Better than Expected Freshman Year

[Anonymous]

I thought we could try to compile a list of schools that really support freshman and have gone better than expected!

My DD is a freshman at St. Mary’s. She was pretty upset about having to stay in state and did not get into UMD. It has been amazing! She has made so many friends and just loves the school. Counseling support has been strong. I definitely recommend the school.

What others?

[Anonymous]

My kid is also finishing a freshman year that went very well, better than expected. They went to an out-of-state public after not having gotten into some of the usual suspects in the DMV area.

They are in a scholarship merit program at a top business school in the south. They are loving it, both academically and socially. They told me they’ll really miss their friends this summer, but they will are also excited to be back and see their high school friends.

I was worried initially because my kid knew no one at the school and didn’t know much about it. It was kind of taking a chance on going here but it’s really been a good fit. Also not worried about them getting a job in the long run.

[Anonymous]

South Carolina has been a wonderful fit and experience for my business school son.

I was worried it would be too conservative and not challenging enough, and both have proven wrong. He still has really good grades too.

He made friends from as far away as Vermont, New York and of course the Carolinas. Also, there were several high profile MAGA speakers on campus, but he has both conservative and liberal friends like himself.

I think he’s falling into a good routine there and I think he’s gonna miss over the summer.

[Anonymous]

Huge fan of the University of Arizona. My daughter got a huge merit award, but I wasn’t sure how she’d do all the way across the country. She absolutely loves it and is thriving! This was after being a middle of the road kid in a W- school in MCPS. She is very sad to come back to Md this month.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Huge fan of the University of Arizona. My daughter got a huge merit award, but I wasn’t sure how she’d do all the way across the country. She absolutely loves it and is thriving! This was after being a middle of the road kid in a W- school in MCPS. She is very sad to come back to Md this month.

It’s hard to beat the weather at University of Arizona during the school year.

May to September is a different animal.

[Anonymous]

My kid had a great year (1 week still to go). I don’t know that it was the specific school. I was quite apprehensive about how he would do socially. In part it had to do with who he is— not the most outgoing kid, and comfortable with being alone. That’s great, but I worried it might lead him to not try and engage early on, and eventually realize he had missed out on making friends. Also, he went for a single room, and amazingly to me, got one. I didn’t encourage it, but I didn’t argue very hard against it because I thought there was no way he’d get one. When he did, I worried that it would just add to the social difficulties.
Anyway, my concerns were all unwarranted. He went to activities early on, joined clubs and groups, and made great friends. The single room served him well as a place to “indulge his introvert” when needed (and apparently was also the preferred hang out spot for his closest friends).
He loved the learning part, which I expected. He loves his classes, his professors, getting to be around grad students and others who love learning. It’s all good.
Except the bathrooms. He gave those an F early on!

[Anonymous]

Great experience at Wesleyan!!

[Anonymous]

My kid had an outstanding year at Swarthmore. They chose it over Dartmouth, UPenn and UChicago. I was a bit concerned about its small size but my concerns were misplaced. They have an extremely busy calendar with academics, activities and club participation. Socially it has been wonderful, they have built a bunch of wonderful friendships with smart, rounded fun kids with diverse interests. Academics have for the most part been what Swarthmore is billed out to be - small classes, engaged professors, a lot of work - the only exception is one terrible prof (RMP ratings for that professor are low, but it is a mandatory course for a particular major). The one concern (it could be a plus, who knows) , is that the culture at Swarthmore is not competitive it is very collaborative which suits my kid fine. But I think in the real world you need to have sharp elbows and it seems Swarthmore doesn't care much for those skills.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid had an outstanding year at Swarthmore. They chose it over Dartmouth, UPenn and UChicago. I was a bit concerned about its small size but my concerns were misplaced. They have an extremely busy calendar with academics, activities and club participation. Socially it has been wonderful, they have built a bunch of wonderful friendships with smart, rounded fun kids with diverse interests. Academics have for the most part been what Swarthmore is billed out to be - small classes, engaged professors, a lot of work - the only exception is one terrible prof (RMP ratings for that professor are low, but it is a mandatory course for a particular major). The one concern (it could be a plus, who knows) , is that the culture at Swarthmore is not competitive it is very collaborative which suits my kid fine. But I think in the real world you need to have sharp elbows and it seems Swarthmore doesn't care much for those skills.

This post is fishy to me 🤔

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid had an outstanding year at Swarthmore. They chose it over Dartmouth, UPenn and UChicago. I was a bit concerned about its small size but my concerns were misplaced. They have an extremely busy calendar with academics, activities and club participation. Socially it has been wonderful, they have built a bunch of wonderful friendships with smart, rounded fun kids with diverse interests. Academics have for the most part been what Swarthmore is billed out to be - small classes, engaged professors, a lot of work - the only exception is one terrible prof (RMP ratings for that professor are low, but it is a mandatory course for a particular major). The one concern (it could be a plus, who knows) , is that the culture at Swarthmore is not competitive it is very collaborative which suits my kid fine. But I think in the real world you need to have sharp elbows and it seems Swarthmore doesn't care much for those skills.

This post is fishy to me 🤔

+1 especially since Swat is known to be a grind school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
This post is fishy to me 🤔

You are a blinkered, bilious, barricaded barnacle-clinging desperately to the hull of your own narrow-mindedness, impervious to the bracing winds of fresh thought, and recoiling in horror at any glimmer of enlightenment that might threaten your dreary, self-imposed darkness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
This post is fishy to me 🤔

You are a blinkered, bilious, barricaded barnacle-clinging desperately to the hull of your own narrow-mindedness, impervious to the bracing winds of fresh thought, and recoiling in horror at any glimmer of enlightenment that might threaten your dreary, self-imposed darkness.

UVA?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
This post is fishy to me 🤔

You are a blinkered, bilious, barricaded barnacle-clinging desperately to the hull of your own narrow-mindedness, impervious to the bracing winds of fresh thought, and recoiling in horror at any glimmer of enlightenment that might threaten your dreary, self-imposed darkness.

UVA?

My thoughts exactly.

[Anonymous]

Very good first year at Binghamton, academically and socially.

[Anonymous]

Good first year at JMU. DS is not a partier but found great friends. Classes were no joke though, and he's had to work hard with pretty good success. It has been a good fit.