<p>I dislike SMU and Arizona State. I’m not a fan of USC. I adore Princeton and Georgetown.</p>
<p>I’m supposed to dislike Notre Dame because of Northwestern, but I have a soft spot for them.</p>
<p>I have a soft spot for Oberlin, my alma mater. I loved my four years there, even the snowy, cold weather (I grew up in the South). I’ve only been back once since I graduated and still loved it even though there had been a lot of changes since I was a student many years ago.</p>
<p>I have less of a soft spot for UCLA where I was in grad school for eight, yes EIGHT, years. It’s a beautiful campus, but too big–it was fine for grad school, but I’m glad I wasn’t an undergrad there. However, having gone there for so long, I now root against USC whenever I get the opportunity.</p>
<p>I am now also a big fan of Stanford where S is finishing his freshman year–beautiful campus, great experience for him so far. Of the schools he got in to, I really also liked both Pomona and Occidental. Too close to home for him though ;).</p>
<p>Of course I also adore my alma mater, Michigan. changed my life in all sorts of ways. I also have a soft spot for Wesleyan, where my D found herself after transferring from an unhappy place. Also soft spot for Rutgers–keep meeting stellar NJ students who went there.</p>
<p>Not a fan of Middlebury for turning me down despite astronomical SATs, GPA and rank–I can only suppose I didn’t have enough ECs on account of having to work all my free time in HS (dead father, dicey family finances). Also have less rational dislikes of Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, and even more so Liberty U and the like.</p>
<p>Dislike ASU, where my dad worked. I was programmed to go there from an early age due to his faculty/staff discount. I avoided it like the plague. The place seemed insipid, filled with students wearing too much makeup, drinking to excess, as well as a commuter school. These days, they’ve got some great programs, and are very innovative in terms of sustainability. </p>
<p>Love Beloit, where my D went, as well as many other Midwestern LAC. And UC Santa Cruz.</p>
<p>Speaking of superficial-I know Harvey Mudd is a great school. But it’s name is so God awful.</p>
<p>^^ I agree that Harvey Mudd is a terrible name for a college, but I don’t consider that to be a superficial issue. I think that place names are very important. I won’t live in a town or on a street with dumb or goofy-sounding name. Same for colleges. Mudd, Rice, Elon, Colgate, Berry, Juniata - fine schools all. But I wouldn’t want my kids to go to any of them simply because I don’t like the names.</p>
<p>Love Brown, Used to love UChicago… less now than I did when it was the underdog full of brilliant misfits. Love UNC, but that is my undergrad alma mater.</p>
<p>Hate Duke. See above.</p>
<p>Strong dislike for UIllinois, our state flagship. The place is just so ugly to me. I mean it’s almost as if they TRIED to make it ugly.</p>
<p>I loved Miami of Ohio. Just everything about it. The campus, the aura, oh Mother Miami! Wasn’t right for either kid but it would have been the school I would have loved. </p>
<p>Now I don’t loathe it but don’t see all the love for Michigan. I live here but oh the arrogance. There are other schools in Michigan. You don’t corner the world in greatness. I love Ann Arbor but thought that the campus was a bit rundown and not clean. Other than the law school, I thought the buildings were just ok and I did not like the engineering campus. All the charm of a suburban office park. </p>
<p>And I hear story after story of how it is hard to get the classes you want and graduate in 4 years. And that it is more geared for graduate school than undergrad. </p>
<p>Sorry all you Michigan fans, also I am not a Ohio State booster, just don’t see al the love piled on.</p>
<p>Well, I’m not from Michigan, so I can’t compare it to other schools there. I just know I got a great education (in 4 years) and adore Ann Arbor. So just personal experience, can’t generalize.</p>
<p>I’m becoming less enamored of certain schools because their boosters on CC are so over-the-top. It reeks of insecurity to assert that everybody “should” love your school and if they don’t, something’s wrong with them.</p>
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<p>I wonder which school is rjkofnovi’s favorite…</p>
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<p>I was a little taken aback when I first heard the name several years ago. But now that D2 will be attending in the fall, I kind of like it. Mostly because my parents (D2’s grandparents) were awful during the college search, and I know Grandma was itching to brag to her bridge club that D2 will be going someplace great like Stanford. Now she has to tell them D2 is going to Harvey Mudd… priceless. 
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<p>I think of college names like kid’s names – you agonize over what to name your kids before they are born, but once you have them you realize that they could be called ANYTHING, and they would still be the most precious thing in the world to you. The name just doesn’t matter compared to the essence of the thing.</p>
<p>Regarding Michigan, it is also my alma mater. I like it better in the rear view mirror than I did as a student, I think. But so many smart people in one place… that is the thing I miss and what I like when I go back on campus, which I do once or twice a year. And the summer I spent in Ann Arbor working and taking one easy class was one of the best of my life.</p>
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I love everything about UMich. My only regret in life is not having gone there. But two of my sons did and both graduated easily in four years, including the engineer. He absolutley fell in love with the engineering campus on the visit even though I was unsure it was the school for him and is now a grad student there. I love the campus, the atomosphere, the school spirit, the wonderful classes and how much my kids loved it. </p>
<p>I don’t hate OSU, but not real fond of it either :)</p>
<p>University of Phoenix. ;)</p>
<p>During my college research to assist DS, I had an internet romance with 2 colleges that I have never visited, Kalamazoo College and College of Wooster. The more I researched them the more excited I got for ME if I could only go back in that time machine. DS was not similarly smitten, though. The college I wanted to attend after visiting was Occidental; loved everything about it, but DS not so much. He did find his future happy home at CMC, but I would probably have been a Pitzer girl.</p>
<p>Loathe ANY for-profit school.</p>
<p>Don’t have an alma mater but sons’ schools give me goose bumps. When I went to visit son at the Naval Academy and visit them, just gave me butterflies. Same was true visiting other son at princeton, when I went up for his first football game and then for graduation. True for other son for the Army Navy game. So much tradition at both. And like the above poster I do love Carolina’s campus. Hopefully son will continue his residency there, or God forbid Dooooooke.</p>
<p>I also have a secret crush on Sewanee, since forever.</p>
<p>Kat</p>
<p>Nothing wrong with dook medical. They don’t count.</p>
<p>They are practically the same medical group. :)</p>
<p>Good luck to your son!</p>
<p>Well, as the song goes…</p>
<p>Oh, we don’t give a damn for the whole state of Michigan,
The whole state of Michigan,
The whole state of Michigan,
We don’t give a damn for the whole state of Michigan,
We’re from Ohio!</p>
<p>There’s actually a for profit college in our town that does not seem to be particularly evil. They are good neighbors and seem to be doing a decent job with the particular things they teach.</p>
<p>We got a mailing from Harvey Mudd that started “Our name is Mudd.” I’ve had a soft spot for them ever since. It always makes me think of Harry Mudd from the original Star Trek though.</p>