I think it best to try to have your kid imagine what would make a college experience 'fun' beyond academics. For my child, they wanted the opportunity to join a sorority and go to parties, time and easy access/proximity to the gym to workout, option for on campus housing beyond the first year so not being stressed to find roommates and sign contracts within 1 month or 2 of arriving on campus. My kid is not athletic but wanted to be able to go to games (college or pro) and wanted city access to restaurants, concerts and shopping. You may not get it all, but it's good to have a place to begin discussions. We spoke with older kids in college and watched some 'day in the life' videos of kids at various schools and it was helpful to see examples of a lived college experiences.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a valuable thread. Can anyone comment on what the culture is at William and Mary for a non-stem major? Is it constant competition among peers or is it a supportive environment?

I have two there now. Very supportive, both from other students and from professors.

I have a business major at WM. Loves it. He's having a lot of fun and a great college experience. He doesn't feel any competition pressure from other students, but he's also the type to not get involved with that.

Just dont call them today. Everyone is in a foul mood because what was expected to be a major snow day in the Sunken Garden turned into a total and complete nothingburger.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD has had impressive college admissions but admitted that high school has been a grind, not a lot of fun, but very high achieving. She is thinking of going somewhere more fun for college instead of continuing the drudgery (her words). Anyone else's kids feel this way? She will be successful wherever she goes, I am confident, but I want her to be happy too.

I'd recommend the following:
Rice
Rice, and
Rice

My kid was also seeking fun and a change from hs. Rice was initially on our list, but my kid was turned off by the social scene. The residential college sorting sounds nice in theory, unless you are placed in a group with a lot of social misfits - as happened to the kid of a friend. My kid thought the social scene felt a bit campy, odd, and immature (their words). Every kid is different.

Anonymous wrote:My kid is trying to decide on their EA/ED plan and is having a similar experience. Tough choice between a school with better weather campus and one that is a better fit and likely more fun but colder and more dirty/urban. For now we are trying to approach it as "what a privilege to have this choice" and encouraging no restrictive applications unless you are SURE.

Better fit and more fun. Buy a better quality coat/coat wardrobe and same for footwear.

When you look back on college, you will remember the way it made you feel as a person. Not the weather.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD has had impressive college admissions but admitted that high school has been a grind, not a lot of fun, but very high achieving. She is thinking of going somewhere more fun for college instead of continuing the drudgery (her words). Anyone else's kids feel this way? She will be successful wherever she goes, I am confident, but I want her to be happy too.

I'd recommend the following:
Rice
Rice, and
Rice

Texas is a turn off for many students in 2026.

Not even close

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It has more to do with majors.

Op here. Electrical engineering.

You've read most of this before and it is true. ABET means all EE programs are rigorous and that the EE curriculum is mostly the same at any program.

What does vary widely is the graduation rate for engineering programs. Pick an EE program with a higher graduation rate. Those usually are more supportive and they also are least likely to have intentional weed-out classes designed to fail a percentage of students out of engineering.

At hiring time, I care much more about which upper-level EE electives one took than which engineering program one graduated from. Engineering rankings from USNWR are not meaningful because ABET sets a high floor.

Which schools actually do this? Sounds like fiction.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD has had impressive college admissions but admitted that high school has been a grind, not a lot of fun, but very high achieving. She is thinking of going somewhere more fun for college instead of continuing the drudgery (her words). Anyone else's kids feel this way? She will be successful wherever she goes, I am confident, but I want her to be happy too.

I'd recommend the following:
Rice
Rice, and
Rice

Texas is a turn off for many students in 2026.

But not most! So again, look at Rice.

"Most" students are not applying to schools in Texas.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It has more to do with majors.

Op here. Electrical engineering.

You've read most of this before and it is true. ABET means all EE programs are rigorous and that the EE curriculum is mostly the same at any program.

What does vary widely is the graduation rate for engineering programs. Pick an EE program with a higher graduation rate. Those usually are more supportive and they also are least likely to have intentional weed-out classes designed to fail a percentage of students out of engineering.

At hiring time, I care much more about which upper-level EE electives one took than which engineering program one graduated from. Engineering rankings from USNWR are not meaningful because ABET sets a high floor.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a valuable thread. Can anyone comment on what the culture is at William and Mary for a non-stem major? Is it constant competition among peers or is it a supportive environment?

I have two there now. Very supportive, both from other students and from professors.

I have a business major at WM. Loves it. He's having a lot of fun and a great college experience. He doesn't feel any competition pressure from other students, but he's also the type to not get involved with that.

Anonymous wrote:My kid is trying to decide on their EA/ED plan and is having a similar experience. Tough choice between a school with better weather campus and one that is a better fit and likely more fun but colder and more dirty/urban. For now we are trying to approach it as "what a privilege to have this choice" and encouraging no restrictive applications unless you are SURE.

If your kid applied ED they already made their choice.

What are some of the most rigorous schools for science (chem, bio or neuroscience) with top outcomes (research opportunities, grad school, employment) that are not soul crushing? Prefer small to medium size

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD has had impressive college admissions but admitted that high school has been a grind, not a lot of fun, but very high achieving. She is thinking of going somewhere more fun for college instead of continuing the drudgery (her words). Anyone else's kids feel this way? She will be successful wherever she goes, I am confident, but I want her to be happy too.

I'd recommend the following:
Rice
Rice, and
Rice

Is it because of the residential college?

Anonymous wrote:This is a valuable thread. Can anyone comment on what the culture is at William and Mary for a non-stem major? Is it constant competition among peers or is it a supportive environment?

I have two there now. Very supportive, both from other students and from professors.

This is a valuable thread. Can anyone comment on what the culture is at William and Mary for a non-stem major? Is it constant competition among peers or is it a supportive environment?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD has had impressive college admissions but admitted that high school has been a grind, not a lot of fun, but very high achieving. She is thinking of going somewhere more fun for college instead of continuing the drudgery (her words). Anyone else's kids feel this way? She will be successful wherever she goes, I am confident, but I want her to be happy too.

I'd recommend the following:
Rice
Rice, and
Rice

Texas is a turn off for many students in 2026.

But not most! So again, look at Rice.