Schools you toured that you were surprised you liked or didn’t like?

[Anonymous]

Saw the other thread about marching bands. Remember a few had the band perform and they were all very good. There are some impressive students out there!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Brown - we didn’t like it.

Wesleyan. Assumed it would be too woke for dc, but dc loved it

We absolutely loved Grinnell, but did not like Swarthmore.

[Anonymous]

Williams was DD’s dream school but the students were incredibly pretentious. Our guide bragged about grade’s being less inflated than peer schools and said that Williams students were “just better” for anything you want to do. A lot of #1 LAC talking points, little substance.

Swat was a really bad fit. Sweat culture is real.

Haverford ended up being the perfect place with a tiny, humble student body and a great physics department tour. We adored it and it originally wast on our radar.

[Anonymous]

I thought I would love Wake Forest but found it to be kind of bland and very white and found the “we do lots of community service in the local community” very white savior vibes. Also way too much Greek life influence with little to nothing else to do. Daughter liked it fine but didn’t love, I’d rather she not apply.

[Anonymous]

Bucknell was near the top of my kid's list. After the tour, it was crossed off. There was absolutely no personality, nothing unique, everything about it was a giant yawn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly really hated Columbia. Pretty cramped campus though the buildings looked nice. Vibe was way off - everyone looked like they were dressed for a fashion show and had a stick up their a**. Also a whole group of kids smoking cigarettes and vaping outside of the main library. It just seemed like they were trying to force themselves to be edgy despite being from some suburb.

Same. Did not like Columbia at all. I don't know how a school manages to be both snooty and derelict at the same time, but somehow Columbia manages it. And as a former smoker myself, it was like walking into a bad dream from the 90s. So much smoking.

We also did not Columbia, we left the tour mid way through. The other school that disappointed us was Georgetown. Both my kids thought CMU was too intense after the Schools we really liked from the tours, American, UMD, Pitt, Northwestern, William and Mary

I was at CMU this weekend. Didn’t see anything at CMU to make it more intense than other schools we’ve visited. We saw lots of kids around campus, out actively doing things. It might lean a little nerdy, sure, but the students did not appear overly stressed or with their heads just in books BTW - that was our exact impression of Cornell.

Why did your family think CMU was intense?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought I would love Wake Forest but found it to be kind of bland and very white and found the “we do lots of community service in the local community” very white savior vibes. Also way too much Greek life influence with little to nothing else to do. Daughter liked it fine but didn’t love, I’d rather she not apply.

Would you prefer they didn't do community service?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought I would love Wake Forest but found it to be kind of bland and very white and found the “we do lots of community service in the local community” very white savior vibes. Also way too much Greek life influence with little to nothing else to do. Daughter liked it fine but didn’t love, I’d rather she not apply.

I am generally not thrilled with how most top schools have leaned too far into diversity for the sake of diversity - I want diversity, but many have gone overboard. That being said, I was shocked at how white Wake was. I don't think I saw a minority non-athlete. It was kind of creepy. And agree it is too fratty. Campus is pretty and kids were nice but it was just off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought I would love Wake Forest but found it to be kind of bland and very white and found the “we do lots of community service in the local community” very white savior vibes. Also way too much Greek life influence with little to nothing else to do. Daughter liked it fine but didn’t love, I’d rather she not apply.

I mean this is why Wake was my first choice. To each their own.

[Anonymous]

Daughter was disappointed in dream school - Duke. Campus was pretty but lacked the energy of some state schools we looked at. She didn’t think that would matter but is now leaning towards going to a state school.
Loved Penn State (only added to her list because her friends brother goes there and lives it). We both liked the campus vibe a lot and the students seemed happy. Her 2nd choice was Boston Collegebit even though campus is beautiful, she got to spend some time with a student and he definitely turned her off of BC. It did not feel like home and the students didn’t seem happy. She liked Clemson except that Greek life dominates. She did not like Brown but I loved it. She liked Maryland but too close to home so that’s out. For kicks we also visited Harvard and MIT and found neither to be special although MIT has a nice view of the river.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought I would love Wake Forest but found it to be kind of bland and very white and found the “we do lots of community service in the local community” very white savior vibes. Also way too much Greek life influence with little to nothing else to do. Daughter liked it fine but didn’t love, I’d rather she not apply.

My public school kid kept saying these are all private school kids. I couldn't tell the difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought I would love Wake Forest but found it to be kind of bland and very white and found the “we do lots of community service in the local community” very white savior vibes. Also way too much Greek life influence with little to nothing else to do. Daughter liked it fine but didn’t love, I’d rather she not apply.

My public school kid kept saying these are all private school kids. I couldn't tell the difference.

It’s pretty easy to tell. Boys from private schools aren’t wearing jeans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly really hated Columbia. Pretty cramped campus though the buildings looked nice. Vibe was way off - everyone looked like they were dressed for a fashion show and had a stick up their a**. Also a whole group of kids smoking cigarettes and vaping outside of the main library. It just seemed like they were trying to force themselves to be edgy despite being from some suburb.

Same. Did not like Columbia at all. I don't know how a school manages to be both snooty and derelict at the same time, but somehow Columbia manages it. And as a former smoker myself, it was like walking into a bad dream from the 90s. So much smoking.

We also did not Columbia, we left the tour mid way through. The other school that disappointed us was Georgetown. Both my kids thought CMU was too intense after the Schools we really liked from the tours, American, UMD, Pitt, Northwestern, William and Mary

I was at CMU this weekend. Didn’t see anything at CMU to make it more intense than other schools we’ve visited. We saw lots of kids around campus, out actively doing things. It might lean a little nerdy, sure, but the students did not appear overly stressed or with their heads just in books BTW - that was our exact impression of Cornell.

Why did your family think CMU was intense?

If you visit Pitt and then CMU in quick order the difference in student demeanor can seem pretty obvious: the Pitt students seem happy and then once you get to the part of Oakland where CMU is located the kids look more serious, to the point of looking glum. I’m not exaggerating - never seen a school where the kids look as unhappy. Columbia comes close, but they get a pass because having an attitude comes with living in NYC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought I would love Wake Forest but found it to be kind of bland and very white and found the “we do lots of community service in the local community” very white savior vibes. Also way too much Greek life influence with little to nothing else to do. Daughter liked it fine but didn’t love, I’d rather she not apply.

I am generally not thrilled with how most top schools have leaned too far into diversity for the sake of diversity - I want diversity, but many have gone overboard. That being said, I was shocked at how white Wake was. I don't think I saw a minority non-athlete. It was kind of creepy. And agree it is too fratty. Campus is pretty and kids were nice but it was just off.

My kid (who’s not white fwiw) liked Wake for its size/moderate political climate but wanted something more urban with easier access to cultural and social opportunities related to their ethnicity.