Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This list is odd - some of the schools look very attractive.

Which schools on the list do you think are attractive ?

NP here but many of the schools on the list are not UNattractive, they just don’t have the picture-perfect Disney-esque environment of say Duke.

Duke was mentioned as ugly upthread.

Anonymous wrote:What's important is what goes on inside, not outside.

If my kid doesn't like the outside she won't want to take a tour or apply. Most (not all) kids want a school that they find aesthetically pleasing -regardless if it's an urban, suburban or rural campus.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:American University. It's not ugly as much as it feels completely soulless.

Interesting, insightful comment.

But not wrong.

Anonymous wrote:Purdue

????? Purdue might no5 be the prettiest but it is definitely middle of the road standard.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Purdue

What?

DP. I'm not sure it's worth the eyeroll. Purdue is not a beautiful campus. It's a lot of concrete and pretty sterile. I'm not sure that it's among the ugliest (I haven't been everywhere), but it's certainly nothing special.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This list is odd - some of the schools look very attractive.

Which schools on the list do you think are attractive ?

NP here but many of the schools on the list are not UNattractive, they just don’t have the picture-perfect Disney-esque environment of say Duke.

UCSD alum here. Lived in Camp Snoopy freshman year (IYKYK). Sure, some buildings are 60s ugly, but the location in La Jolla itself is spectacular. Love UCSD!!

NYU is actually pretty good. Great location and vibe.
It sort of has the central green location, Washington Square, and the NYU buildings are surrounding it.

NUY and Northeastern would be the two best Urban campuses.
Northeastern actually has a nice modern looking cohesive campus for an urban college.

Anonymous wrote:American University. It's not ugly as much as it feels completely soulless.

Interesting, insightful comment.

Anonymous wrote:This list is odd - some of the schools look very attractive.

Which schools on the list do you think are attractive ?

This is really about architecture and buildings, rather than campuses. It's largely an indictment of architecture in the 60s. Most schools have a building or two added during that period that doesn't really fit with the rest of campus and isn't considered attractive today, so it's not surprising that schools founded during that era or that underwent a significant expansion during then are prominent on the list.

Frankly, if you complain about the rising costs of college, then you should want campuses that don't worry so much about aesthetics. It's little surprise that many of these were built as satellite campuses of state schools designed to serve a rapidly growing baby boom student population as cheaply as possible. Including a community college is particularly egregious, since the last thing a CC student should care about is the beauty of a campus they won't live on and won't stay at very long.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Georgetown, Northeastern are ugly

Georgetown? It’s gorgeous.

The buildings are old and not maintained

Colorado State University, Pueblo doesn't have a great looking campus.

Anonymous wrote:Why was UMD on the list? I think it’s a nice campus.

I agree. It is a great looking campus for a such a large school and the brick buildings bring a nice consistency across styles. I prefer it to Michigan (except for UM's beautiful law school). The site's description below reads as possibly a little racist too considering College Park's location. A "need for high security" is excessive.

"Similar to many other campuses on our list, College Park is a brick wonderland. Its unfortunate Georgian aesthetic choice is the main reason this school gets on the list. With its cold, rigid architecture and need for high security, College Park leaves a lot to be desired."

Why was UMD on the list? I think it’s a nice campus.