Underwhelming campus experience

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Went to Chicago to see UChicago, didn't care for the tour and didn't apply. Meanwhile, did the Northwestern tour only because we were in town, was surprised how appealing it was, applied and now attends.

Interesting. We were the complete opposite. Thought UChicago was impressive and were completely underwhelmed by Northwestern. DC applied to neither.

Attends Vanderbilt instead, which DC found to be a much more impressive school than both Chicago and Northwestern.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Was disappointed with Pepperdine University in Malibu, Caifornia. Expected more.

Cornell was too overcast & gloomy.

Agree on Pepperdine...view is amazing but campus is not that exciting. Cornell is really nice on good days but there are more overcast days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Richmond

+1

[Anonymous]

Tufts was so dreary. Everything about it was depressing. Which was a BUMMER because on paper it seemed like the perfect school for DS.

[Anonymous]

Bates was pretty underwhelming and Lewiston was ugh.

Connecticut - mundane, tired.

I really liked the Trinity (CT) campus but my God that could not make up for the horror of the surrounding ghetto.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tufts was so dreary. Everything about it was depressing. Which was a BUMMER because on paper it seemed like the perfect school for DS.

Agree. So much 70s brutalism that had never been updated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yale is like a weird Potemkin Village or movie set.

I wish I were jaded enough to toss out such a comment. Yale seemed magical to me as a visitor.

DP. A lot of people find it magical. I really struggled to enjoy the tour and found it extravagantly tasteless and a bit dull (which is a strange mix I wasn’t expecting). The auditorium they sent us into just seemed large but also rundown. We got to tour DC’s department and a residential college, since DC has a few upperclassmen friends there and neither of us were too impressed.

Strange, because DC now goes to Princeton and we both love the campus- which is admittedly quite similar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Amherst - not sure if I had particularly high expectations but found the campus underwhelming.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bates was pretty underwhelming and Lewiston was ugh.

Connecticut - mundane, tired.

I really liked the Trinity (CT) campus but my God that could not make up for the horror of the surrounding ghetto.

Bates did seem underwhelming. Lewiston is basically Maine in a nutshell, aside from Portland or maybe Kennebunk. I rarely hear people complain about New Haven when they visit Yale and NH is 10x worse than Lewiston.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Harvard

Right. I went there. Tell me exactly what was disappointing. Oh Yeah, you're the mom who complained about brown grass in Harvard Yard not realizing the protesters had slept on it for months.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Harvard

Right. I went there. Tell me exactly what was disappointing. Oh Yeah, you're the mom who complained about brown grass in Harvard Yard not realizing the protesters had slept on it for months.

DP but I’m a Harvard alum, and it’s not like Harvard yard or where the tours take you is that extravagant. I genuinely think the interiors are what make Harvard beautiful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tufts was so dreary. Everything about it was depressing. Which was a BUMMER because on paper it seemed like the perfect school for DS.

My kid felt the same about tufts! On paper, the programs were strong fit, but they disliked the campus and vibe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:UVA

It's a world unesco site. And Poe's room is on display. And Montecello. And the vineyards around C'vile. And the beauty of the countryside. If you can't appreciate any of that then the problem is you so I can tell your kid didn't get in. Take your sour grapes elseshere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Went to Chicago to see UChicago, didn't care for the tour and didn't apply. Meanwhile, did the Northwestern tour only because we were in town, was surprised how appealing it was, applied and now attends.

Exact opposite for us. Northwestern had been top of our kid’s list on paper, but the visit ended that. It was totally lifeless when we visited. I realize that it could have been a fluke, but there was no convincing her. She loved UChicago, which on the day we visited was super lively.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Harvard

Right. I went there. Tell me exactly what was disappointing. Oh Yeah, you're the mom who complained about brown grass in Harvard Yard not realizing the protesters had slept on it for months.

DP. My kid wants to study math and we went to what I believe was the math department, and it seemed like a crummy afterthought. Very unimpressive. Other buildings were much nicer.

I’m laughing at the Yale comment. 😅