We toured Conn yesterday, and we were impressed by everything we saw and everyone we met. The campus itself is gorgeous, with its large quad and lovely architecture, walkable without feeling too small. Newer buildings blend beautifully with the original ones, which is not always the case!
The admissions person who greeted us was wonderful. He welcomed my daughter, talked with her about her school and interest (without asking her what they were – he must have read up a bit about those touring!). The tour guide was wonderful and down to earth, really made an effort to tailor the discussion to what the two students on the tour were most interested in. It was fairly overcast, so there weren’t a lot of people walking around, but we did have a couple of students stop us to say hello, talk about how nice their dorms were, that sort of thing. I’d agree with the person who said it’s a Hufflepuff campus!
As far as the area, Conn is gated, on a little hill, directly across the street the Coast Guard Academy, which is also gated. We didn’t ask how often the students from both schools interact. We weren’t sure we were allowed to go around the arboretum, but from the photos, it looks wonderful. They also have a large community garden area just behind one of the buildings. The town of New London has cute shops and restaurants along the waterfront, although it’s not walkable to campus.
I know it’s difficult not to be able to go inside of the buildings on a tour, but the video someone posted above was helpful, and we could see through windows into some buildings, like the student center and library. I’m grateful that Conn is having even outdoor tours, as most of my daughter’s other remaining choices are allowing NO visitors on campus in any capacity, which makes her decision even more difficult!