Anonymous wrote:Harvey Mudd.

Dc thought it was an extremely ugly campus. It is in the suburbs on a strip with several other colleges, and there is very little else nearby. We live near a major city, so dc was used to a place with more things to do outside of campus. The school has a small student population, and dc realized someplace bigger was more desirable.

Excellent, excellent school, just not a good fit for dc.

Uh, the second largest city in America is like a half hour away.

We have three college grads. One in college now. One high school senior. Mine all went to solid state schools all over the US. We were lucky. They all decided where they wanted to go before we even visited. The visits just confirmed their decisions. So easy. But my kids weren’t shooting for Ivys. They all did get academic or ROTC scholarships at state schools, thankfully.

For those of you reading who don’t have the money for expensive privates or who simply don’t want to spend that kind of money on an undergrad degree, don’t over complicate this. It really doesn’t matter that much. My kids had been to several college towns by the time they were seniors. They knew the vibe they were looking for.

This is what Harvard Yard (where the freshman live) looks like and its history. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvard_Yard

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe there is a difference between high-achieving students and everyone else. Generally, high-achieving kids want to go to the best academic school they can get into and their family can afford. Period. If the kid gets into Harvard, it doesn't matter what the food tastes like, whether or not the dorm is air conditioned, or if there is a nearby Starbucks. IT DOESN'T MATTER. However, if the goal is to get an average education at one of 3,000 schools across the nation, perhaps, food, dorms, recreation facilities, sports teams, etc. matter. Just keep in mind, you're paying for an eduction, not a country club. Sure, if you can have both, so be it, but it's sad if you're selecting a school based on comfort over learning, IMHO. But, to each his own.

Spoken like someone who had zero fun in college and definitely didn't get a top tier frat bid.

+1. I want to clear up something about Harvard (and Yale, too). The Harvard freshman all get to live in Harvard Yard. This is THE most historic and most photographed area of the campus. The dorms were built in 1670. They are historic and very meaningful to the students who live there. They are well-kept (the year I was there, the ivy had to come down - sad day - because it was destroying the ancient grout). All freshman can open their windows and yell at friends down in the Yard or across the Yard. And yes you CAN have window air conditioners if you need them. And heaters. I had my own fireplace and made a fire every night. The food is fine but the Yard is closer to Harvard Square than any other place on campus so you are a short walking distance to some of the best burgers I've ever had in my life (one was featured on Triple D). You also have many dining options back on campus. After freshman year you select one of the Houses to live in and live there for the next three years. Almost everyone has its own ballroom, library, sitting rooms, study halls, etc. This (Harvard Yard) and the Houses is a great way to make friends.

As to Yale - much the same thing - my DC spent a summer living in a garret room in one of the Residential Houses. There you go right into the Residential House - much like Oxford and Cambridge and their colleges. There was no A/C there but the summer coordinators had free fans sitting on the lawn for pickup. And most of the rooms are singles. And have fireplaces. Again, it's considered a matter of pride as to which Residential House you are in and the age of those rooms. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvard%E2%80%93Yale_sister_colleges

Th

Harvey Mudd.

Dc thought it was an extremely ugly campus. It is in the suburbs on a strip with several other colleges, and there is very little else nearby. We live near a major city, so dc was used to a place with more things to do outside of campus. The school has a small student population, and dc realized someplace bigger was more desirable.

Excellent, excellent school, just not a good fit for dc.

Anonymous wrote:Huh, for some reason I remember my kid checking in by name at the desk in Peabody before we went to sit down for the admissions presentation with the gentleman with the short ponytail. Perhaps I'm mixing up the UVA tour with another one.

From Dean J. "Q. Does it matter if a student has a “demonstrated interest” in UVA before applying? A. UVA does not use demonstrated interest at all.Oct 13, 2016". UVA can't because it received almost 50,000 applications this year and is processing all of this with a relatively small public school office. Tracking demonstrated interest requires time and money. If you signed up for something, it may have been because there is a number cap to each tour. After the large auditorium presentation, the groups form and tour with the UVA student representatives - only a certain amount are allowed in the auditorium and in the small groups. On the day we were there every seat was taken in the auditorium. I can't remember the size of our break-out group - maybe 20? Anyhow, that's how they control the size of the small student-run tours (My DC got in and got one of the coveted tour guide positions).

They are choosing their new HOME .

Where they will have to figure out how to adult on their own for the first time.

This really is not ALL about crafting a resume, though many DCUMers seem to live their lives with only that in mind.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe there is a difference between high-achieving students and everyone else. Generally, high-achieving kids want to go to the best academic school they can get into and their family can afford. Period. If the kid gets into Harvard, it doesn't matter what the food tastes like, whether or not the dorm is air conditioned, or if there is a nearby Starbucks. IT DOESN'T MATTER. However, if the goal is to get an average education at one of 3,000 schools across the nation, perhaps, food, dorms, recreation facilities, sports teams, etc. matter. Just keep in mind, you're paying for an eduction, not a country club. Sure, if you can have both, so be it, but it's sad if you're selecting a school based on comfort over learning, IMHO. But, to each his own.

My goodness, the sheep of Dcum ruin another thread that could have been so helpful. High achieving Harvard types will give up basic needs such as edible food and mold/pest free housing vs everyone else. What a fool.

Whatever. The PP didn’t say Harvard’s food was inedible or the dorms were pest and mold infested. The point was that food and dorms are not the top priorities. I’m sure Harvard kids have it “good enough.”

So, prospectives don't compare Harvard to Princeton, Yale, Chicago, etc? What if they get into more than one - do they just roll dice? What BS. Of course most students still focus on intangibles among colleges. If you wanted to generalize about a group who focuses mainly on the academic benefits and doesn't care as much about the non academic aspects of colleges, it is the ones who pay for it themselves and/or first gen students (and even that is a huge generalization).

GW– wanted to love it, but the student presenter who only half-jokingly asked the audience for job offers (she was a senior, it was spring) was sort of off-putting, yikes that the careers office can't get their poster child a job etc.
Tour was drab, I knew GW was in DC and they really wanted to make sure you did too. No dining hall on campus, just stalls of outside restaurants in campus buildings. Seems yikes– unfriendly to poorer students while also totally not inclined to foster the types of interactions that well designed dining halls foster.

Cornell was ehhh– buildings and clusters on campus were very far apart from one another, and it's not like there was always beautiful nature in the gaps. It almost felt like a sprawling prairie with buildings scattered throughout.

Cornell

Amherst, they were so snooty and elitist.

“What school dropped off the list because of your visit?”

UVA

Anonymous wrote:The thread was a lot more informative before being overtaken by posters sniping about UVA and other posters insisting college tours are pointless. Thanks, DCUM!

+10000

The thread was a lot more informative before being overtaken by posters sniping about UVA and other posters insisting college tours are pointless. Thanks, DCUM!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe there is a difference between high-achieving students and everyone else. Generally, high-achieving kids want to go to the best academic school they can get into and their family can afford. Period. If the kid gets into Harvard, it doesn't matter what the food tastes like, whether or not the dorm is air conditioned, or if there is a nearby Starbucks. IT DOESN'T MATTER. However, if the goal is to get an average education at one of 3,000 schools across the nation, perhaps, food, dorms, recreation facilities, sports teams, etc. matter. Just keep in mind, you're paying for an eduction, not a country club. Sure, if you can have both, so be it, but it's sad if you're selecting a school based on comfort over learning, IMHO. But, to each his own.

My goodness, the sheep of Dcum ruin another thread that could have been so helpful. High achieving Harvard types will give up basic needs such as edible food and mold/pest free housing vs everyone else. What a fool.

Whatever. The PP didn’t say Harvard’s food was inedible or the dorms were pest and mold infested. The point was that food and dorms are not the top priorities. I’m sure Harvard kids have it “good enough.”