What school dropped off the list because of your visit?

[Anonymous]

William & Mary, Cornell and Tufts all fell off DC's list. The visits were all fine, but DC just couldn't see themselves at any of them. It's obviously very kid specific though, since contrary to the experiences of other DCs on this thread mine came away from Dartmouth totally wowed. Sadly didn't get in.

[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 I think the PP’s comment is either outdated or perhaps a distaste for construction, but the construction in my view is a positive (particularly the investment in engineering).

So you've seen it in person? My DD got in and is so excited. But we haven't visited yet. I've never been to campus either. We both excited about how nice it looks and how it is in a fun city. I hope she is not disappointed when we finally get down there to see it.

Is there anything else I can tell her aside from to expect construction? Thanks so much!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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 I think the PP’s comment is either outdated or perhaps a distaste for construction, but the construction in my view is a positive (particularly the investment in engineering).

So you've seen it in person? My DD got in and is so excited. But we haven't visited yet. I've never been to campus either. We both excited about how nice it looks and how it is in a fun city. I hope she is not disappointed when we finally get down there to see it.

Is there anything else I can tell her aside from to expect construction? Thanks so much!

"We are both excited". Typo!

[Anonymous]

For me, years ago, Wesleyan. Thought the town was depressing and the college itself wasn’t that nice. I did go ahead and apply (and get in) but it was at the bottom on my list.

For DC, thought NC State was too ugly and Elon too sedate (kid ended up at Michigan so obviously prefers a bigger school). No comparisons were made of Elon to a community college, however; it just wasn’t buzzing with activity.

[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!

I agree! I feel embarrassed to say that I didn't realize U of R was there until my baby sister toured it, loved it and ended up going there. The only school in Virginia I applied to was UVA and I didn't really look at or consider other ones and my parents didn't really involve themselves much in my school application process. I just drove down and crashed with a friend one weekend during the fall of senior year and was like "UVA seems cool" its a very different ballgame nowadays with college applications/admissions!

[Anonymous]

Penn State. Too culty and did not seem academically serious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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!

I agree! I feel embarrassed to say that I didn't realize U of R was there until my baby sister toured it, loved it and ended up going there. The only school in Virginia I applied to was UVA and I didn't really look at or consider other ones and my parents didn't really involve themselves much in my school application process. I just drove down and crashed with a friend one weekend during the fall of senior year and was like "UVA seems cool" its a very different ballgame nowadays with college applications/admissions!

University of Richmond has long been kind of a school based in Virginia that really isn't of Virginia. I'd distinguish it from Washington & Lee in that regard. Richmond draws largely from OOS as in-state kids with similar stats may be in the range for UVA and William & Mary at a much lower price point. Lovely campus, though. One of the nicest in the country.

[Anonymous]

I had a kid that was dismissing schools because they had "too many bricks". Ugh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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).

So you've seen it in person? My DD got in and is so excited. But we haven't visited yet. I've never been to campus either. We both excited about how nice it looks and how it is in a fun city. I hope she is not disappointed when we finally get down there to see it.

Is there anything else I can tell her aside from to expect construction? Thanks so much!

Tell her to take the street car from campus to the French Quarter (or vice versa). Riding down St Charles through the Garden District is a beautiful trip. Do not go in the summer. The humidity in July & August is very oppressive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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!

I agree! I feel embarrassed to say that I didn't realize U of R was there until my baby sister toured it, loved it and ended up going there. The only school in Virginia I applied to was UVA and I didn't really look at or consider other ones and my parents didn't really involve themselves much in my school application process. I just drove down and crashed with a friend one weekend during the fall of senior year and was like "UVA seems cool" its a very different ballgame nowadays with college applications/admissions!

University of Richmond has long been kind of a school based in Virginia that really isn't of Virginia. I'd distinguish it from Washington & Lee in that regard. Richmond draws largely from OOS as in-state kids with similar stats may be in the range for UVA and William & Mary at a much lower price point. Lovely campus, though. One of the nicest in the country.

W&L has a lower percentage of VA students than UR. I agree with the rest though. Stunning campus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had a kid that was dismissing schools because they had "too many bricks". Ugh.

I feel you. My DS claimed UC Boulder was "a lot of ugly concrete" despite being arguably the most beautiful setting in the country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Elon felt like a community college

??? How so??

This isn’t surprising. 25 years ago it was a regional commuter school. It’s really taken off.

[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.

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.

Yeah. Referring to SL. I’ve done due bill Gen every. No one wants their kids college to merge or close. If I remember Vasser is about $500. It’s metrics are good. That’s why I feel so much better about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dartmouth
UPenn

Would love to take UMD-CP off, but probably will be stuck attending there anyway. Good rankings, great price in-state, decent location, ugly campus.

Agree on UMD- CP. it has got to be one of the ugliest most depressing campuses of any school. Just dismal, drab and nothing inviting about it. My kid desperately wants to knock it off his list as well, but like you we are keeping it on bc of the ranking, price etc, but there is nothing redeeming about that campus

The campus looks like any regular state university campus, so struggling to see what the issue is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Went to grad school at Vanderbilt sight unseen because it was the top in my field and it was a huge mistake. The women there dress up just to go to regular classes. Was so strange to see coming from a northern undergrad. For a school with such bright students it had an old fashioned, off-putting “my main goal is to meet my husband” vibe.

it's your internalized misogyny for me

I attended Vandy in the late 80’s and there was some dressing up (like for football games), but the poster has overplayed it. Vandy is very similar to UVA in its attire. There’s nothing wrong with showering before class, combing/brushing your hair, and wearing some clean clothes other than a worn T-shirt and gym shorts.

Exactly. It’s very much like UVA and if you like that, it’s your preference. It is very different from most non-southern schools. The first line about Vandy in the Fiske guide is about its “old south gentility.”

Do they add a wink after the "old south gentility" part?