Anonymous
Post 10/26/2025 18:25     Subject: Schools you toured that you were surprised you liked or didn’t like?
I thought of another school I was pleasantly surprised by - Shenandoah. Thought I wouldn't really like it, but did a tour on a performing arts preview day and thought it was a sweet little campus. Everyone was incredibly kind and helpful.

My kid wound up NOT liking it, though - didn't even apply. I think she was intimidated by the other students in her group.
Anonymous
Post 10/26/2025 18:24     Subject: Re:Schools you toured that you were surprised you liked or didn’t like?
Anonymous wrote:Georgetown


Thanks for taking the time to respond. Your input really helps clarity this topic.
Anonymous
Post 10/26/2025 18:21     Subject: Schools you toured that you were surprised you liked or didn’t like?
Anonymous wrote:Georgetown did not have enough tour guides, there were so many people per guide we couldn’t hear a single thing. The campus is nice, though.


We couldn’t hear anything because of the planes that day. Open windows and outside the tour guide had to stop several minutes. And, fwiw, we are just a few miles from campus but not under the plane path so we hear it—but nothing like that.
Anonymous
Post 10/26/2025 18:18     Subject: Schools you toured that you were surprised you liked or didn’t like?
Anonymous wrote:Forgot to mention Tufts, windy, ugly campus up on a hill, outside of Boston. DD intended to apply ED, based on paper and discussions with friends already at the school. After the tour, she didn't bother to apply


My kid didn’t like Tufts either— whether it was the unattractive Quad or the distance to Davis square or what wasn’t entirely clear to me but it got crossed off the list after a visit.
Anonymous
Post 10/26/2025 18:13     Subject: Schools you toured that you were surprised you liked or didn’t like?
Anonymous wrote:Loved both UVA & WM. Kid attends UVA and is super happy with all aspects of her Hoo experience. She chose it over other top admits. Virginia residents are blessed to have great in-state options.


except this board only finds somewhere between 3-5 acceptable choices. When there are quite a few more that people just don't think are good enough.
Anonymous
Post 10/26/2025 18:11     Subject: Re:Schools you toured that you were surprised you liked or didn’t like?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My daughter was pretty much convinced she was going to go to ED to Williams…until the tour.

The horrible weather that day and a very stressed out tour guide talking about how intense the school was did a double whammy on her. I know that both of those factors were random fate, and who knows, if she would’ve had a beautiful spring day and an upbeat tour guide, maybe she would have applied.

A week later, we found ourselves touring. Davidson on a warm day with a lovely guide, and that’s where she is now.


+1 Davidson is an amazing place to spend 4 years! Very strong academically, friendly students, engaging and supportive professors, charming campus/town, and a variety of activities/sports to support! I'm happy for your daughter!


I think it was about 2 years ago now, a student was down to these two and there was a boyfriend going to charlotte. The parents asked for advice and everybody was like "she should absolutely go to Williams-it's a better school" I understood the concern about picking a school to be closer to a boyfriend, but in terms of the schools, I honestly thought they were both solid choices. Picking Williams just felt like it was all for the bragging rights of going to "the #1 LAC". I think Davidson is also an excellent school AND the weather is better. I think about that post so much.
Anonymous
Post 10/26/2025 18:09     Subject: Schools you toured that you were surprised you liked or didn’t like?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Not impressed by UVA tour.
VT tour was 100% better.
Kid still ended up at UVA and loves it there!


Our first UVA tour was a miss but it was our fault because we did it during summer (fewer students running around), it was miserably hot and humid, and we were tired having seen Wash & Lee (also miserably hot and humid) earlier in the day. But DC was up for a Jefferson Scholarship so we returned for a second tour during the school year and the experience was like night and day. Kid picked UVA over two Ivies and Georgia Tech for aerospace engineering and loves it there.


Were you in-state for UVA then?
Anonymous
Post 10/26/2025 18:04     Subject: Schools you toured that you were surprised you liked or didn’t like?
Anonymous wrote:DC- Strongly disliked -
University of California San Diego - DC thought it was directly on the beach but it is not easy to get to the beach since it requires walking a considerable distance. It has an ugly concrete, cold feeling about it with no central campus. So many of the students seemed depressed and even the tour guide seemed sad every time he looked away and wasn’t directly addressing the people in the tour. University of Irvine seemed similar.

Pepperdine. In the middle of a burned out small town far from any actual city. Students seemed rich and entitled.

Pomona/Claremont McKenna- it was really hot when we went and it is in a far far off area of LA. Not sure how to describe some of the Pomona students.

University of Santa Barbara- Campus seemed so run down. So much deferred maintenance needed. Great that campus is actually on a beach so that part was amazing, but so many students seemed really into partying.

DC liked-
UCLA- nice campus, students seemed friendly. We try to eat in the dinning commons just to get a feel for food and students. DC liked diversity of food and vibe.

University of Utah-DC wasn’t thrilled about the lack of diversity, the new dorms and new buildings on campus were really nice. Everyone was over the top friendly and helpful. Super close to skiing and hiking. Students didn’t seem ultra competitive and seemed like they would collaborate.

UC Berkeley- thought it would be grungy with homeless all around but that wasn’t our experience at all. Had a great tour and saw a beautiful campus in an urban setting.

UC Davis- fantastic college town, students were friendly and seemed happy, such a great campus to bike around. We ended up renting bikes because there were so many amazing bike paths and the campus has a lot of very flat land. Biked to pet a goat and cow, biked to a small lake and small river that runs through campus, biked to town to get ice cream, bikes to raptor center, bikes to student union, biked to an athletic event. Helped the tour guide was really personable and fantastic and it was a gorgeous day. So hard to know how it would be different if it were a dreary rainy day with a bad tour guide.



Pepperdine isn’t in the middle of any town and the fires were far away. Strange also that you don’t mention its spectacular location and unspoiled views of the Pacific. It’s usually at the top of everyone’s list of most beautiful campus.
Anonymous
Post 10/26/2025 18:04     Subject: Schools you toured that you were surprised you liked or didn’t like?
Loved both UVA & WM. Kid attends UVA and is super happy with all aspects of her Hoo experience. She chose it over other top admits. Virginia residents are blessed to have great in-state options.
Anonymous
Post 10/26/2025 18:04     Subject: Schools you toured that you were surprised you liked or didn’t like?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Thomas Jefferson - not pretty, everyone rude, very rigid.


Maybe because you were touring a public high school?


not this poster, but it is a university in Philly
Anonymous
Post 10/26/2025 17:59     Subject: Schools you toured that you were surprised you liked or didn’t like?
Anonymous wrote:Thomas Jefferson - not pretty, everyone rude, very rigid.


Maybe because you were touring a public high school?
Anonymous
Post 10/26/2025 17:58     Subject: Schools you toured that you were surprised you liked or didn’t like?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Brown - we didn’t like it.

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


"too woke" no one at Wesleyan wants your DC their parents are stupid.


Maybe try English next time you post
Anonymous
Post 10/26/2025 17:56     Subject: Schools you toured that you were surprised you liked or didn’t like?
Anonymous wrote:Schools that send their tours in opposite directions I immediately view more favorably than schools that send all their tours in the same direction so all tour guides are talking over each other.


Of all the things to judge a school on when contemplating spending $90k* a year! Poor kid!
Anonymous
Post 10/26/2025 17:56     Subject: Schools you toured that you were surprised you liked or didn’t like?
Didn’t like Wisconsin or UF

Loved UGA FSU

Didn’t like UNC
Anonymous
Post 10/26/2025 17:55     Subject: Schools you toured that you were surprised you liked or didn’t like?
Forgot to mention Tufts, windy, ugly campus up on a hill, outside of Boston. DD intended to apply ED, based on paper and discussions with friends already at the school. After the tour, she didn't bother to apply