Any tours you went on that totally surprised you in a positive way?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wake forest beautiful campus and facilities
U Chicago feels like you are in Harry Potter
Castle and gorgeous grounds
Very unexpected

+1 on u chicago

+2. Not sure what exactly I was expecting from U Chicago but it wasn't that.

My D was a huge Harry Potter fan as a kid and she felt like she died and went to heaven when she stepped foot on the UChicago campus during admitted students weekend. She broke my heart and turned down my alma mater Duke but is happy camper at Chicago. She studies at their Harper Memorial Library and eats in a dining hall that is very Potteresqe.

[Anonymous]

Towson - went in with cautious expectations and was pleasantly surprised. Beautifully manicured and cute shops in surrounding neighborhood. A must visit for those passing thru the area

[Anonymous]

I thought the Occidental Campus was gorgeous. Just a perfect piece of Southern California with the Spanish style buildings and beautiful landscaping.it’s what I was expecting from UCSD which was one of the ugliest we saw with way too many brutalist buildings that had not aged well.

[Anonymous]

College of New Jersey. Went there thinking it was going to be blah but is really nice setup and lovely in the fall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Virginia Tech - we went twice. Once in the fall when all the trees had just turned - absolutely gorgeous. Then back for admitted students' day in April when the redbuds were in bloom. Again, stunning! Tour guides were all engaged and friendly, without being over-the-top as some are. My DC loved the gothic architecture and school spirit. It's been a great fit.

Completely agree! My kids both fell in love with VT. One didn’t get in last year and was crushed. The other is crossing her fingers for EA this year…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Virginia Tech - we went twice. Once in the fall when all the trees had just turned - absolutely gorgeous. Then back for admitted students' day in April when the redbuds were in bloom. Again, stunning! Tour guides were all engaged and friendly, without being over-the-top as some are. My DC loved the gothic architecture and school spirit. It's been a great fit.

We’re touring VT during blah early March. I hope that doesn’t backfire on us.

Early March is also spring break there, so there may not be any students around. Maybe you can reschedule for sometime in April?

[Anonymous]

I was pleasantly surprised by UC Irvine - a circular campus with a lovely park in the middle and so many nice outdoor seating areas.

[Anonymous]

UVM had a great tour and the tour guide was fantastic. Great school, but not the gift fit for DC. Tour guide’s honesty helped DC to make a decision.

[Anonymous]

Northeastern.
In general my kids preferred schools in urban environments like NYU USC
We visited many colleges in the East Coast and a couple in the West Coast including Stanford and USC.

My Kids put Northeastern in the list for its programs that fit very well.
After a visit, it went on the top of the list.
The Campus was pretty nice for an urban school in a modern way.
There were two subway stations literally right in the campus.
You hop on the subway and after a couple of stops, you are right in the middle of Boston.

My kids had high stats, and obviously they applied to a few T20ish schools.
One made it to USC although not quite T20.
Northeastern was the next choice after the T20ish schools, and one is attending.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We loved JMU. The quad/Bluestone area is so quintessentially "college." Lovely buildings. Students and faculty were incredibly kind and welcoming, happy to answer any questions we had. And the drive through the Shenandoah Valley is beautiful, especially in spring and fall.

I really liked the JMU campus (despite the highway cutting through the middle of it) but the ever-present food delivery robots completely turned me off. I think college students should get OUT of their dorms and go to the cafeterias to eat, not sit in their dorms and have food delivered! Plus you're constantly dodging the robots as you're trying to make your way around campus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We loved JMU. The quad/Bluestone area is so quintessentially "college." Lovely buildings. Students and faculty were incredibly kind and welcoming, happy to answer any questions we had. And the drive through the Shenandoah Valley is beautiful, especially in spring and fall.

I really liked the JMU campus (despite the highway cutting through the middle of it) but the ever-present food delivery robots completely turned me off. I think college students should get OUT of their dorms and go to the cafeterias to eat, not sit in their dorms and have food delivered! Plus you're constantly dodging the robots as you're trying to make your way around campus.

Oh, no - this is a thing now? That is annoying

[Anonymous]

University of Alabama

Reserved judgment until touring and meeting with the department. Gorgeous campus, big school spirit, happy students, more diverse than you think (including lgbtq staff and students), bigger strip than College Park, etc.

Plus, good weather and excellent facilities and activities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We loved JMU. The quad/Bluestone area is so quintessentially "college." Lovely buildings. Students and faculty were incredibly kind and welcoming, happy to answer any questions we had. And the drive through the Shenandoah Valley is beautiful, especially in spring and fall.

I really liked the JMU campus (despite the highway cutting through the middle of it) but the ever-present food delivery robots completely turned me off. I think college students should get OUT of their dorms and go to the cafeterias to eat, not sit in their dorms and have food delivered! Plus you're constantly dodging the robots as you're trying to make your way around campus.

Oh, no - this is a thing now? That is annoying

This should be the start of a new thread. I say that as I have my DD on “find my friends”. She is in her dorm way too much. And when I talk to my friends they say the same thing about their kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We loved JMU. The quad/Bluestone area is so quintessentially "college." Lovely buildings. Students and faculty were incredibly kind and welcoming, happy to answer any questions we had. And the drive through the Shenandoah Valley is beautiful, especially in spring and fall.

I really liked the JMU campus (despite the highway cutting through the middle of it) but the ever-present food delivery robots completely turned me off. I think college students should get OUT of their dorms and go to the cafeterias to eat, not sit in their dorms and have food delivered! Plus you're constantly dodging the robots as you're trying to make your way around campus.

Oh, no - this is a thing now? That is annoying

Saw the robots at several colleges on our tour a few years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Towson - went in with cautious expectations and was pleasantly surprised. Beautifully manicured and cute shops in surrounding neighborhood. A must visit for those passing thru the area

Except the crime in Towson is now sky high.