Anyone fall in love with a campus at first sight?

College Search & Selection
41

<p>Lol, funny reading this thread. My kids absolutely love the VA and NC campuses. UVA, WFU, UNC, WM, UR, Duke, VT are all phenomenal. And don't leave out Mary Washington either. Of course, the added historical context of UVA sort of put it over the top for D. </p>

<p>Youngest D has been fixated on Duke for years, however. </p>

<p>Also, who wouldn't agree about Colgate, Cornell, Swathmore, or Williams? All are just wonderful IMO. Bucknell also got a lot of love from the kids. </p>

<p>All of those were so beautiful that the final choice had to be about something a little more than just aesthetics. Ultimately it comes down to some visceral connection, history, or culture in addition.</p>

42

<p>I fell hard for Cornell the first time I visited, which was April 9, 2007- a little more than three weeks before I had to make a decision! I never really believed people when they said that "you'll know what college is right when you visit", but something clicked for me immediately when I was walking around campus and Ives Hall, my school's building. I still had a few more schools to visit after I made up my mind, and they all paled in comparison to Cornell. After my Cornell trip, I visited some schools that I had visited and really liked before, but they were suddenly lower on my list. So it's entirely possible for students' minds to change, but that one great encounter might seal the deal.</p>

43

<p>I really liked Princeton's campus when I first saw it. However, I didn't like anything else about the school. When I first visited my current school I loved some stuff and hated other things, but I figured that every other aspect of the college was enough to overcome the constant flurry of cars going through the campus.</p>

44

<p>This is a fun thread, with no right, no wrong answers ... ok, maybe "MIT...lol" . Definitely not much into aesthetics, are they? :eek:</p>

<p>Some of my faves, many of which already mentioned, Miss ... WFU, Duke, Chapel Hill, Denison, Cornell (sort of ... great setting, botched up by all the eclectic building styles, imo), Wm&Mary, Bucknell (altho way too spread out and not tucked into Lewisburg as it might be), Princeton (amazing), Stanford (altho I do not find it nearly so gah gah as some here do), Richmond (simply beautiful!). Duke, other than Durham, in a heartbeat.</p>

<p>Some of the ones I'd personally have tossed in the first cut down are Miss MIT ;), Penn, Warren Wilson (one of the shabbier places I've ever seen, imo ... very unique, but they need a major make-over ... but that's why it's gone from being a haven for Appalachian born students to a haven for Appalachian bound students stuck in the '60s. ;), Mary Washington (thought it was very poorly maintained, but loads of potential, UVA is pretty doggone nice! )</p>

<p>Some others ... Lehigh (among the very weirdest, unattractive locations), Delaware (a really neat public/private campus that's done some things really right, imo), MiamiOH (same as UDel),Berry (amazing place in many respects ...), Rollins (a country club in Winter Park), Rhodes (one of the most beautiful campuses anywhere ...and they're devoted to keeping it that way).</p>

<p>The most beautifully planned and maintained campus, imo ... Furman. Fountains, library, grass, layout, location ... all pretty wonderful. Dartmouth ... beautiful and idyllic setting.</p>

<p>LOVE Annapolis for both beauty, aura, and setting. West Point is amazing. Coast Guard is an abomination. Connecticut College is a grand setting and very dull place. F&M ... crummy setting. Gettysburg pretty blah. Washington & Lee ... nothing short of terrific. Davidson, amazingly well manicured, kept. Unfortunately the sleepy little college town is now more like a NASCAR pit stop ...</p>

<p>Salem College is a wonderful mini-Wm&Mary.</p>

45

<p>Peugeot - Where do you go now?</p>

46

<p>S's love affair with Williams wasn't its beautiful campus -- it was the dynamic and intelligent students he met and heard speak. He also liked its casualness; the big weekend info. session was in a very unpretentious room, whereas another school's (don't want to be explicit because it's a wonderful school) was in a very pretentious setting.</p>

<p>He just had a visceral response to where he, in particular, would be more comfortable.</p>

<p>D feel the everything about Columbia/Barnard lock, stock and barrel. The neighborhood, the imposing buildings on Columbia's quad, all the places to eat and the feminism of Barnard. Years later, she sat in a Classics class at Barnard and all the women encouraged her to participate and to attend (haha, she hadn't even been accepted yet!)</p>

47

<p>The second I stepped on to Brown's campus I knew it was perfect. Now getting in is the problem :(</p>

48

<p>I have a real thing also for Washington & Lee's campus - just walking onto the campus takes one back in time........... Beautiful AND historical</p>

49

<p>Forgot: A real hidden gem that I like a lot ... Tulsa</p>

50

<p>My son's first college visit was to Delaware and he fell in love. After many other college visits he ended up attending Delware. It is a great campus with the perfect little college town. Just started his second semester and still loves it.</p>

51

<p><a href="http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/8296/epgy091pi6.jpg%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/8296/epgy091pi6.jpg&lt;/a>
^Top that...yeah didn't think so.</p>

52

<p>I really love the old New England colleges... the historical feel, etc. I thought Dartmouth was particularly beautiful.</p>

53

<p>my uncle went to pepperdine
i went there once and was shocked by the campus.
im not looking at going there but it was still amazing.</p>

54

<p>The University of Richmond is the most beautiful campus I have ever seen.</p>

55

<p>Has anyone been to BU yet?</p>

56

<p>For another hidden Gem, I'm going to plug The College of Wooster in Ohio. Lots of people talk about Denison, but Wooster is also very beautiful. They even have a golf course on campus.</p>

57

<p>I did. One problem though. I didn't get in. :(
Probably for the best though in the long run..</p>

58

<p>BU doesn't really have what you call a campus - right in the middle of Boston on Comm Ave - pretty spread out to - not something that I would fall for by appearances</p>

59

<p>True, I'd say I'm asking more in terms of the atmosphere rather than architectural aesthetics. If anyone has visited, can you please share your feelings about BU? I am very curious.</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

60

<p>"Connecticut College is a grand setting and very dull place."</p>

<p>Dull -- The college or the town?</p>