Here's what I did not factor in...and it caused me to transfer.

I went to a state flagship with a great football team in a rural area. A big school. It was thought of as a wholesome and fun school. The campus was lovely and it had 150+ majors. My aunt and uncle had gone there. I thought it would be great.

When I attended, I quickly figured out that the Liberal Arts college was the least prestigious/least rigorous college among the set. I couldn't find classmates interested enough in their coursework to discuss it. Everyone around me was more interested in just getting a degree vs. getting an education.

The other thing that really was a downer was the amount of regular alcohol abuse going on. I don't drink much and don't really care to, and hanging around with excitable wasted, vomit-prone people in loud environments is not how I make friends. It was way too prevalent. My dorm security was compromised due to this as well.

I took a year of straight A's and GTFO'd to the then less prestigious rival urban school where Greeks and NCAA athlete culture were less dominant. And city amenities abounded. And I could get a single room so no messed up roommate to deal with either.

So, I'd definitely advise checking out the true social vibe if possible. My sibling and their spouse were both offered drugs at their Ivy admit weekends. It left them questioning whether the school was a good fit (mainly because breaking the law in front of random underage seniors you don't really know is a bit gauche as well as legally risky). But at least they knew what to expect. I had only been on a 1 hour campus tour and walked around for a couple hours at the school I chose. I relied on other people's perceptions of what is "fun" and that was a big mistake. One of the biggest I've made in life so far.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Things that swayed my kids one way or another...

Variety of housing options
Quality and variety of the food
Extracurricular activities -- could they continue specific ECs, how competitive is it to join clubs
Rec centers - does it have good equipment, how crowded is it (can you actually get in to use it when you want to)
Extended visits where they could meet with several students and get a sense of the "vibe"
Surrounding area - does it have places they want to go, how hard is it to get around
Academically - how many required general ed classes are there, how flexible is the curriculum, what kind of supporting research centers or other facilities do they have to support experiential learning.

Vibe is a key factor for my kids. As you walk campus, talk to students and tour guides, does your kid "feel at home" and see themselves fitting in. Some campuses, my kid really saw it, others it helped them to see, while the academics are great and it's an amazing school, they will do better at the other choices

+1 DD had a clear take on the "vibe" at schools that to me seemed pretty darn similar. In the end she picked the place where she felt at home. IMO, you don't argue with the vibe assessment.

At the school my kid ultimately picked, they just felt at home from the first tour. Ironically, each tour we did (2) they had multiple guides and you could pick one. So they had an engineering major (STEM), a premed (but humanities major), humanities/social sciences (not premed), etc. Well my kid picked the engineering major both times, and got not just an engineering major, but a Chem E major (my kid's chosen major) both times. So it really helped to see that the tour guides were interesting, engaging kids that are similar to my "non geeky" engineering kid.

Then the school my kid chose has a unique "core curriculum" where you take courses in all 3 areas: STEM, Humanities and Social Sciences. Your major covers one, and then you take 12 credits in each of the others in the SAME discipline. They want you to focus in depth on something you love. That really appeals to my dancer kid. They will be taking 12 credits of dance and 12 credits of Psychology and their freshman writing course. That is it---no history, no theology, no philosophy, no literature, etc. Instead they do their history with the history of dance along with actual dancing. They don't have to take courses they don't like/don't want to take to just check boxes.

Really from the moment they set foot on campus first time, I could see something different in my kid about the campus. At first I thought it was because the previous day had been two campuses they absolutely did NOT like (Troy NY is not a nice town). They had immediately found the place they really loved and was a Target school (so achievable and not single digit acceptance rates. Thankfully it all worked out

This approach to a core curriculum sounds fantastic. We're new to the process (DC is only a sophomore.) Would you be willing to share the name of the school? Thanks!

University of Rochester


Yes, it is an amazing “core curriculum”

Anonymous wrote:Rochester

Thanks! (I assume you were identifying the school your DC liked so much, in part because of the unique core curriculum. I checked the website and t seems to fit your description perfectly - https://www.rochester.edu/about/curriculum.html)

If you have not visited these schools, find a way to do so. I agree with the "vibe" PPs.

Things that my own kids looked for:
Size. My kids preferred smaller schools. Friends of theirs preferred larger schools. The feeling is definitely different between the two, so think about where your comfort zone is.

Aesthetics. One of my kids was very clear that a pretty campus was at the top of her must-have list. (The other kid didn't really care)

Access to off-campus activities. Both of mine chose campuses that are adjacent to small-medium towns so they can easily walk to shopping/coffee/restaurants. Both ruled out otherwise great schools because they were too isolated.

Access to on- campus activities of interest: clubs, intramurals/club sports, movies, theater, outdoor activity excursions, etc.
Paired with that are strong campus traditions/school spirit.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hot co-eds

Absolutely. Gotta check out the girlz ahead of time if you're an ice cold hustler.

My DD wound up at a university where she was one of what she said felt like the few straight girls who were good looking and said she wound up pursuing guys at a school about an hour away.

I don't get this. It sounds like your daughter had little to no competition on her campus, so why wasn't she beating off dudez with a stick? Unless the dudez were as awkward and un-straight as the girlz.

Just a WAG, but Goucher college is known for how many (most) are lesbian among the female student body.

Anonymous wrote:My current senior is very interested in "fit." Some things that rose to the top of her list:

-- Class size
-- Availability of majors, and treatment of her prospective majors. Are you boxed in from the very beginning, can you come in undecided, can you switch later without losing too much time?
-- Friendliness of the student body. This has been extremely important to her
-- Distance from home
-- Balance of students. She goes to a diverse high school, and some schools have seemed a little too white. Some schools are way heavier on girls than boys. You can find these stats online, but sometimes, the real picture on campus is a little different.
-- Access to professors, internships, etc.
-- Fun clubs

This is a major problem at some schools.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to college in D.C.

However, crime in D.C. is increasing exponentially, and it does not show any sign of changing in the near future.

All the D.C. universities are unfortunately off our list for that reason.

Yeah, Georgetown, Foggy Bottom, and Tenleytown are downright terrifying these days.

LOL!

Anonymous wrote:How do people know the food quality!?

You try to eat the dining service and there are in fact rankings of colleges by food reviews.

Also, you see what the schools offer in terms of food halls with 3rd party restaurants where you can use your dining credits.

Rochester

How do people know the food quality!?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Things that swayed my kids one way or another...

Variety of housing options
Quality and variety of the food
Extracurricular activities -- could they continue specific ECs, how competitive is it to join clubs
Rec centers - does it have good equipment, how crowded is it (can you actually get in to use it when you want to)
Extended visits where they could meet with several students and get a sense of the "vibe"
Surrounding area - does it have places they want to go, how hard is it to get around
Academically - how many required general ed classes are there, how flexible is the curriculum, what kind of supporting research centers or other facilities do they have to support experiential learning.

Vibe is a key factor for my kids. As you walk campus, talk to students and tour guides, does your kid "feel at home" and see themselves fitting in. Some campuses, my kid really saw it, others it helped them to see, while the academics are great and it's an amazing school, they will do better at the other choices

+1 DD had a clear take on the "vibe" at schools that to me seemed pretty darn similar. In the end she picked the place where she felt at home. IMO, you don't argue with the vibe assessment.

At the school my kid ultimately picked, they just felt at home from the first tour. Ironically, each tour we did (2) they had multiple guides and you could pick one. So they had an engineering major (STEM), a premed (but humanities major), humanities/social sciences (not premed), etc. Well my kid picked the engineering major both times, and got not just an engineering major, but a Chem E major (my kid's chosen major) both times. So it really helped to see that the tour guides were interesting, engaging kids that are similar to my "non geeky" engineering kid.

Then the school my kid chose has a unique "core curriculum" where you take courses in all 3 areas: STEM, Humanities and Social Sciences. Your major covers one, and then you take 12 credits in each of the others in the SAME discipline. They want you to focus in depth on something you love. That really appeals to my dancer kid. They will be taking 12 credits of dance and 12 credits of Psychology and their freshman writing course. That is it---no history, no theology, no philosophy, no literature, etc. Instead they do their history with the history of dance along with actual dancing. They don't have to take courses they don't like/don't want to take to just check boxes.

Really from the moment they set foot on campus first time, I could see something different in my kid about the campus. At first I thought it was because the previous day had been two campuses they absolutely did NOT like (Troy NY is not a nice town). They had immediately found the place they really loved and was a Target school (so achievable and not single digit acceptance rates. Thankfully it all worked out

This approach to a core curriculum sounds fantastic. We're new to the process (DC is only a sophomore.) Would you be willing to share the name of the school? Thanks!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hot co-eds

Absolutely. Gotta check out the girlz ahead of time if you're an ice cold hustler.

My DD wound up at a university where she was one of what she said felt like the few straight girls who were good looking and said she wound up pursuing guys at a school about an hour away.

I don't get this. It sounds like your daughter had little to no competition on her campus, so why wasn't she beating off dudez with a stick? Unless the dudez were as awkward and un-straight as the girlz.

What's with the z's? How old are you?

he took off any school that had more than 30% in athletics.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hot co-eds

Absolutely. Gotta check out the girlz ahead of time if you're an ice cold hustler.

Anonymous wrote:Looking for advice from families who have older kids in college…

My DS has his list narrowed down to a few very similar schools. With academics and cost being very comparable, I’m curious about some of the smaller day-to-day things that enhanced your kid’s college experience…also looking for negatives that they may not have considered when making their decision. Thanks!

1. Location: Not in the middle of nowhere, but generally safe.
2. Size: Not too big, not too small (between 10,000-20,000 student body).
3. Transportation: Ease of commuting back and forth to home. A nonstop direct flight from school to home is preferred if the school is far.
4. Consideration of kids' personalities that suit the school.
5. Diverse student body.
6. Current international trends and the school's vision.


We didn't consider easy access to the dining hall, housing, and research opportunities when my kids were choosing a college, but, in reality, it's pretty important to consider these aspects for day-to-day college life.