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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Liked more than expected:
Middlebury: didn't think a rural LAC would be the thing for our DD, but we had a great tour and were impressed by the facilities and natural beauty. DD spent the night with a friend and liked the evening vibe (Thursday night): everyone was studying hard but still socializing a bit in the dorm for a few hours and then a crew went stargazing and talked for a couple hours.

Amherst: Really bad admissions session, but loved the campus and had a tour with an incredibly personable but humble guide. He talked about the rigorous workload but also normalized getting help and support (talked about how he goes to the writing center for support for every one of his papers).

Tufts: Good admissions session - it was in a windowless room with zero visuals as someone else mentioned but the AO did an improv-style presentation that we found engaging. DD loved it. Liked the campus fine, and saw kids everywhere hanging out on the lawn, talking in groups, etc. Tour was pretty good - talked a lot about all the interests kids there have and how they support each others' interests and study together/collaborate rather than compete.

Carleton: Similar positives to Middlebury described above, but atmosphere seemed possibly less cliquish. We liked every student we met there - they looked you in the eye, were friendly, and seemed to love their school in a way that just seemed genuine and not a "sell." Another school where all the students talked a lot about getting support from the Academic Success Center, going to office hours, etc. in a normalizing manner. DD learned that the party scene is very tame, but decided she's okay with that.

Brown: No formal tour, but loved the campus and surrounding area.

Liked less than expected:
BU: The admissions session featured a student who was entertaining but who kept talking about how he can't decide on a major, decided to take classes on wine-tasting, etc. - got a lot of laughs but came off feeling like a frat boy caricature. Not for our DD. The campus was about as expected - DH and I liked it but DD thought "It seems just like high school" (large urban public). We thought the Honors College might be a fit, but after a little research decided it was too small for DD as a living community and maybe not her people.

Dartmouth: The info session was fine. Tour guide had a strange spiel - she kept focusing on safety, blue lights, alcohol poisoning, hospitals, etc. and ran out of time to take us into the library. DH is an alum and really felt the tour undersold the school - didn't take us into the library, for instance, which he loves. The Greek system was a turnoff to DD, especially when she heard that a majority of students participate. No judgment, just not what she wants.

Wesleyan: We know kids who go there and love it and we liked the campus fine, but found the town to be depressing. The biggest dealbreaker for DD was that she spent the night on campus and felt like people were getting high on a Tuesday while simultaneously talking about how much work they had to do that they were behind on. She wants to work hard during the week and play on weekends. Obviously this may just have been the kids she was with and not the norm at Wes though.

UVM: We saw it right after Midd, so it didn't get a fair chance. DD said the interior spaces reminded her of the airport. There was a lot to like, but DD just kept asking to leave and go back to Midd. We didn't get a formal tour because it was admitted students week but the students we talked to seemed friendly. We met the head of the "Wellness" program in the dorms and liked what he had to say. And we know some great, down-to-earth kids who have chosen UVM. I think this just happened to be the school that made DD realize she wanted an LAC. [/quote]

You're either a bot or the mother of an abused child.[/quote]

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