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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have to say Georgetown was on the list and we love the area but almost stepping on a dead rat on the sidewalk led to some more google research and finding out about the widespread rat and cockroach problem. That was enough for my DS to take it off his list haha

Exact same response for us. Such a shame. When will Georgetown get its act together?
They are starting to build a bad reputation that could take a while to undo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have to say Georgetown was on the list and we love the area but almost stepping on a dead rat on the sidewalk led to some more google research and finding out about the widespread rat and cockroach problem. That was enough for my DS to take it off his list haha

Exact same response for us. Such a shame. When will Georgetown get its act together?
They are starting to build a bad reputation that could take a while to undo.

A reputation for dinginess is not the same as a reputation for everything else that is actually quite excellent. Yes, I'm a parent of junior there and they could not be happier. Believe it or not, smart kids don't care about a little dinginess. Honestly, it just emphasizes that Jesuit vibe. I guess you have to get it, to get it.

[Anonymous]

Barnard. DD was always resistant to college in NYC, but I had thought the campus was sufficiently sheltered in Morningside Heights. I was wrong.

[Anonymous]

U
VA could use some power washing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have to say Georgetown was on the list and we love the area but almost stepping on a dead rat on the sidewalk led to some more google research and finding out about the widespread rat and cockroach problem. That was enough for my DS to take it off his list haha

Exact same response for us. Such a shame. When will Georgetown get its act together?
They are starting to build a bad reputation that could take a while to undo.

A reputation for dinginess is not the same as a reputation for everything else that is actually quite excellent. Yes, I'm a parent of junior there and they could not be happier. Believe it or not, smart kids don't care about a little dinginess. Honestly, it just emphasizes that Jesuit vibe. I guess you have to get it, to get it.

Jesuit educated here from high school through grad school. I was born at Georgetown Hospital when my parents were in professional school there. I certainly “get it”. We are talking about a lot more than a reputation just dinginess. Of course we all know that it is excellent in many ways. To quote your annoying post above, a lot of smart kids do care about unpleasant and unsanitary conditions. It made me sad that my well qualified kids all chose not to apply.

Excellent school that needs to get its act together. No shame in acknowledging this.

[Anonymous]

U MD - maybe too close to home?

Brown - too social

Haverford - too small

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:U MD - maybe too close to home?

Brown - too social

Haverford - too small

Similar reactions for all of these in our house. Swarthmore is also in the too small bucket.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pitt: the fairly urban concrete high-rises without air conditioning for Freshmen combined with the church-like buildings they highlighted on the tour did not appeal to my senior at all.

+1

+2. Plus DD was really turned off by the tour “pit stop” at an off-campus pop-up Pitt clothing stand, where the proprietor talked about the bargains he offered. Yes, that was a sanctioned part of the tour. Very weird.

[Anonymous]

Brown. My kid doesn’t want to do another round of applications to join a simple club

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Brown. My kid doesn’t want to do another round of applications to join a simple club

Not sure what this means?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wooster: too much marketing/too slick
Muhlenberg: not impressed
Dickinson: bland
Macalester: didn't like the area
Lawrence: bland/nothing special

We were very impressed w/ Muhlenberg. That and UMD will be DC's safeties (applying to top LAC's and Ivies). We both liked the welcoming campus with great quality of student life, and it seemed that students were very supported with great faculty and good connections w/ other institutions. Also felt like they focused on the individual student.

We were so impressed w/ MC that DC ditched Boston College and Brandeis. BC seemed too cookie cutter and enititled in the students we saw. Also, really poor presentation. Brandeis seems very interesting academically, and we had a great guide, but some of the buildings seem in real disrepair, including first year dorms, and it put DC off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:UVA. There is something just so sinister about Charlottesville. I can’t put my finger on it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UVA. There is something just so sinister about Charlottesville. I can’t put my finger on it.

To quote my child, a first-year, "it's too elitist."

I mean, there's no "campus" only "grounds" and all that high-falutin' nonsense for a school populated by overachieving Ivy League rejects (my child included).

Of course, Ivy League is full of elitists who put on airs too, as I reminded my child.

but at least the diploma on the wall in their office is gonna shine brighter than the sun

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wooster: too much marketing/too slick
Muhlenberg: not impressed
Dickinson: bland
Macalester: didn't like the area
Lawrence: bland/nothing special

We were very impressed w/ Muhlenberg. That and UMD will be DC's safeties (applying to top LAC's and Ivies). We both liked the welcoming campus with great quality of student life, and it seemed that students were very supported with great faculty and good connections w/ other institutions. Also felt like they focused on the individual student.

We were so impressed w/ MC that DC ditched Boston College and Brandeis. BC seemed too cookie cutter and enititled in the students we saw. Also, really poor presentation. Brandeis seems very interesting academically, and we had a great guide, but some of the buildings seem in real disrepair, including first year dorms, and it put DC off.

I know people love Muhlenberg but we really didn’t have a great impression. It didn’t help that our tour guide was a commuter because our DS is really looking for a residential experience. Not sure how common commuters are. One other thing, they promote their food and we thought the lunch was almost inedible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wooster: too much marketing/too slick
Muhlenberg: not impressed
Dickinson: bland
Macalester: didn't like the area
Lawrence: bland/nothing special

We were very impressed w/ Muhlenberg. That and UMD will be DC's safeties (applying to top LAC's and Ivies). We both liked the welcoming campus with great quality of student life, and it seemed that students were very supported with great faculty and good connections w/ other institutions. Also felt like they focused on the individual student.

We were so impressed w/ MC that DC ditched Boston College and Brandeis. BC seemed too cookie cutter and enititled in the students we saw. Also, really poor presentation. Brandeis seems very interesting academically, and we had a great guide, but some of the buildings seem in real disrepair, including first year dorms, and it put DC off.

I know people love Muhlenberg but we really didn’t have a great impression. It didn’t help that our tour guide was a commuter because our DS is really looking for a residential experience. Not sure how common commuters are. One other thing, they promote their food and we thought the lunch was almost inedible.

Yeah, I think the commuter thing would have put us off too. We had a great on-campus guide. I think she is going to work w/ admissions when she graduates, and she should!