what "good" college did you attend but would not necessarily recommend to your kids or others?

[Anonymous]

Trying to get to the grad programs they want.

[Anonymous]

Seems like a lot of weather related complaints on here. My sense is that outdoorsy types that enjoy the change of seasons and in particular, enjoy winter and snow are the ones that should be targeting these northern schools.

Fair weather lovers would be advised to avoid them.

[Anonymous]

A weekend like this is a good one for your kid to think about. At these northern schools, some kids will be out throwing snowballs, playing, sledding on what they can get their hands on, seeing if the outing club has any x- country skis left, etc. Some kids will be inside and not happy about the weather. Where would your student fall? Consider that and plan accordingly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to UVa and hated it. I don't want my own teen to go there because of my bad experience. It was just so snobby and unfriendly.

Yet UVA has the highest freshmen retention rate among public universities by far and a graduation rate that rivals the Ivies and other top privates. Somebody there must like it.

They type of kidsthat go there are going to graduate no matter what. Also, a lot of kids go there because it's the best school they can go to for the cost. Again, they aren't transferring because that doesn't change acyesr later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Michigan.

Too big. Curved courses are full of ruthless strivers who will throw their momma down the stairs to get ahead. Thousands of obnoxious cocaine addicted rich kids from CA-NY-NJ control the social scene. And way too much athlete worship.

Great medical and law school but I would not recommend undergrad there. Weather is terrible too.

I forgot to add, in retrospect I hate how everyone is basically kicked off campus 2nd-4th year. Many rich kids at U-M now even seek a ritzy apartment as a 1st year. My husband lived on campus all four years of undergrad (private college), which is the quintessential college ideal to me, and that is what we are seeking for our children.

I would hate to be stuck on campus for four years in a dorm room. One or two years are enough. I’m glad I’m not one of your kids.

NP- I would like my kids to have that choice, to stay on dorm or not, not forced out.
One of the reasons why my kids not looking at VT, prefer not to deal with an apt and its responsibilities/transportation logistics after freshman year. Ideally, they want to roll out of bed and walk over to class, activities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mount Holyoke. Excellent school and excellent alum network. Good place for the right student. I needed more of a party/fun culture after coming from an intense high school.

I'm a Wellesley alum and would say exactly the same thing. Plus, I missed having male friends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to UVa and hated it. I don't want my own teen to go there because of my bad experience. It was just so snobby and unfriendly.

Yet UVA has the highest freshmen retention rate among public universities by far and a graduation rate that rivals the Ivies and other top privates. Somebody there must like it.

I was the PP who hated UVa. What's the retention rate got to do with it? I graduated. I even had good grades. I was just really unhappy for 4 years.

I get it. But how can you be so sure that your miserableness was UVA's fault and not your own?

Imagine being so insecure about a college that you have to question someone like this.

Maybe, one day, there can be a post that UVA boosters don't nasty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Carnegie Mellon for economics/business. The rigid separation of the colleges and all the socializing beyond Greek life is based in your academic cohort. I also hated the core curriculum - that was so heavy when I went that I barely could pick classes until the end of sophomore year. One DC absolutely did not put it on their list of colleges. Another younger DC could easily be attracted to a specific program in the College of Fine Arts but I would worry even with them that the lack of real school spirit would be depressing.

I have a kid who is a senior at CMU now and my husband is a CMU grad. Both of them have the perception that the business school has the least amount of work, so if you thought your experience would overwhelm your daughter, I would steer her elsewhere. Especially if that specific program is architecture. My husband had, and son has, friends in that program, and it is 24/7.

Pretty much all of the CMU grads we know say they have never worked as hard in their careers as they did at CMU. But while CMU is definitely challenging, it is also collaborative. All of the classes have study groups, kids set up text chats with classmates, professors and TAs are very available, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mount Holyoke. Excellent school and excellent alum network. Good place for the right student. I needed more of a party/fun culture after coming from an intense high school.

I'm a Wellesley alum and would say exactly the same thing. Plus, I missed having male friends.

Ugg. It sounds like it would have been perfect for one of my DDs. I kinda knew that but I could not get her to apply.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to UVa and hated it. I don't want my own teen to go there because of my bad experience. It was just so snobby and unfriendly.

Yet UVA has the highest freshmen retention rate among public universities by far and a graduation rate that rivals the Ivies and other top privates. Somebody there must like it.

I was the PP who hated UVa. What's the retention rate got to do with it? I graduated. I even had good grades. I was just really unhappy for 4 years.

I get it. But how can you be so sure that your miserableness was UVA's fault and not your own?

Imagine being so insecure about a college that you have to question someone like this.

Maybe, one day, there can be a post that UVA boosters don't nasty.

The retention rate point is relevant because the PP who hated UVA could have transferred as did my UVA kid’s roommate. I don’t know why he transferred but he went back to Utah. FWIW my DS lived UVA as did all of his friends but you have to be a self-starter and find your group of friends

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seems like a lot of weather related complaints on here. My sense is that outdoorsy types that enjoy the change of seasons and in particular, enjoy winter and snow are the ones that should be targeting these northern schools.

Fair weather lovers would be advised to avoid them.

Nobody “enjoys” brutally cold weather and grey skies of flyover country. That ‘change of seasons’ nonsense is a cope. People enjoy the cold Rockies because it’s still sunny and beautiful and of course skiing. Ann Arbor, Chicago, South Bend, Madison are just miserable half the school year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seems like a lot of weather related complaints on here. My sense is that outdoorsy types that enjoy the change of seasons and in particular, enjoy winter and snow are the ones that should be targeting these northern schools.

Fair weather lovers would be advised to avoid them.

Nobody “enjoys” brutally cold weather and grey skies of flyover country. That ‘change of seasons’ nonsense is a cope. People enjoy the cold Rockies because it’s still sunny and beautiful and of course skiing. Ann Arbor, Chicago, South Bend, Madison are just miserable half the school year.

That is just not true. The constant rotation of seasons is very important to me and a lot of others. I have visited places that always have warm weather and I live to visit but I would not want to live there. For people used to seasons it is disconcerting and alienating to not have the passage of time related to change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mount Holyoke. Excellent school and excellent alum network. Good place for the right student. I needed more of a party/fun culture after coming from an intense high school.

I'm a Wellesley alum and would say exactly the same thing. Plus, I missed having male friends.

Ugg. It sounds like it would have been perfect for one of my DDs. I kinda knew that but I could not get her to apply.

I transferred from Wellesley for the same reasons. Too intense, no male friends. Wasn't even on my daughter's radar screen to apply there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seems like a lot of weather related complaints on here. My sense is that outdoorsy types that enjoy the change of seasons and in particular, enjoy winter and snow are the ones that should be targeting these northern schools.

Fair weather lovers would be advised to avoid them.

Nobody “enjoys” brutally cold weather and grey skies of flyover country. That ‘change of seasons’ nonsense is a cope. People enjoy the cold Rockies because it’s still sunny and beautiful and of course skiing. Ann Arbor, Chicago, South Bend, Madison are just miserable half the school year.

That is just not true. The constant rotation of seasons is very important to me and a lot of others. I have visited places that always have warm weather and I live to visit but I would not want to live there. For people used to seasons it is disconcerting and alienating to not have the passage of time related to change.

Both can be true. I love the DC area because we get change of seasons but very little of the brutally cold weather!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seems like a lot of weather related complaints on here. My sense is that outdoorsy types that enjoy the change of seasons and in particular, enjoy winter and snow are the ones that should be targeting these northern schools.

Fair weather lovers would be advised to avoid them.

Nobody “enjoys” brutally cold weather and grey skies of flyover country. That ‘change of seasons’ nonsense is a cope. People enjoy the cold Rockies because it’s still sunny and beautiful and of course skiing. Ann Arbor, Chicago, South Bend, Madison are just miserable half the school year.

That is just not true. The constant rotation of seasons is very important to me and a lot of others. I have visited places that always have warm weather and I live to visit but I would not want to live there. For people used to seasons it is disconcerting and alienating to not have the passage of time related to change.

Both can be true. I love the DC area because we get change of seasons but very little of the brutally cold weather!

Great. A DC area college might be a terrific fit for you if that is a consideration.

I just react to so many people out off by the weather conditions of these schools and that is strange to me. By 18, I think kids have a clue if they hate snow or cold or clouds or whatever and if so...why the heck did they apply and choose to attend a school in Michigan of all places? Seems like a very easily avoidable issue.