Review your spring break college visits / tours

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SMCM and MHC were nice, along with Bowdoin and Davidson.

We were underwhelmed by Cornell (big and impersonal, hilly and cold) and Ursinus (strip mall surroundings, pre-professional vibe).

YMMV

Would you mind sharing more details about your visits to Bowdoin and Davidson, what you liked/didn't like?
Also what are SMCM and MHC?

DP here - my DD also toured SMCM (St. Mary's College of Maryland) and MHC (Mount Holyoke College)
SMCM was beautiful with its location right on the water, the tour groups seemed more diverse than other LACs we've seen, DD loved the campus but concerned about not having a walkable town nearby. Seems very car-dependent.

MHC also loved the campus and the emphasis on campus traditions, esp that each freshman is given a plant to care for. Liked the greenhouse and the stream running through campus. Makes good use of their natural resources for a restoration ecology program. Also not much of a town but at least the 5-campus shuttle system is available. Still, she's not sure about the all-women aspect.

Additional tours, for DD wanting a small school with good environmental programs...
Allegheny, agree with PP, that the location is bad, felt very remote and a transportation problem for a kid without a car. DD thought it was a blah campus with run down facilities. Off the list.
SUNY ESF - hated the urban location, she really likes the rural schools
Juniata - liked the campus but loved the field station tour, has the music options she wants. I liked that there is new construction happening on campus and their student body is growing (seems unusual for these rural LACs)
Washington College - loved the environmental center on the river and their Chesapeake semester. Lacks a pep band, which she'd like. Charming town. Rural/small town but nice that it's only an hour and a half from home.

[Anonymous]

Visited Olin College. It’s a really special, niche engineering school - buildings are beautiful and new, dorms are fairly new are we’re built to be able to convert into hotel rooms if school failed, so rooms are spacious, en suite, carpeted. All the kids seemed really really happy. There are no tests or lectures - you learn everything by doing. Tons of group projects. DS thinks it might be “too nerdy” for him - but will apply. So when you apply, you are first screened for academics, then, kids who pass that are invited back for a weekend of interviews/projects where kids and profs evaluate one another. Goal is to weed out kids who can’t play well with others.

Babson next door with beautiful new sports facilities - indoor ice rink, pool, squash courts, multiple basketball courts etc. shuttle runs every 10 min to Wellesley, is very cute town with amazing cheese shop

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hudson University was disappointing. It seemed very unsafe.

I love this more than I can say.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In particular how was Dartmouth and Hanover compared to Swarthmore ? My DC found Swarthmore and the town too quiet - though liked what they heard about the academics

They’re really different in my opinion. Hanover has gotten *very* fancy since I visited when I was in high school. It’s small and all the shops and restaurants are very high end where Swarthmore felt more middle class to me. And its other main facet is its isolation. I loved that swarthmore has Philly just 20 min away by train. Dartmouth is just the Main Street in Hanover and then a very long drive to Boston if you want to get of campus.

Yes, Hanover is tiny and cold and in the middle of nowhere. The kid has to want the very rural and cold winter experience

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hudson University was disappointing. It seemed very unsafe.

I love this more than I can say.

Yup, so much bad s goes down there, at least once every 22 episodes. 😜

[Anonymous]

Saw 10 schools, good mix of campuses/locations/student body numbers. Was a good trip but happy to be home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We hit upstate NY and visited Ithaca, Cornell and Syracuse. My DC won't get into Cornell, but wanted to see it, and did really love it. Also really liked Syracuse, and will consider Ithaca as a safety. Considering some sort of media-related major.

Any more details on the Syracuse and Ithaca campuses and impressions from tours?

Syracuse is beautiful -- kind of a quintessential college with beautiful buildings. We focused on the Newhouse school, which is top-notch, but the university as a whole seemed great. Lots of friendly kids. Pretty diverse student body. Dorms are scattered around the outer edge of campus. They were a little dated, but not terrible. Greek houses were beautiful, though I'm not sure my DC will go that route. We had delicious pizza off campus after the tour.

Ithaca isn't as pretty architecturally, but you have gorgeous views of one of the Finger Lakes. Their communications school is tiny by comparison, but seemed to have good internship possibilities and opportunities for connection. It has more of an artsy vibe than Syracuse. Was trying to get a sense of whether non-music majors can participate in performance groups, and I'm not sure -- there are so many kids who are highly focused on that. But we liked it!

We did Syracuse over Spring Break. We are FCPS and there was a Loudoun family and two from MCPS in our tour group for the general admin session! We were there on Tuesday of Spring Break and it had snowed 6in the previous Saturday so snow piled up still. By the end of touring Tuesday though it was almost all gone and our coats were off. Students seem to appreciate the good weather days even more.

We really loved the school -- it seems like a place that if you know exactely what you want to study and it's not necessarily a cut and dry major, they will help you create a plan of study. OR if you don't know exactly what you want to do, they will help you creat a plan of study! It seemed that everyone was a double major (two majors from the same school at Cuse) OR a Dual Major (two majors from different schools within the University).

We did the general info session and tour of the campus, then a session with just the Business School (Whitman) and after lunch we went back for a info session with Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. High touch from admins and faculty and met great students. Really enjoyed the experience -- I guess when you are paying $85k or whatever, at least you do seem to get what you pay for??

We couldn't schedule a tour but since we were all the way up there, we drove to Cornell on our way home. We ended up spending WAY more time there than I thought. Wednesdays they don't schedule tours so teh admissions office wasn't even open. The QR Code at their door said to go to the Welcome Center. We met a couple of students working the desk and one of them (in his first year still) was SO enthusiastic about telling us about Cornell and excited to hear our kid my be interested in the Public Policy program he was in, he drew us a walking map, told us what buildings to go in and that we should stop in and see Miss Becca at the Public Policy building bc she is just the best!

That all being said - we also ran into a senior pre-med (who stopped and offered to take a family photo of us as we were trying to pose for pictures) and told us - yeah, if she knew then what she knows now, she wouldn't have gone here.... although her younger sister followed in her footsteps and is a sophmore there now. She just felt it was way too remote, and b/c the medical school was in NYC, not a lot of opportunities to work/learn from a medical program as an undergrad. THe on campus housing was pretty bleak, she thought, and you are required to live in it for 2 years. But the off-campus was not great quality and expensive too. Maybe she was having an off day - good though to have lots of opinions.

We didn't tour Ithaca college - but did eat in the cute downtown area. I will say though -- it was mid day on a Wednesday and it seemed dead, deserted. Like it had fallen from former glory. It was a little sad and depressing. BUT, again, maybe we caught it at an off time.

Overall, our kid could totally see himself at Syracuse and will apply -- Cornell he wants to research a bit more and see if it's really a fit vs if it's just the name/Ivy status that's of interest.

This is PP who had asked for more details on Syracuse and Ithaca College. Thanks to those who added in! DC wants a medium-sized school with some civilization around.

[Anonymous]

Anyone visit Wash U?

[Anonymous]

How do people visit 10 schools in a week? Are they doing full tours with info sessions?

[Anonymous]

Arizona State.

Just walked around campus. Campus is really part of Tempe city. Very safe and lively. We loved the bright sunshine.

DC concerned about heat, but overall we like it a lot.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Did a swing of SE…highlight was College of Charleston. Tour was excellent - premed student very impressive. Campus is gorgeous. Got weepy as he described matriculation/graduation ceremonies. Spoke with several co-eds- all were super nice and straight out of Abercrombie catalogue. All in all an excellent deal for South Carolina residents - not sure price is worth it if OOS.

Let’s not call female students co-ed’s, mmkay? It’s not the 1950s.

You might be the one behind the times Good Ma’am

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coed#:~:text=%3A%20open%20to%20or%20used%20by,a%20coed%20softball%20team

You linked to something saying that the use of coed as a noun is old fashioned. Is that what you meant to say?

You are being too DCUM - term can be used for male OR female students. Definition 3 (and latest)

That’s the definition of its use as an adjective describing something that pertains to or is used by both men and women, as in “a coed school”. That use is fine. Its use as a noun to mean a female student is old-fashioned and somewhat insulting. It comes from when all-male schools first admitted women, who were often looked down on and dismissed. *Especially* using it in combination with only praising them for looking like models, and the poster who used it sounds like a sexist bigoted grandfather.

NP here. Wow, don't you sound like a charming person. 🙄🤮 Get over your self-righteous and overly-woke self, Karen. Don't you know woke is now considered passé.

[Anonymous]

Over spring break we toured Elon, HPU, Wake Forest, Clemson, and College of Charleston. First three are about 30-40 minutes from one another. Clemson is about 3.5 hours from the North Carolina schools and is near Furman, have heard good things, but we did not visit. College of Charleston was the favorite with Wake Forest coming in second.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did a swing of SE…highlight was College of Charleston. Tour was excellent - premed student very impressive. Campus is gorgeous. Got weepy as he described matriculation/graduation ceremonies. Spoke with several co-eds- all were super nice and straight out of Abercrombie catalogue. All in all an excellent deal for South Carolina residents - not sure price is worth it if OOS.

Let’s not call female students co-ed’s, mmkay? It’s not the 1950s.

You might be the one behind the times Good Ma’am

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coed#:~:text=%3A%20open%20to%20or%20used%20by,a%20coed%20softball%20team

You linked to something saying that the use of coed as a noun is old fashioned. Is that what you meant to say?

You are being too DCUM - term can be used for male OR female students. Definition 3 (and latest)

That’s the definition of its use as an adjective describing something that pertains to or is used by both men and women, as in “a coed school”. That use is fine. Its use as a noun to mean a female student is old-fashioned and somewhat insulting. It comes from when all-male schools first admitted women, who were often looked down on and dismissed. *Especially* using it in combination with only praising them for looking like models, and the poster who used it sounds like a sexist bigoted grandfather.

NP here. Wow, don't you sound like a charming person. 🙄🤮 Get over your self-righteous and overly-woke self, Karen. Don't you know woke is now considered passé.

The ability to read a dictionary is now considered woke? Fascinating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Over spring break we toured Elon, HPU, Wake Forest, Clemson, and College of Charleston. First three are about 30-40 minutes from one another. Clemson is about 3.5 hours from the North Carolina schools and is near Furman, have heard good things, but we did not visit. College of Charleston was the favorite with Wake Forest coming in second.

My DD was concerned about the gender imbalance with College of Charleston - does it feel as skewed as the #s indicate?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did a swing of SE…highlight was College of Charleston. Tour was excellent - premed student very impressive. Campus is gorgeous. Got weepy as he described matriculation/graduation ceremonies. Spoke with several co-eds- all were super nice and straight out of Abercrombie catalogue. All in all an excellent deal for South Carolina residents - not sure price is worth it if OOS.

Let’s not call female students co-ed’s, mmkay? It’s not the 1950s.

You might be the one behind the times Good Ma’am

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coed#:~:text=%3A%20open%20to%20or%20used%20by,a%20coed%20softball%20team

You linked to something saying that the use of coed as a noun is old fashioned. Is that what you meant to say?

You are being too DCUM - term can be used for male OR female students. Definition 3 (and latest)

That’s the definition of its use as an adjective describing something that pertains to or is used by both men and women, as in “a coed school”. That use is fine. Its use as a noun to mean a female student is old-fashioned and somewhat insulting. It comes from when all-male schools first admitted women, who were often looked down on and dismissed. *Especially* using it in combination with only praising them for looking like models, and the poster who used it sounds like a sexist bigoted grandfather.

NP here. Wow, don't you sound like a charming person. 🙄🤮 Get over your self-righteous and overly-woke self, Karen. Don't you know woke is now considered passé.

The ability to read a dictionary is now considered woke? Fascinating.

+1 (NP)