Which college was unexpectedly your most favorite college visit? ( 2015 - 2017 visits )

Parents Forum
1

The reverse of the other thread that is current but with an accent on the last 3 years.

Mine was the University of Pittsburgh. First off, the last time I was in Pittsburgh - many years ago - it was dirty and gross. Now, it was clean and maybe the cleanest US city I have ever been in. The area right at the campus was so clean I just could not believe it.

We were there for an all day event called Blue and Gold Day.

The Cathedral of Learning was just mind blowing. The extremely wide streets were fabulous. The staff that we met were great, especially the admissions guy who started the day at 8AM, and somehow had a couple of thousand people laughing like crazy, while also being serious.

I know sometimes the young tour guides are like walking PR machines, but I liked the fact that they seemed so genuinely nice.

We didn’t really get to see classrooms, so that was not great. The dorms were nicer than I expected.

But what we loved the most was the proximity to downtown. I believe there were 3, maybe 4 places to see plays and concerts all bunched together… in a very clean environment. It felt so safe. And not just there, but everywhere we went.

As an added bonus, we live in PA, so the price is right. We were there in July of 2017.

While it is not the first choice for either of my daughters, both said they would be just fine if that is where they end up.

2

Bates College in Maine. My daughter wanted to visit Bowdoin, so we added on visits to Colby and Bates as well. From her online research, Bates was her least favorite. After the visit, it has moved to the top of her list. We have since visited at least 10 other schools, she is applying to about 15, yet Bates remains at the top. She loved the “vibe” on campus, the inclusive atmosphere, the top-ranked dining hall, the new digital and computational science program, the dorms, and more. The only negatives as far as we’re concerned are the distance from home (Colorado), the high cost, and the town of Lewiston is kind of blah.

3

Alfred University ~ a beautiful, small campus with a more relaxed vibe - the first college setting that my son could imagine himself feeling comfortable in. The smaller classrooms also appealed to him. By chance, we met one of the engineering professors during our tour who talked to our group for a bit. He left a positive impression on my son. The town of Alfred, though SMALL, was clean and obviously student centered.