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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Could you be more specific? I'm having a hard time understanding what you mean. Thanks.

Ok I will try. Just my impression. I went to college in VA. What I dubbed the 2 class system is the haves and the have nots.
At UVA admitted students day they told us … you may come here for the business school but you should know only half or less will be accepted. Or maybe you have heard of the Greek system and you want to participate in that. Bear in mind that they are very exclusive and only half of the applicants will be accepted.
And on and on like that. Just didn’t sound very inclusive. Then I thought about a student body of 12000 (?) or so snd I thought would be easy to get lost in the crowd. And maybe not so great to be the “bottom 50%”. Just struck me … not in a positive way.

This is why my kid leaned more to W&M -- the whole "One Tribe" "You belong here" emphasis. They got the same feeling that UVA was a series of hoops even after you got in rather than opening the doors to your education.

I agree. Although W&M’s admissions are quite competitive, once my DC got in, the campus community has been incredibly welcoming. The really embrace that “you belong here” motto.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why shouldn't you have a gut reaction to a particular college when visiting? You are going to commit to spending 4 years there, and it's not like there are only 10 schools to choose from.

I had a very visceral reaction when I drove up to the school I ended up attending. I just knew it was home in a way that none of the other schools felt. And it was the right decision. What's wrong with that being part of the process?

I agree. Most people are only looking at schools that are reasonable ones to begin with that they would be ok attending. No one is picking a school only because it's pretty or they like the dorms, even if it doesn't have a program they want to do or if their reputation is terrible.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:high point was unsettling

Agree. It was really weird. I got a religious vibe to it. Is it actually a Christian school? GORGEOUS dorms though : )

United Methodist affiliated institution

It also has a reputation for really, really pampering students. There's a stereotype why students want to go there--it's like a spa, has laundry service etc. I don't think that serves their graduates the best when going for jobs, grad schools etc. as there's a reputation that they are spoiled.

I have no idea how that "school" maintains nonprofit status

[Anonymous]

Loyola maryland. She didn't like the gen ed requirements there (even though she'd meet quite a few of them with AP credit)

[Anonymous]

We live in Bethesda, where there are a ton of liberal families (including ours). Yet our sons seem to be turned off my campuses that are over-the-top-PC, as they put it. Based on reports from older brothers of his friends, my son ruled out Lewis & Clark and Macalaster and even Tufts.

[Anonymous]

Denison was too rural

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Denison was too rural

Agree. Took the tour when DC spent a week on the campus in the summer on a program based there. It's a lovely campus in an absolutely charming, very tiny town -- the town (Granville) looks like it's straight out of a movie set for something taking place in 1940s idyllic middle America. And I do not mean that as a diss, but as a compliment. (A friend of mine is from Ohio and she and her DH actually spent their honeymoon in Granville at the historic hotel there!) Still, very tiny. For the right academic program of course it would be a great school; just noting that it's not got the college town vibe some PPs on here seem to want.

[Anonymous]

I hope this doesn't get political, but wan to offer a differnt take. I think SLAC's may not be as attractive to some male students because they offer limited STEM majors (compared to larger publics), zero or limited Greek activity & focus a lot less on sports. That said, universities across all spectrums are seeing a decline in male students. I don't know the exact reasons, but thinking about my own family members, I'd say the amount of time spent playing video games has been detrimental.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hope this doesn't get political, but wan to offer a differnt take. I think SLAC's may not be as attractive to some male students because they offer limited STEM majors (compared to larger publics), zero or limited Greek activity & focus a lot less on sports. That said, universities across all spectrums are seeing a decline in male students. I don't know the exact reasons, but thinking about my own family members, I'd say the amount of time spent playing video games has been detrimental.

Or maybe many male HS students are choosing trades? Maybe expand your limited mind and realize that there are other lucrative professions where college isn't necessary.

[Anonymous]

Or maybe many male HS students are choosing trades? Maybe expand your limited mind and realize that there are other lucrative professions where college isn't necessary.

I'm the PP you responded to. One of my male family members works in video production & content streaming for a "mega church," one opened his own cleaning service and another works with a transportation company (FedEx/UPS level). None of them have college degrees. We're very close so I'm well aware of the pros and cons of their situations.

[Anonymous]

Can we keep this very interesting thread on track? My comment on the anecdote about a kid rejecting certain schools being too woke is that it wasn’t based on visits - it was based on heresay from a friend’s older brother. In the spirit of this thread, I guess if that was what happened, that’s what happened, but I think it’s more interesting to hear about kids taking certain schools off a list based on a visit or other more concrete interactions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anyone roasting you for this is a moron. I completely agree with you. "Diversity" isn't even on our list of most important things to look for in a college. Fit is everything, and there are so many more relevant qualities to weigh, such as the ones you listed.

Diversity, which if course is much more than skin color, is one of the top 5-6 considerations for my DD's fit matrix.

Its of significant importance to one of my kids who is white but stands out with a visible physical difference and he's much more comfortable in einvironments where not everyone looks the same (even if they don't have the same difference he as). So, if it's not important to you, fine, it matters to some others so I appreciate knowing this about BC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hope this doesn't get political, but wan to offer a differnt take. I think SLAC's may not be as attractive to some male students because they offer limited STEM majors (compared to larger publics), zero or limited Greek activity & focus a lot less on sports. That said, universities across all spectrums are seeing a decline in male students. I don't know the exact reasons, but thinking about my own family members, I'd say the amount of time spent playing video games has been detrimental.

Or maybe many male HS students are choosing trades? Maybe expand your limited mind and realize that there are other lucrative professions where college isn't necessary.

Unless there is a significantly larger percentage of students in the majors at the school that are still male dominated (engineering, CS), many if not most schools are heading to 40% male, 60% female. So Virginia Tech, for instance, with its huge engineering school is still over 50% male, but that is becoming the exception.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:high point was unsettling

Agree. It was really weird. I got a religious vibe to it. Is it actually a Christian school? GORGEOUS dorms though : )

United Methodist affiliated institution

It also has a reputation for really, really pampering students. There's a stereotype why students want to go there--it's like a spa, has laundry service etc. I don't think that serves their graduates the best when going for jobs, grad schools etc. as there's a reputation that they are spoiled.

I have no idea how that "school" maintains nonprofit status

Can you elaborate on the "school" and why it wouldn't have nonprofit status? I know two people who went there and both have great jobs in media. Our son is interested in going there to do media and video production so I"m really curious.

[Anonymous]

Loved what American offered internship wise, but DD decided the campus had too much of a suburban DC feel. if she had grown up anywhere else like Boston it would have been one of her first choices. Also loved William and Mary initially, but it didn’t make the final cut. Felt too much like a college dumped in the middle of a tourist attraction due to Williamsburg.