What school dropped off the list because of your visit?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Duke and Dartmouth stick out as particularly bad and fell off DC's list almost immediately

Curious what you all didn't like about these two.

I went to Duke for grad school. Not offended in the least that you didn't like it but just curious as I thought it was so beautiful.

there is a reason they only show you the chapel in the pics. The rest looks like a prison.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Elon felt like a community college

??? How so??

Those were the words of my son

This makes no sense. Say what you will about the academics here but the campus is beautiful and unlike any community college I have ever seen.

[Anonymous]

I only visited a few, for my own college experience. My kids will be at this point in two years. So, this is some 25 yo info.

We visited UVA, JMU, GMU, and W&M. I needed to go in state due to cost, so my parents picked these for me to go see.

I removed UVA from the list. I didn’t feel like I could belong there. We were solid middle class at this time, and I had grown up at times in poverty. My parents were immigrants and I guess the day we were there for whatever reason all the students were in basically business/smart casual dress. The guide showed us the lawn houses and there was just so much talk about traditions. I wasn’t sure I’d feel comfortable there.

If my kids want to see UVA, and if it’s a real possibility, we’ll visit. Unless my kids have a huge chance at scholarships that can bring the cost of a private to in-state, we’ll only be visiting in-state VA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Child #1

Dismissed Rutgers, CMU, Drexel, Penn, Tufts, Villanova, Binghamton and Scranton after in person visits.

Child #2

Dismissed Marist, LeMoyne, Siena, several PASSHEs, Hobart and Monrovian after in person visits.

No common theme other than couldn't see themselves there for 4 years.

Where did they wind up? Child #1's list is pretty diverse! I can see why Child #2 might have dismissed those schools, but I know many happy LeMoyne grads ... it's a good school.

Child #1 Fell in love with Pitt and never looked back.
Child #2 chose St. Joes in Philly after being dragged to attend the tour.

Thanks for answering! I loved Pitt, but DC thought it was too far away. We have friends at St. Joe's and they really like it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tulane - it was a dump

really?!?! it looks so nice on the website and virtual tours. tell me more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

PP to whom you're responding. To clarify--you're referring to Sarah Lawrence when you talk about merging etc. above, right? I don't have Vassar's endowment numbers etc. at hand but Vassar seems to be doing fine. And FYI, regarding how they're handling Covid: Vassar had a full fall semester on campus; about 50 percent of my DC's classes were in person, distanced; and students are now back on campus for spring semester. Low numbers of positive cases and very specific plans in place for testing and handling positives, quarantine spaces, etc. It surely helps that the president of the college has a background in public health! It also helps that the student body seems very committed to masking and distancing, plus, about 99 percent of students live on campus, in campus housing, so it's easier to monitor and control contacts right now during the pandemic. All just for you to consider if Covid response is important to your DC's choice.

See what your DC thinks of Sarah Lawrence. Like I said above, my DC's friend adores it there, and I think DC really wanted to love it, but it just was not for DC. Very, very small and rather insular-feeling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tulane - it was a dump

really?!?! it looks so nice on the website and virtual tours. tell me more.

I agree - they are doing lots of construction, have new dorms and commons/cafeteria and are constructing a new engineering building in the middle of the campus. I think the PP’s comment is either outdated or perhaps a distaste for construction, but the construction in my view is a positive (particularly the investment in engineering).

[Anonymous]

Harvard. DC recognized they would not be admitted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Harvard. DC recognized they would not be admitted.

After the visit?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

TL. No one cares.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tulane - it was a dump

really?!?! it looks so nice on the website and virtual tours. tell me more.

I agree - they are doing lots of construction, have new dorms and commons/cafeteria and are constructing a new engineering building in the middle of the campus. I think the PP’s comment is either outdated or perhaps a distaste for construction, but the construction in my view is a positive (particularly the investment in engineering).

NP and agree that construction is generally good. But it is also very disruptive and the projects often don’t come on line quickly enough to deliver benefits to current students. We’ve done many tours where the library or gym is closed and housed in portables or tennis bubbles. For those kids the construction is a major downer. (I get it though. It’s impossible to avoid.)

[Anonymous]

Johns Hopkins

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here they are along with DS's "reasons" for eliminating it:

Lehigh-gross area around school
Oberlin-ugly buildings and "nothing" downtown
Wm & Mary-too touristy surrounding area and campus too boring, all buildings look the same
UNC - the tiniest dorms he's ever seen
UVM - everyone looks the same

Keep in mind these are his observations

So which schools did DS like?

Emory, Northwestern, Vanderbilt

The problem is, of course, getting into those colleges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tulane - it was a dump

really?!?! it looks so nice on the website and virtual tours. tell me more.

I agree - they are doing lots of construction, have new dorms and commons/cafeteria and are constructing a new engineering building in the middle of the campus. I think the PP’s comment is either outdated or perhaps a distaste for construction, but the construction in my view is a positive (particularly the investment in engineering).

Katrina really did a number on Tulane. Back in the 90s it was gorgeous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

TL. No one cares.

Yet you cared about not caring enough to type your snarky reply. Cute.

You do get that the two PPs with experiences in common can share information in an exchange that isn't meant to engage or interest YOU personally, right?