<p>I think it also goes beyond physical attraction, despite what it seems.</p>
<p>I immediately (as in before we got out of the car) fell in love with the school that I will be attending in the fall. It was really a combination of things. I could just tell the atmosphere was right. It wasn't so much that the campus was gorgeous, as I felt at home on it. The students felt like my peers. It immediately felt like a place I was more comfortable at than others, the perfect fit to live and learn in for 4 years.</p>
<p>Three hours after setting foot on campus at Rice for a visit eight years ago, I went to the student store and bought a forty-dollar sweatshirt. I put it on and didn't take it off until it completely fell apart.</p>
<p>I <em>loved</em> Rice. There was something about the campus, the atmosphere of learning, feeling comfortable there... It was just perfect for me, and I knew it right away. </p>
<p>Four years later, when I had to talk myself into going to Illinois for grad school... It was the logical choice. I had a full ride, it was the number one program, the research opportunities were second to none, the facilities were amazing... There was no reason I <em>shouldn't</em> have liked it, except that I had to make a conscious decision to enroll. I wasn't in love with the campus, I wasn't in love with the program... And it darned near killed me! It almost demolished my love for my field, it left me feeling battered (not just because the coursework was difficult, which it was, but I could handle that... it was because it was <em>really</em> not the school for me...!), and it was like pulling teeth to get my degree. I had a terrible time there.</p>
<p>I think that if I'd decided to go with another school, one where I <em>did</em> feel completely at home, I would've had a much better grad experience.</p>
<p>It's not just a place you have to get a degree, it's a place you have to live and function in for four years... It's odd, how a person can tell whether or not it's the "right" place in such a short period of time, but I've heard over and over about students feeling as though a campus is the "right" campus for them as soon as they set foot on it.</p>
<p>I'd say that you've got a son with a good head on his shoulders, and that he should follow his heart on this one! =) Best of luck to you both!!</p>
<p>I'm so glad that WashU was mentioned! (It took awhile though)! I first visited in high school and fell in love. Not just with the architecture, but with the students, faculty, etc. I applied and was accepted, unfortunately my parents couldn't afford the price tag for four years, so I went to another school for two years and applied to WashU as a transfer student and, happily, was accepted. I graduate in May and I am still as much in love with the campus as I was the day I first stepped foot on it. It seems like everyday I discover something really beautiful here.</p>
<p>My son was intrigued with the idea of an urban, international campus, traveled to Montreal to visit McGill on the suggestion of a friend and has never looked back. He is charmed by the look of the crumbling centuries-old limestone buildings, with their history and permanence, but he relishes the fact the campus is embedded in a modern, vibrant city with great music venues and interesting people abounding. He is definitely now a Francophile (and very self-sufficient) as he searches for an off-campus apartment in an even more European-feeling neighborhood a half-hour walk from campus. This university was love at first sight for him, completely bowled him over.</p>
<p>My daughter fell in love with the U of Chicago the minute we stepped foot on campus. So much so that I could not convince her to look at another campus. Anyway, she did get in, is now in her second year and absolutely loves it and for all of the original reasons why she wanted to go there in the first place. She also fell in love with the city of Chicago and still feels that way.</p>
<p>My daughter was the same with University of Chicago. We toured on a Saturday, extended our stay until Monday so she could get there for an interview! She was supposed to spend a night at Northwestern and cancelled. She was solely interested in U of C. She was accepted EA and graduated a few years ago.</p>
<p>My daughter fell in love with Yale when we visited. She just loved the campus architecture and the general vibe. The funny thing is that she wasn't excited about Yale at all before the tour; it completely changed her opinion. It didn't hurt that the tour guide was an amazingly down-to-earth, enthusiastic person who seemed to like Harry Potter as much as my daughter does! Anyway, my daughter was accepted early action and will start in the fall! : )</p>
<p>I absolutely fell in love with the University of Chicago the first day I visited. The visit was going to be the final stop on a Midwestern college tour/spring vacation. The previous day we were at Northwestern and the weather was spectacular, the campus was beautiful, the students seemed happy, the tour was fun and interesting, and the food was marvelous. The next day, at Chicago, it snowed, the campus seemed really dreary, the tour started an hour late, and I had a blister the size of a nickel on my big toe. And yet... I loved it. I saw student actively engaged in intellectual activities around me at all times for no other reason then the simple fact that they wanted to. I read a poster for a Doc Films event about Akira Kurosawa (who is my God). I saw a group of students arguing about David Ricardo and Adam Smith (and who would have predicted a post-industrial society). The information session leader read the essay questions from last year aloud and I was already formulating responses (only realizing later that day that they were from the previous year). I loved everything about the school in spite of the confluence of factors that might have convinced me otherwise. After that, I wanted no part of any other school.</p>
<p>Yep, that's how my daughter was at Chicago. It was the next day when we visited Northwestern and had a great lunch at one of the grills! My daughter was supposed to stay overnight in a dorm but decided not to - because she decided to apply EA to Chicago.</p>
<p>Hahahaa, I'm reading these gut reactions to Chicago. It went similarly for me and some of my friends.</p>
<p>Even though Chicago was <em>my</em> school, I think I had pretty good visits at a lot of places. I came away with good impressions of Yale, Hopkins, and Northwestern in particular.</p>
<p>For me, it wasn't setting foot on the campus when I fell in love with the North Carolina School of the Arts, it was on the tour when we walked inside one of the soundstages, where a whole crew of students were filming. It was just one of those "this-is-it" moments, and ever since then, I've been crossing my fingers madly while waiting by the mailbox. =)</p>
<p>Fordham. We were mulling over several offers and many considerations and factors. It was April 07, during a Nor'easter......and we didnt think it would hit my D like it did. But the Epiphany she had rang her bell, we listened intently to the speech by Rev. Joseph McShane, SJ, Fordham's President and that sealed the deal. He asked us "do we have a shot with your daughter?" And we said, "we are coming!" </p>
<p>She is a rising sophomore at Fordham and loves it.</p>
<p>A stunning and gorgeous campus right next door to the internationally famous New York Botanical Gardens (where they share botanical courses and programs), and the famous Bronx Zoo. Its the best of two worlds: a classic gothic style architecture and college campus, while being in the city with the opportunities of a lifetime.</p>
<p>Its an academic school without being snooty or overwhelming. And a very strong alumnae association helps with jobs upon graduation.</p>
<p>We had seen some GORGEOUS schools (Elon, Furman, UVa, Duke, Washington and Lee, WashU-St. Louis to name just a few) but Fordham offered something very very unique: a classic campus in an urban setting.</p>