What school dropped off the list because of your visit?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ohio state. Oops, sorry, THE Ohio state. We stopped by for a self-guided tour. Very nice student union, but the joke about Michigan that our family friend dropped in the admissions office as a test drew daggered looks from all 6 people there. Saw similar intensity about hatred of Michigan touring the campus. Just a little too intense of a sports focus for both of our DCs.

Harvard. The campus is just sprawling throughout Cambridge. DC didn't like the scattered dorms, where the athletic facilities were, and the hodgepodge for different parts of the school. Liked the Law School area.

Princeton had a highly desirable program, and the campus was nice enough, but the whole eating clubs and academic plan just weren't what was expected. And then being in the middle of nowhere was not appealing to my DC. 1 hr train to either Philly or NYC wasn't a benefit.

Yale - as previously said, nice campus, surrounding area severely lacking.

UPenn actually rose on the list, but I can see why it would drop off some people's lists. It was more compact and dense than expected, with good access to the city, which was a plus for my DC.

I think there are two main things that can come from a visit - obviously the actual campus and campus feel, but also some nuances about student life and academics that are hard to tell from the website and online tours. Better if you whittle the list before you apply, but sometimes after you have admission offers, the tour ends up being the deciding factor.

LOL didn't like Harvard, Yale or Princeton but liked Penn. Sounds like a realist setting herself up for rejections. Don't blame her.

PP here. Didn’t include results lest I be accused of bragging, but then you had to be typical DCUMer. DC was accepted to Princeton and UPenn, but not the desired program. They picked a different top 20 school- ironically one that other posters indicated their DCs didn’t like. The point is, just because it’s a prestigious school doesn’t mean it’s a good fit for all kids, even if they are qualified.

Sure they did.

What on earth did you miss about Harvard? The signs are not sprawling and all over the place. It’s based on the Oxford House system. All the freshman are together in Harvard yard within spitting distance of each other. You then select the House (like an oxford college) to live in for the next three years. It’s the best part of Harvard! And the law school (where I went) is in the area just north of the Yard. They feel identical.

According to most on DCUM, living off of campus is better.

Not if attending Harvard. Cambridge is too expensive sbd lufe I. The Houses is fun. I lived all three years of law school in the dorms. Made great friends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wake Forest challenges the students. Absolutely superb school!

I attended. It does. And it is. And I worked, but had plenty of free time and I was a pretty studious kid. And, I keep hearing grade deflation and disagree. I graduated phi beta kappa, was accepted at several T20 law schools and was not prepared for the writing. I think I got by on articulating good ideas and was missing some real fundamentals. I came from a crappy Southern HS and Wake let me continue to coast without being able to construct a good paper. It was an issue my 1L year. Looking back, my classes were very timed bluebook heavy and my handful of Bs were paper classes.

I’m not pursing it for my two kids for two reasons. One, we chose to leave the South and I have no desire to send my kids back. It’s not where the future is and they’d hate it. And two, Wake make the choice to compete at as National U and not a SLAC around the time I was there. Up until then, it was a lot more like Davidson with good associated law, medicine and MBA programs. I think awake lost something special when it expanded so much. They would have been better served staying SLAC IMO, but that was never going to happen with the med school being such a powerhouse.

Just my 2 cents.

Demographics and migration trends disagree with you.

Ehhhh.. migration trends south tend to tell you where snowbirds looking for no taxes move. That is not the the future. Young migration to the South is going to be Atlanta, RTP, Austin. The blue big blue dots.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:chicago answer - I thought it was great and the AO was the best of any tour we did. Thought DS would love it. But the tour guide, although very outgoing, struggled to give answers to what - other than studying - the kids did socially. Stayed for the whole tour, but when we got into the car he said no way. Just like others have said, the kids are thinking - is this what I want?

amazing school, just not what he wanted

It is one of the hardest schools. I know people who transferred to Yale because it was so hard.

I have connections to U of C and lived in Hyde Park for about a year. My observation about the undergrads: we lived next door to an apartment, slightly off campus, where 4 male seniors lived. I remember being temporarily concerned that it would be party central. Over the course of that year, there was a grand total of one party, right at the beginning of the year. My family (DH, myself, and an infant) honestly partied more.

The students are serious people (I have more evidence, but I think my anecdote works too).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Totally different list from most here (DC wanted a LAC or SLAC and was interested in going outside this region). Visits made a huge difference and I'm sorry that so many students last year and this year probably won't get to visit campuses before applying or even after applying in some cases, depending on the virus.

DC was very interested in Sarah Lawrence College on paper and because a friend was already there and loved it. The visit was well coordinated (we went on a prospective students' day when they had full-day panels, specialized tours, meals, etc., and were very impressed with how it was all put together), yet DC came away immediately saying, "I like it...until I don't. I can't say exactly why but it doesn't feel right for me." DH and I felt the same way and we think it was a gut reaction to the tiny campus that feels like a prep school. Not dissing the college's academics at all here, and DC's friend is still very happy there, but DC didn't have that strong a gut reaction against anywhere else. Didn't apply.

A visit to Vassar, which was not even on DC's list, ended up with DC applying to and now attending there. Vassar was located near a couple of other colleges DC wanted to visit in NY, so we added in a casual stop with a walking tour and the usual admissions talk. I think it made a big difference that DC also visited two of the departments solo, after e-mailing them in advance and asking if she could stop in briefly. Both departments were very welcoming and treated her, a random HS senior, fantastically. Those were supposed to be short visits and she ended up being taken around both departments and attending a class as well, so we were there the whole day. DC came away with the college at the top of the list. And we hadn't even originally planned to stop there. It's why I think visits can make a big difference IF the student can do them.

Interesting. We’re doing both schools spring break, which is more wandering around campus. DD did the virtual info sessions and tours. SL seemed like a great safety... until it was off. I really looked at number with DD. There small and then there under 400 kids. Endowment is $100M. My older kid’s SLAC drew down theirs $32M to get kids in campus and in person classes for COVID. Singles without jacking housing prices. All the plexiglass, COVID testing, reserved quarantined and infection suites, increased need based aid etc., etc. But, they have a $1B endowment and can. Not every year. But if you are going to draw down on the endowment, COVID is when you should be doing it. SL’s campus still has no kids in residence, even for full remote. Only 80% first year retention pre-COVID. And we talked about how with declining enrollment and why retention was important and what having no real cash reserves they can’t. College is a business decision as well as a hear decision and this helped get us talking about the financial piece.

Vasser looks like a much stronger contender, and checks all the boxes, so we’ll see. I would be a nice fit— on paper. Well look at SL to compare. But, unless I’m missing something, it’s hard to see how they stay afloat without a merger or some such. It’s sad to watch great schools like Earlham and SL falter. I guess it’s been predicted for a while it would happen. It makes we angry we can’t find a better way to finance higher education.

[Anonymous]

Denison
Davidson
Unc asheville

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Vanderbilt, William and Mary,

Princeton, university of Chicago,

Do you hate beautiful campuses?

+1. I can understand visiting a school and thinking I did not know everyone had to take two semesters of foreign language or housing not guaranteed or no vegan options. But anyone that walked on UVA, Wake Forest or Vanderbilt campus and didn’t care for it is crazy IMO. They are gorgeous.

+1 I went to Wake. I have mixed feelings. Great academics and professions. To frat culture Southern. My kids won’t apply for that reason. But the campus is gorgeous. We used to say they even paired the grass.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel like a jerk but I thought I knew about colleges but I’ve lived in this area for 20 years and had never heard of Elon until a few years ago and did not know until recently there is a U of Richmond.

I hope my DS has ways to find out about the good places that are in my blind spots!

Don’t feel like a jerk on Elon. I’m from NC. Until somewhat recently it didn’t really draw kids from outside and, and not even the top of the crop in NC. It, High Point College (now U) and Greensboro college had a lot of cross admits. It’s made a move recently. I’m still surprised anyone here has heard of them.

U. Of Richmond is a sleeper college. I guess VA kids don’t want to pay their sticker price when WM is an option. I don’t actually know much about them, except I’m surprised they are ranked so high.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pre-COVID:

John's Hopkins - he thought it was a fun city school
Georgetown - too close to home and the tour guide was condescending
UVA - it was raining. Literally, that was his complaint

Lesson learned - 18 years are going to act like 18 year olds and they may pick a very superficial reason during a visit not to like a school. Just go with it.

You didn't know where Georgetown was before you visited?

Lord some of these responses are just nonsense.

+1. It’s strange to get to Georgetown and say wow, maybe 10 minutes from home isn’t cool.

I think Georgetown could be a tough place to attend school. Mostly because I’m not a fan of tourists and rally not a fan of DC tourists. So hey! Let’s go live in the middle of DC tourists. 😳

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can the people who didn’t like Oberlin elaborate please? We’re waiting to hear from them before a visit.

I didn’t go to school there but I lived in Oberlin.

It is kind a depressing area in Lorain County, Ohio. It’s not close to the lake and the cities of Elyria and Lorain are depressing. Oberlin itself is a dry town (or was when I lived there) and there are no bars or anything for nightlife. And it’s bloody cold in the winter.

My child loved Oberlin even more after her visit and she is so happy as a student there. The town is cute but not a party town so if you’re looking for nightlife like PP you won’t find your vibe. I highly recommend going to visit because people seem to have extreme opinions if Oberlin and we were very pleasantly surprised with how great it was. And the current president is wonderful.

+1. Yeah. I have an Obie. I think it’s an amazing place and a great education and I couldn’t see my kid anywhere else. But even though I love for my kid, I wouldn’t get on DCUM and say every kid should go. Beyond Fox News talking points, kids who visit are either like: really smart creative quirky people doing interesting things! I have found my home. Or: oh, heck no. I don’t talk to many (any) people who visit who are neutral, or think it’s “ok” or have it as a 4th choice out of 10. My kid did an overnight and the other 9 colleges disappeared. I think for Oberlin, more than any college I’ve visited (on kid 2, who is not planning to attend) getting a kid on campus is important. A miserable kid at Oberlin isn’t good for anyone.

Love Carmen Amber. She moved heaven and Earth to get kid
S on campus and in classrooms and labs and in the Con with instrument. And the “we are a community who care for each other” mantra has set a great tone for COVID expectations. I also think she’s going to do an excellent job making sure Oberlin comes out of this in good financial shape, which as the payer of tuition bills is nice.

[Anonymous]

rice-hot, humid, sterile, white

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:rice-hot, humid, sterile, white

Geez. Undergraduate enrollment is 35% Caucasian. https://admission.rice.edu/apply/class-profile

UVA is 57.2% Caucasian as a point of comparison.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ohio state. Oops, sorry, THE Ohio state. We stopped by for a self-guided tour. Very nice student union, but the joke about Michigan that our family friend dropped in the admissions office as a test drew daggered looks from all 6 people there. Saw similar intensity about hatred of Michigan touring the campus. Just a little too intense of a sports focus for both of our DCs.

Harvard. The campus is just sprawling throughout Cambridge. DC didn't like the scattered dorms, where the athletic facilities were, and the hodgepodge for different parts of the school. Liked the Law School area.

Princeton had a highly desirable program, and the campus was nice enough, but the whole eating clubs and academic plan just weren't what was expected. And then being in the middle of nowhere was not appealing to my DC. 1 hr train to either Philly or NYC wasn't a benefit.

Yale - as previously said, nice campus, surrounding area severely lacking.

UPenn actually rose on the list, but I can see why it would drop off some people's lists. It was more compact and dense than expected, with good access to the city, which was a plus for my DC.

I think there are two main things that can come from a visit - obviously the actual campus and campus feel, but also some nuances about student life and academics that are hard to tell from the website and online tours. Better if you whittle the list before you apply, but sometimes after you have admission offers, the tour ends up being the deciding factor.

LOL didn't like Harvard, Yale or Princeton but liked Penn. Sounds like a realist setting herself up for rejections. Don't blame her.

PP here. Didn’t include results lest I be accused of bragging, but then you had to be typical DCUMer. DC was accepted to Princeton and UPenn, but not the desired program. They picked a different top 20 school- ironically one that other posters indicated their DCs didn’t like. The point is, just because it’s a prestigious school doesn’t mean it’s a good fit for all kids, even if they are qualified.

Sure they did.

What on earth did you miss about Harvard? The signs are not sprawling and all over the place. It’s based on the Oxford House system. All the freshman are together in Harvard yard within spitting distance of each other. You then select the House (like an oxford college) to live in for the next three years. It’s the best part of Harvard! And the law school (where I went) is in the area just north of the Yard. They feel identical.

According to most on DCUM, living off of campus is better.

Not if attending Harvard. Cambridge is too expensive sbd lufe I. The Houses is fun. I lived all three years of law school in the dorms. Made great friends.

I didn't say I agreed. The most desirable schools usually have a high percentage of students on campus. I've always thought the two were connected.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Vanderbilt, William and Mary,

Princeton, university of Chicago,

Do you hate beautiful campuses?

+1. I can understand visiting a school and thinking I did not know everyone had to take two semesters of foreign language or housing not guaranteed or no vegan options. But anyone that walked on UVA, Wake Forest or Vanderbilt campus and didn’t care for it is crazy IMO. They are gorgeous.

+1 I went to Wake. I have mixed feelings. Great academics and professions. To frat culture Southern. My kids won’t apply for that reason. But the campus is gorgeous. We used to say they even paired the grass.

"Paired the grass" ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pre-COVID:

John's Hopkins - he thought it was a fun city school
Georgetown - too close to home and the tour guide was condescending
UVA - it was raining. Literally, that was his complaint

Lesson learned - 18 years are going to act like 18 year olds and they may pick a very superficial reason during a visit not to like a school. Just go with it.

You didn't know where Georgetown was before you visited?

Lord some of these responses are just nonsense.

+1. It’s strange to get to Georgetown and say wow, maybe 10 minutes from home isn’t cool.

I think Georgetown could be a tough place to attend school. Mostly because I’m not a fan of tourists and rally not a fan of DC tourists. So hey! Let’s go live in the middle of DC tourists. 😳

from afar - Gtown is beautiful. Up close - crumbling buildings, trash in EVERY single nook and cranny. Lot's of non students on the campus - folks who came to DC to visit and rambled on to the campus. Homeless sleeping on the paths to and from. For the $$ they should get some of those bike cops like UPenn and Chicago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Duke

+1 Said campus was gorgeous, but nowhere to go.

There is so much to do in the Triangle!

But not everywhere is for everyone, I get that!

Duke is centered around basketball basketball basketball. The buildings are all decorated for bball. It's in your face everywhere.