tell me about colleges that didn't make your kid's list

[Anonymous]

We went to UVA for accepted students day. I thought the “two class system” was alive and well as they explained how competitive and exclusive everything was. I had forgotten that part about VA. And UVA in particular. Ended up with full ride elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Gross. The “h” is definitely not silent when you say “hubris”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We went to UVA for accepted students day. I thought the “two class system” was alive and well as they explained how competitive and exclusive everything was. I had forgotten that part about VA. And UVA in particular. Ended up with full ride elsewhere.

Two class system??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We went to UVA for accepted students day. I thought the “two class system” was alive and well as they explained how competitive and exclusive everything was. I had forgotten that part about VA. And UVA in particular. Ended up with full ride elsewhere.

What is the two class system?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Things may have changed since you applied. My DC recently visited Amherst and thought the vibe was fairly chill and welcoming.

My DC was on a semester abroad with Amherst students. Very very snooty. Also the program catered to them so much. They stayed in a castle as part of the event. Guess who stayed in the luxury castle rooms? Guess who stayed in the extra rooms ?

Not an Amherst alum, but -- you do realize that your DC could have had a similar experience with students from other colleges, too, right?

Every "abroad" program can be very different, as my DC and classmates have found--depending on the destination, the department running the program, how serious it is about the academics of the program, etc. I'm genuinely sorry your kid had a poor experience and found other students snooty, and I don't doubt that that is an accurate assessment by your kid for those students, on that one program, that particular semester.

But students who do things like semesters abroad can be a self-selecting group who aren't representative of a college as a whole. Not a useful data point for HS students looking at whether to apply there now.

I just don't think semester abroad program impressions of a handful of students necessarily translates into a reason to avoid or reconsider any college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Admissions rep.from Mt. Holyoke asked me where we summered. Nope. Not gonna fit in there.

That’s amazing. I would have done the same.

That being said, the handful of people I know who went there are extremely not snooty at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We were horribly let down by Duke in every way.

DD was really let down too. Everything she had heard about the great programs and relaxed campus life was offset by the predominance of Greek life and athletics.

[Anonymous]

UVA looked like a prison in the middle of a city

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:UVA looked like a prison in the middle of a city

odd statement. There are many reasons why someone wouldn't like UVA but the campus (or grounds LOL) is not one you hear often. It's widely considered one of the most beautiful around, and it's not hardly in the middle of a "city". Charlottesville has only 47,000+ residents, so calling it a "city" is a bit of a stretch. But to each their own!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UVA looked like a prison in the middle of a city

odd statement. There are many reasons why someone wouldn't like UVA but the campus (or grounds LOL) is not one you hear often. It's widely considered one of the most beautiful around, and it's hardly in the middle of a "city". Charlottesville has only 47,000+ residents, so calling it a "city" is a bit of a stretch. But to each their own!

whoops sorry for typos.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:UVA looked like a prison in the middle of a city

Really? We got that feeling from Yale (the walled institution in a low-income New Haven), but UVA has a gorgeous campus that feels fairly well integrated with Charlottesville which is a quintessential college town. DC didn't love UVA for other reasons, but not its visuals. So interesting how people have different perceptions.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:University of San Diego didn't feel very inclusive

Not fair. They do admit both Northern Californians AND Southern Californians.

Heee hee

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Admissions rep.from Mt. Holyoke asked me where we summered. Nope. Not gonna fit in there.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Boston College - they had an entire stage full of students during the info session, DC leaned over and said "this many kids and they couldn't find a single black or brown student?", felt very disconnected from Boston, didn't like the separate campus (Newton) for many of the students, horrible tour guide who complained constantly

Lehigh - way too much Greek life, depressing area, felt too focused on engineering which DC wasn't planning to study

Wesleyan - looked perfect on paper and had a great tour guide but really didn't like the campus, felt more arts oriented compared to other NESCACs, wasn't as far north as DC wanted to be

So true about Boston College. We noticed the same thing. No diversity at all.

This is also what turned us off from Boston College -- there appeared to be a lack of ethnic and socioeconomic diversity. It came off the list.

I went to Boston College and knew FOUR men named Patrick Walsh there if that tells you anything hahahah

This is so different from our lives. I may send my kids to Boston College just so they can have a different experience!

You joke - but for me this is exactly what happened. It was totally different from my very diverse (in every way) HS. I was surprised when I got there because I had never been in that sort of environment before, and it hadn't ever occurred to me. But I actually learned a lot from that. I was also not as wealthy as many of my classmates and learned a lot from that too.

I'm going to get roasted for this but as I guide my kiddos through the college search process, diversity isn't something I'm focusing on. I'm telling them to look at other aspects of the college (good fit, is it good for your major, big/small, rural/not rural, big/small). I wouldn't be surprised if they choose a college that is nowhere near as diverse as their current MCPS school.

I am on the fence about this. I also emphasize a good fit regardless of the demographics, locale, etc - but my kid has been in diverse schools his entire life - what if a very white school (even if he himself is white) is not a good fit for that very reason? Hard to know.

[Anonymous]

It is funny seeing how people use the most stupid reasons to not apply somewhere. And these are mature adults?