Where would YOU attend if you (the parent) could choose any school as a freshman in 2026? And why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:you mean they'd just let me in?

then Yale or Oxford.

Even in your unlimited fantasy, you’d pick four years in Downtown New Haven. Unbelievable.

I’d like four free years in La Jolla please, sign me up for UCSD.

Yeah. it's about who is around the table and I'd be happy in a residential college.

I also dont like San Diego.

I can - and did - move to a nice climate after college. Spend half my time in Ojai now. But for college, I want the academics.

New Haven is actually quite nice now. And we all managed back in the day. Was quite a culture shock for me, but it was good for me too.

I have a theory that more interesting people go to Yale (vs say Princeton) because of New Haven.

My kid is actually at Yale. I wouldnt call it nice, but it's nicer than it was. Whereas Cambridge has lost what used to make it great.

[Anonymous]

Yale. Kid just graduated from there last year and had such a terrific experience. We both loved it from first visit when she was in high school and her time there exceeded all our expectations

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:you mean they'd just let me in?

then Yale or Oxford.

Even in your unlimited fantasy, you’d pick four years in Downtown New Haven. Unbelievable.

I’d like four free years in La Jolla please, sign me up for UCSD.

Yeah. it's about who is around the table and I'd be happy in a residential college.

I also dont like San Diego.

I can - and did - move to a nice climate after college. Spend half my time in Ojai now. But for college, I want the academics.

New Haven is actually quite nice now. And we all managed back in the day. Was quite a culture shock for me, but it was good for me too.

I have a theory that more interesting people go to Yale (vs say Princeton) because of New Haven.

My kid is actually at Yale. I wouldnt call it nice, but it's nicer than it was. Whereas Cambridge has lost what used to make it great.

I mean, there's an Apple store, an Urban, J Crew, etc, all right near campus. Those stores don't go into ghettos. Plus all the local places that give it flavor and character - many of them there since my day ---Atticus, Claire's, Ashley's, Yorkside....

You don't think that's nice?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:W&M.

Ditto on W & M.

OP did say any school so why lowly W&M? (My DC got into W&M Monroe this year and struggling to decide against a T20.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:you mean they'd just let me in?

then Yale or Oxford.

Even in your unlimited fantasy, you’d pick four years in Downtown New Haven. Unbelievable.

I’d like four free years in La Jolla please, sign me up for UCSD.

Yeah. it's about who is around the table and I'd be happy in a residential college.

I also dont like San Diego.

I can - and did - move to a nice climate after college. Spend half my time in Ojai now. But for college, I want the academics.

New Haven is actually quite nice now. And we all managed back in the day. Was quite a culture shock for me, but it was good for me too.

I have a theory that more interesting people go to Yale (vs say Princeton) because of New Haven.

My kid is actually at Yale. I wouldnt call it nice, but it's nicer than it was. Whereas Cambridge has lost what used to make it great.

I mean, there's an Apple store, an Urban, J Crew, etc, all right near campus. Those stores don't go into ghettos. Plus all the local places that give it flavor and character - many of them there since my day ---Atticus, Claire's, Ashley's, Yorkside....

You don't think that's nice?

I find that strip of stores fine but not a lot of flavor as you say. But New Haven in general is not great, and there's a shooting or death in or around New Haven Green several times a year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:you mean they'd just let me in?

then Yale or Oxford.

Even in your unlimited fantasy, you’d pick four years in Downtown New Haven. Unbelievable.

I’d like four free years in La Jolla please, sign me up for UCSD.

Yeah. it's about who is around the table and I'd be happy in a residential college.

I also dont like San Diego.

I can - and did - move to a nice climate after college. Spend half my time in Ojai now. But for college, I want the academics.

New Haven is actually quite nice now. And we all managed back in the day. Was quite a culture shock for me, but it was good for me too.

I have a theory that more interesting people go to Yale (vs say Princeton) because of New Haven.

My kid is actually at Yale. I wouldnt call it nice, but it's nicer than it was. Whereas Cambridge has lost what used to make it great.

I mean, there's an Apple store, an Urban, J Crew, etc, all right near campus. Those stores don't go into ghettos. Plus all the local places that give it flavor and character - many of them there since my day ---Atticus, Claire's, Ashley's, Yorkside....

You don't think that's nice?

I find that strip of stores fine but not a lot of flavor as you say. But New Haven in general is not great, and there's a shooting or death in or around New Haven Green several times a year.

It sounds like maybe you haven't spent much time there. You need to explore the local places. There is a fantastic food and coffee shop scene. And the pizza, oh the pizza! Branch out! Also have you hiked East Rock?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:W&M.

Ditto on W & M.

Another vote for W&M. Wasn't instate option for me, so I couldn't attend, but it definitely would have been my top choice back in the day. It was in state for my kids. One went there. Visiting as a parent was a real treat for me!

+1 it was my top choice and I got in but my parents decided it was too expensive. I loved the campus and the history, and we had family in Virginia (we moved away when I was little). I went in-state to Cal Poly SLO and had a great experience (IMO Cal Poly is the perfect central coast college, not UCSB).

Toured W&M with both my kids and still loved it. Unfortunately, it wasn't the right fit for them - one went to VT and another to a LAC. LAC kid did consider it for a while.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:W&M.

Ditto on W & M.

Another vote for W&M. Wasn't instate option for me, so I couldn't attend, but it definitely would have been my top choice back in the day. It was in state for my kids. One went there. Visiting as a parent was a real treat for me!

+1 it was my top choice and I got in but my parents decided it was too expensive. I loved the campus and the history, and we had family in Virginia (we moved away when I was little). I went in-state to Cal Poly SLO and had a great experience (IMO Cal Poly is the perfect central coast college, not UCSB).

Toured W&M with both my kids and still loved it. Unfortunately, it wasn't the right fit for them - one went to VT and another to a LAC. LAC kid did consider it for a while.

W & M hits that sweet spot. Small enough to feel like an LAC, public enough to avoid some of the pretentiousness of private colleges and it’s big enough where everyone can find their niche. Very nice, down-to-earth kids. Loved it when my kid visited for admitted student weekend but kid went somewhere else.

[Anonymous]

Columbia or Vassar (very different, I know)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:you mean they'd just let me in?

then Yale or Oxford.

Even in your unlimited fantasy, you’d pick four years in Downtown New Haven. Unbelievable.

I’d like four free years in La Jolla please, sign me up for UCSD.

Yeah. it's about who is around the table and I'd be happy in a residential college.

I also dont like San Diego.

I can - and did - move to a nice climate after college. Spend half my time in Ojai now. But for college, I want the academics.

New Haven is actually quite nice now. And we all managed back in the day. Was quite a culture shock for me, but it was good for me too.

I have a theory that more interesting people go to Yale (vs say Princeton) because of New Haven.

My kid is actually at Yale. I wouldnt call it nice, but it's nicer than it was. Whereas Cambridge has lost what used to make it great.

I mean, there's an Apple store, an Urban, J Crew, etc, all right near campus. Those stores don't go into ghettos. Plus all the local places that give it flavor and character - many of them there since my day ---Atticus, Claire's, Ashley's, Yorkside....

You don't think that's nice?

I find that strip of stores fine but not a lot of flavor as you say. But New Haven in general is not great, and there's a shooting or death in or around New Haven Green several times a year.

It sounds like maybe you haven't spent much time there. You need to explore the local places. There is a fantastic food and coffee shop scene. And the pizza, oh the pizza! Branch out! Also have you hiked East Rock?

I've spent plenty of time in New Haven over the last 25 years, but haven't hiked East Rock. I was mainly talking about the violent crime that goes down on Church Street, that area, the state of affairs at the CVS. I think Yale has to do better by New Haven. I know they're increasing PILOTs, but they could do more. Anyway, I said Yale was on my list as favorites. But I'm not blind to what is happening literally around its gates.

[Anonymous]

I watched a very sad documentary on Yale/New Haven, but can’t recall the name of it. If really showcased the decline and struggle in the area and the school’s role in it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:W&M.

Ditto on W & M.

Another vote for W&M. Wasn't instate option for me, so I couldn't attend, but it definitely would have been my top choice back in the day. It was in state for my kids. One went there. Visiting as a parent was a real treat for me!

+1 it was my top choice and I got in but my parents decided it was too expensive. I loved the campus and the history, and we had family in Virginia (we moved away when I was little). I went in-state to Cal Poly SLO and had a great experience (IMO Cal Poly is the perfect central coast college, not UCSB).

Toured W&M with both my kids and still loved it. Unfortunately, it wasn't the right fit for them - one went to VT and another to a LAC. LAC kid did consider it for a while.

Why did you choose Cal Poly over UCs?

[Anonymous]

Yale is close to NYC (1.5-hr train ride). You can spend a fun day there once a month. But I’m surprised by how much weight people place on the geographic location when choosing colleges. There’s more than enough for students to do in New Haven.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:W&M.

Ditto on W & M.

Another vote for W&M. Wasn't instate option for me, so I couldn't attend, but it definitely would have been my top choice back in the day. It was in state for my kids. One went there. Visiting as a parent was a real treat for me!

+1 it was my top choice and I got in but my parents decided it was too expensive. I loved the campus and the history, and we had family in Virginia (we moved away when I was little). I went in-state to Cal Poly SLO and had a great experience (IMO Cal Poly is the perfect central coast college, not UCSB).

Toured W&M with both my kids and still loved it. Unfortunately, it wasn't the right fit for them - one went to VT and another to a LAC. LAC kid did consider it for a while.

Why did you choose Cal Poly over UCs?

Loved the campus, focus on undergrads, smaller size than UCs, learn-by-doing ethos. Also, it was my dad's favorite place to hire new grads so he strongly encouraged it. I had a few UCs as options too but just felt like Cal Poly was the right fit. FWIW, UCSB was also an option but back in the late 80s it had a party school/safety school reputation at my HS.

I did get crap from classmates from choosing a Cal State over a UC but it was the right choice for me. Had great mentorship from faculty, coop experience (back when coop/internship was less common), and a senior project that led directly to a job in the field I wanted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UCLA, UC Santa Barbara or Pomona, maybe.

Somewhere warm and on the West Coast. Beautiful scenery a plus.

I went to a little Ivy SLAC in the mid-Atlantic and then to an Ivy in the Northeast for graduate school. I can't fault the education I received, which was excellent, but as a child who grew up on the East Coast, I think I would have benefitted from a change of scenery and culture.

Is PA MidAtlantic? I would call it Northeast.

Encyclopedia Britannica disagrees with you: https://www.britannica.com/place/Pennsylvania-state

"Pennsylvania is classified as a Middle Atlantic state, along with New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland. Its central location on the Eastern Seaboard is sometimes said to be the source of its nickname, the Keystone State. It does not, however, touch the Atlantic Ocean at any point."

Then again, you can't always trust those Brits.