For fun: first impressions of colleges based on tours...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We’ve visited about 10, maybe 12. Here are DS impressions

Fav. Campus - Northwestern
Fav. In-State - UVA
Biggest disappointment - W&M (boring)
Nicest students - Bucknell
Biggest + surprise - Wooster

ooh, do you mind sharing where your DS applied? I have a junior DC and those are all on her list (yes, she and her fellow “super planner” friends already have “lists”, although very speculative and random at this point 😂).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Harvard: Bland and a little drab, too touristy.

Yale: Stunningly gorgeous in every way. A+

Princeton: Also beautiful but felt like it lacked patina/character and felt a little too pretentious.

Columbia: LOVED this campus. Gritty, beautiful, classic. NYC.

Northwestern: Another favorite - great mix of modern and classic, and absolutely stunning location on the lake.

UChicago: So classically beautiful. Felt almost European, or stately, but felt extremely gloomy and gray, even though we visited same day as NU.

Cornell: Another great one - stunning location. Friendly, collegial.

I loved Northwestern. Daughter ended of choosing UPenn because her friends went there. She has regretted not choosing NU ever since, and she's already graduated.

Aw, my kids LOVED Northwestern and ended up elsewhere, too. Would have been thrilled to send at least one of them there if they got in! But things happen for a reason.

Best friend attended Northwestern and, while they overall liked the school, they were put off by the school’s over-the-top pre-professional vibe (compared to other schools where students were more intellectual and interested in learning for the sake of learning).

I felt that way, too. I don’t see how it can rank so highly when no one there even seemed to regret not having time to read books.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’ve visited about 10, maybe 12. Here are DS impressions

Fav. Campus - Northwestern
Fav. In-State - UVA
Biggest disappointment - W&M (boring)
Nicest students - Bucknell
Biggest + surprise - Wooster

ooh, do you mind sharing where your DS applied? I have a junior DC and those are all on her list (yes, she and her fellow “super planner” friends already have “lists”, although very speculative and random at this point 😂).

Four. NU, UVA, Bucknell, Swarthmore

[Anonymous]

Washington and Lee- really friendly students- lots of smiles- really cute town- great for outdoorsy kids, hiking etc, nice business program
UVA- massive amounts of red plastic cups all over the lawn/fraternity houses on a Saturday morning
Villanova- incredibly relatable and knowledgeable tour guide, pretty buildings- new dorms
Brown- beautiful buildings and more open, outside of the box curriculum
Wesleyan- nice progressive kids- love the football field in the center of campus. town a bit dingy but at least there is a town

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Washington and Lee- really friendly students- lots of smiles- really cute town- great for outdoorsy kids, hiking etc, nice business program
UVA- massive amounts of red plastic cups all over the lawn/fraternity houses on a Saturday morning
Villanova- incredibly relatable and knowledgeable tour guide, pretty buildings- new dorms
Brown- beautiful buildings and more open, outside of the box curriculum
Wesleyan- nice progressive kids- love the football field in the center of campus. town a bit dingy but at least there is a town

Hate to tell you this Mom, but if your kid saw this they weren't on the UVA campus - they were drinking on frat row. The sororities and frats aren't on the UVA campus - they are to the east on Rugby Road, Madison Lane, Chancellor Street and Culbreth Road. My DC spent four years there without ever going into a greek house. It can be done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is this an American thing to choose a college based on kids impressions from a campus visit? I am a immigrant and this feels so strange and random to me.

It's not the only factor, but it matters. If the kid hates the campus, then it's a rule out. If the kid is okay with it or loves it, it's one factor among many.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Washington and Lee- really friendly students- lots of smiles- really cute town- great for outdoorsy kids, hiking etc, nice business program
UVA- massive amounts of red plastic cups all over the lawn/fraternity houses on a Saturday morning
Villanova- incredibly relatable and knowledgeable tour guide, pretty buildings- new dorms
Brown- beautiful buildings and more open, outside of the box curriculum
Wesleyan- nice progressive kids- love the football field in the center of campus. town a bit dingy but at least there is a town

Hate to tell you this Mom, but if your kid saw this they weren't on the UVA campus - they were drinking on frat row. The sororities and frats aren't on the UVA campus - they are to the east on Rugby Road, Madison Lane, Chancellor Street and Culbreth Road. My DC spent four years there without ever going into a greek house. It can be done.

How to issue a correction without correcting anything...

[Anonymous]

Yale - scale is intimidating and New Haven is run-down

Williams - took so long to get here, but this is beautiful!

Princeton - this is what I always thought an Ivy would look like

Wesleyan - the kids seem really nice

Amherst - stuffy and kind of like the college version of Deerfield Academy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Washington and Lee- really friendly students- lots of smiles- really cute town- great for outdoorsy kids, hiking etc, nice business program
UVA- massive amounts of red plastic cups all over the lawn/fraternity houses on a Saturday morning
Villanova- incredibly relatable and knowledgeable tour guide, pretty buildings- new dorms
Brown- beautiful buildings and more open, outside of the box curriculum
Wesleyan- nice progressive kids- love the football field in the center of campus. town a bit dingy but at least there is a town

Hate to tell you this Mom, but if your kid saw this they weren't on the UVA campus - they were drinking on frat row. The sororities and frats aren't on the UVA campus - they are to the east on Rugby Road, Madison Lane, Chancellor Street and Culbreth Road. My DC spent four years there without ever going into a greek house. It can be done.

How to issue a correction without correcting anything...

+1 Just what I was thinking!

[Anonymous]

GMU - more modern than I thought it would be. Less student foot traffic than I expected, but we could have been there during a lull in classes, I guess. Or maybe just a lot of people drive in and out.It was a Friday.

Mary Washington - very quick visit, but it seemed to be a charming, traditional campus. Very walkable. Cute downtown.

JMU - has that “big state u” vibe. It felt very big, but not impersonal, if that makes sense. Lots of school spirit, people looked happy.

UVA - didn’t feel as big as thought it would, but still lively. Love the town. Also had lots of school spirit and happy looking people. Saw families with children and people walking their dogs on the lawn area, which was nice.

Richmond - bigger than we expected and gorgeous (like stunning). Feels a little secluded in a wealthy neighborhood. Wish it was closer to downtown.

[Anonymous]

York College—Too grey, too small, and everyone looks exactly the same (she’s not wrong, it was like they announced it was college logo sweatshirt/leggings/ugg/high ponytail day.)

I do think her impressions were colored by a tour guide who had more negative things to say about the school than positive. At one point another parent asked the guide if she liked the school—she paused and then said “I think I’m supposed to say yes.”

[Anonymous]

It seems like the same schools keep coming up on this thread. Most are schools that are not accessible to a lot of people, whether for academic or economic reasons. I would like to hear about a wider range of schools without someone chiming in to shame the poster. I am sure there are people in this group who have the resources, but have academically challenged kids. And on the flip side, there are very smart kids who don't have the means to go the school of their dreams. So, please keep this mind. Denigrating a school for bad architecture or for being in an ugly town is one thing, but please refrain from commenting on the academic merits. So, I'd love to keep hearing initial impressions of schools, and maybe we can get information that can benefit more of us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:York College—Too grey, too small, and everyone looks exactly the same (she’s not wrong, it was like they announced it was college logo sweatshirt/leggings/ugg/high ponytail day.)

I do think her impressions were colored by a tour guide who had more negative things to say about the school than positive. At one point another parent asked the guide if she liked the school—she paused and then said “I think I’m supposed to say yes.”

York emailed my son (who was accepted there) after his sophomore year at a different school and offered him a transfer spot. Interesting marketing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:GMU - more modern than I thought it would be. Less student foot traffic than I expected, but we could have been there during a lull in classes, I guess. Or maybe just a lot of people drive in and out.It was a Friday.

Mary Washington - very quick visit, but it seemed to be a charming, traditional campus. Very walkable. Cute downtown.

JMU - has that “big state u” vibe. It felt very big, but not impersonal, if that makes sense. Lots of school spirit, people looked happy.

UVA - didn’t feel as big as thought it would, but still lively. Love the town. Also had lots of school spirit and happy looking people. Saw families with children and people walking their dogs on the lawn area, which was nice.

Richmond - bigger than we expected and gorgeous (like stunning). Feels a little secluded in a wealthy neighborhood. Wish it was closer to downtown.

This is a point about any schools--don't visit on a Friday. There's the least amount of classes scheduled on Fridays and the most amount of random other things--research team meetings, faculty writing time, advising appointments etc. So it's the least typical campus weekday.

[Anonymous]

University of Wisconsin/Madison: school spirit off the charts...red everywhere. Our DD loved the vibe and the surrounding area. Liked the idea of going to school in the state capital because there would be "lots to do."