so he could check it out. I found the city itself unattractive and most of the campus buildings as well except for a small area with older historic buildings on or near the hill. Geographically I found it uninspiring–no mountains, no ocean. It was mid April and the weather was…cold, and still snowing. I thought after a year it might feel claustrophobic once you had walked up and down State Street a few hundred times. My kid loved it, although ended up going somewhere else.
NEPatsgirl…thank you for the near-Haiku:
Hampshire - drove in, saw yurts, drove out.
@Old_parent LOL, that’s where my D attends now and loves it. There is definately an eclectic mix of students there and I believe a few wear capes. Agree with the LAC bingo, trust me, we saw nearly 3 dozen schools and if I never hear the terms blackbox theatre or quidditch again…well, you know. Campus, ehh, not the sprawling hills and trees of MoHo but its not the yurts of Hampshire either. Saratoga Springs, in walking distance, is the big pull. Thanks for the laugh.