Where would YOU attend if you (the parent) could choose any school as a freshman in 2026? And why?

[Anonymous]

Harvard. I loved Cambridge and it's less nerdy and more fun than MIT, where I went.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Middlebury

why? I really like what I know about it but why your top choice?

Not the previous poster, but I would say the same. It was just my ideal campus.

[Anonymous]

Georgetown. Because it’s in the middle of one of the most wonderful cities!

[Anonymous]

UVA
UPenn
Michigan

[Anonymous]

Out of the schools we toured with the kids, Wellesley.
-ucla alum

[Anonymous]

W&M.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:W&M.

Ditto on W & M.

[Anonymous]

Weather does matter, but not everyone loves the sun and heat. I know many do though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stanford, no hesitation. And I say this as someone who went to a school on the east coast.

The weather matters more than people admit. Four years of sunshine changes your entire college experience. You walk to class, you study outside, you bike everywhere. Compare that to slogging through February slush in Boston or New Haven.

But beyond weather: the proximity to Silicon Valley means internships and jobs practically fall into your lap. The startup culture is real and infectious. The d1 athletics + academics combination creates an energy that's hard to replicate. And the campus is just beautiful.

If I couldn't pick Stanford, my second choice would be Georgetown purely because DC is the most interesting city to be 20 years old in. Every week there's something happening that matters.

I was with you up till here. NY clears DC and is a Mecca for young people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Weather does matter, but not everyone loves the sun and heat. I know many do though.

California has an entire northern section of the state that isn’t particularly hot and known for its fog though…

[Anonymous]

Stanford,, Princeton, Dartmouth, Brown

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stanford, no hesitation. And I say this as someone who went to a school on the east coast.

The weather matters more than people admit. Four years of sunshine changes your entire college experience. You walk to class, you study outside, you bike everywhere. Compare that to slogging through February slush in Boston or New Haven.

But beyond weather: the proximity to Silicon Valley means internships and jobs practically fall into your lap. The startup culture is real and infectious. The d1 athletics + academics combination creates an energy that's hard to replicate. And the campus is just beautiful.

If I couldn't pick Stanford, my second choice would be Georgetown purely because DC is the most interesting city to be 20 years old in. Every week there's something happening that matters.

Not to kids that went to HS in DC and were raised here. lol

[Anonymous]

W&M

[Anonymous]

I would do the William & Mary joint degree program with St Andrews — such an amazing opportunity to study at two great schools with deep history and traditions! My DS is loving his freshman year at WM but didn’t want to do the JDP. I would have jumped at it!

Or Yale. I was very taken with the school when we visited, and every Yale grad I’ve known is incredibly impressive.

[Anonymous]

UCLA (alma mater; fantastic experience)
Pomona (DC1's school; super impressed)
Bowdoin (good vibes)
Dartmouth (modern Dartmouth, not 90's Dartmouth)
UCSB (loved visiting friends)
Vandy (good balance of fun, location, and academics)

Unifying theme: Academic, fun, and locations that I find interesting. YMMV