Anonymous
Post 10/26/2025 19:04     Subject: Schools you toured that you were surprised you liked or didn’t like?
Liked Drexel much more than anticipated. Gettysburg showed DC they did not want a small college. Pitt was their favorite of the ones we visited.
Anonymous
Post 10/26/2025 18:58     Subject: Re:Schools you toured that you were surprised you liked or didn’t like?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
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.


I guess it depends on the type of weather and scenery you prefer. The scenery around Williams is stunning and North Carolina can be hot and humid.


DP. North Carolina isn’t hot and humid during the school season. I have a kid at Davidson, and he has remarked that the weather is essentially ideal.


+1
Anonymous
Post 10/26/2025 18:55     Subject: Schools you toured that you were surprised you liked or didn’t like?
Anonymous wrote:

Penn state— this one was the worst. Admissions presentation just seemed to just keep talking about how large the school was. Over and over. DD hated it and was in tears by the end of the tour.



In tears, seriously? I can understand someone nit liking a school but what is wrong with your kid that a college tour brings her to tears?
Anonymous
Post 10/26/2025 18:54     Subject: Schools you toured that you were surprised you liked or didn’t like?
Anonymous wrote:Thought BU might be a good fit for my kid but they were overwhelmed and turned off by the it’s urban nature. Good thing they figured that out early and then targeted schools that weren’t quite as urban.


Hated BU. Just no charm, and the students didn't seems as friendly or happy.

Was then surprised to love Pitt. Urban campus, but had charm, positive energy.
Anonymous
Post 10/26/2025 18:54     Subject: Schools you toured that you were surprised you liked or didn’t like?
Wouldn't be able to call most of WM "rundown" anymore. New buildings and renovations, older structures being taken down. Was just on campus, and I like it more every time I visit.

I wouldn't base anything on a single not inspiring tour. My son really liked UVa despite only standing on the lawn and hearing about how racist the community was. Bad tour, great school.
Anonymous
Post 10/26/2025 18:49     Subject: Re:Schools you toured that you were surprised you liked or didn’t like?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
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.


I guess it depends on the type of weather and scenery you prefer. The scenery around Williams is stunning and North Carolina can be hot and humid.


DP. North Carolina isn’t hot and humid during the school season. I have a kid at Davidson, and he has remarked that the weather is essentially ideal.
Anonymous
Post 10/26/2025 18:42     Subject: Schools you toured that you were surprised you liked or didn’t like?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Loved William and Mary.


Anonymous wrote:Loved William and Mary.


We didn't at all although we really wanted to! It just seemed very depressing and frankly run-down.
Tour guide didn't seem to like the school herself which didn't help.



Hated our tour at W&M. I really wanted my kid to like it but she asked to leave halfway through.
Anonymous
Post 10/26/2025 18:41     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.


DD had the opposite reaction to UVA. She said it felt like a giant frat-party and also felt extremely impersonal. She compared to other large, state-flagship schools, which gave off the vide of being “diploma - mills.”
Anonymous
Post 10/26/2025 18:38     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.

Subtle brag. Nice.
Anonymous
Post 10/26/2025 18:38     Subject: Re:Schools you toured that you were surprised you liked or didn’t like?
Anonymous wrote:
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.


I guess it depends on the type of weather and scenery you prefer. The scenery around Williams is stunning and North Carolina can be hot and humid.
Anonymous
Post 10/26/2025 18:37     Subject: Schools you toured that you were surprised you liked or didn’t like?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Loved William and Mary.


Anonymous wrote:Loved William and Mary.


We didn't at all although we really wanted to! It just seemed very depressing and frankly run-down.
Tour guide didn't seem to like the school herself which didn't help.



It’s almost like it’s old or something.
Anonymous
Post 10/26/2025 18:34     Subject: Schools you toured that you were surprised you liked or didn’t like?
Anonymous wrote:Aware that this doesn't answer OP's question, but just wanted to say I've always felt that while tours can be useful, one should be cautious about drawing a conclusion like "this is the school for me" or "I can't see myself here" based on a single tour. Heck, some kids say they didn't realize how much they loved or hated a school until they'd been there for or three semesters. A visit is a nice data point but that's really all.

Thanks mom
Anonymous
Post 10/26/2025 18:34     Subject: Schools you toured that you were surprised you liked or didn’t like?
Anonymous wrote:People here put waaay to much emphasis on the tour & tour guide.


Better a tour than DCUM reputation
Anonymous
Post 10/26/2025 18:32     Subject: Schools you toured that you were surprised you liked or didn’t like?
People here put waaay to much emphasis on the tour & tour guide.
Anonymous
Post 10/26/2025 18:25     Subject: Schools you toured that you were surprised you liked or didn’t like?
Aware that this doesn't answer OP's question, but just wanted to say I've always felt that while tours can be useful, one should be cautious about drawing a conclusion like "this is the school for me" or "I can't see myself here" based on a single tour. Heck, some kids say they didn't realize how much they loved or hated a school until they'd been there for or three semesters. A visit is a nice data point but that's really all.