<p>I'm a little frustrated because I have visited seven different colleges so far and have walked away pretty indifferent to each one. I have seen Notre Dame, U of Chicago, Northwestern, WashU, Truman, Vanderbilt, and Loyola.</p>
<p>I don't understand why I am not falling in love with any of these colleges. I have heard that when you get to the college that's right for you, you should walk away completely loving it. However, this has not happened for me. So many people are in love with the colleges that I have looked at and I'm just not sure why I'm not as well.</p>
<p>What were all of your experiences with college? Did you know immediatly? Was anyone like me? I'm getting extremely worried because I'm running out of colleges that meet my requirements that I can look at. Help!!!</p>
<p>I was pretty indifferent at first too. For me, it took more research into the history of the areas and schools before I began to get really excited about one.</p>
<p>My son looked at about 12 schools before he “fell in love” with one. But, unfortunately, he wasn’t admitted to the program he really wanted. He contemplated changing majors, but in the end, he used his head, instead of his heart, and stuck to his lifelong dream. Even if you thought you “knew” what college was the one, once you enrolled, you may find out that it’s not perfect.</p>
<p>Some people find it, some people don’t. Why don’t you try visiting colleges that are completely opposite of the colleges you’ve visited so far, if you are able? You might realize you are looking at the right colleges. Or you just might not get hyped up by visits. I wasn’t that excited about GW, which I thought was my first choice. Then I visited AU and fell in love. But you may not get that feeling at all.</p>
<p>This basically is the same as the question: is there love at first sight?</p>
<p>With a sample of thousands of members of the opposite sex, perhaps. A small sample of 10-15 schools … no way. </p>
<p>Campus visits can be a bit overwhelming as there is a lot to absorb. </p>
<p>Some of life is avoiding what you don’t like. If the lighting in the library bothers you on a visit it will be annoying countless times during your 4 years there. Same thing with the food or even the student center. If you get the sense that you wouldn’t want to spend any time there … run. </p>
<p>I do believe in ‘vibe’ and I do think that campuses give off different vibes. Trust your instincts. And definitely schedule an overnight where you can get a better sense of your final picks. Attend a few classes, watch how students interact (or don’t).</p>
<p>Silly romantic notions are silly romantic notions.</p>
<p>Even if you DID immediately fall in love with a school, that doesn’t mean that the school is actually right for you. Keep that in mind.</p>
<p>Visiting a campus for a few hours give you a very limited view of a school. Even attending it for a year or two, one student’s perspective and experience may be very different from another’s, depending on where they live, what courses they take, etc.</p>
<p>I fell in love with Temple and said if I got in I would go…I got in, and I’m not going. It’s OK if you don’t as long as you’re comfortable and confident in your final decision.</p>
<p>Not necessarily - a lot of people romanticize the college search, but it’s not like you’re looking for a husband/wife or a best friend. You’re looking for a school. And yes, the school will be essential to your growth for the next few years, but the truth is that most people would probably fit well at a variety of different kinds of schools.</p>
<p>The first time I visited my alma mater I thought it was okay; the second time (in the spring) I loved it so much but I had already decided to go there based on other factors. However, I loved other schools when I visited them, too. You don’t have to ‘feel right’ or ‘just know’ – your college decision should be a reasoned decision. Because even if you fall in love with a place, it might not be the place for you – the administration might suck, or they might give you terrible financial aid, or you don’t like the people or something.</p>
<p>I’ve visited at least 20 colleges with my D, a HS junior, over the past two years. Most of these visits have been more helpful in screening out colleges she DIDN’T want, and helping her refine the criteria she’s using in her search. I’m happy to report that she now has 3 colleges she’s quite smitten with (best to have more than 1, IMO), and perhaps half a dozen more that she’s OK with if her top choices don’t pan out. I’m not a big believer in love at first sight, either with a college or in relationship. It might occasionally happen, but more often, I think, it’s something that grows on you gradually. And not everyone ends up loving their college. That’s OK, too, as long as it works for you educationally, financially, and as a practical accommodation of your needs and interests.</p>
<p>On my college visits (5 so far), I’ve really tried to look for smaller things that will make a lot of difference - how is the dining hall organized, and does it inspire small groups or larger ones? How’s the library organized, and how comfortable and available are computers, desks, couches, etc? How far away are the dorms from the classes?</p>
<p>I also have gotten certain vibes from places, some of which surprised me (safety schools can be fun!) and some of which didn’t (UChicago was sarcastic and awfully urban). Also, checking out the surrounding neighborhood/city is very important! I originally thought that, coming from a large urban area, I would want a more rural place that would foster community, but I’ve realized that I’d prefer a smaller community with some access to a larger city in case I wanted to go to dinner or see a concert or something and just get off-campus for a night.</p>
<p>So, long story short: Are you supposed to know? No, and most people don’t. You have to use both your head and your heart in deciding what colleges to apply to and which one to attend. If, however, you get a certain feeling, whether positive or negative, certainly take note of that. The most important thing in a visit, imo, that you can’t get from reading about a place or even talking to people online about it is whether you could actually see yourself there, living in that dorm and walking to that library and eating lunch in that building and spending 4 years on that campus with those people.</p>
<p>wow thanks for all the comments. It just scares me because if you asked me what were my favorites out of the seven I’ve seen, I honestly couldn’t even give you one. They were all just whatever. My mom thinks I’m just being too picky but I think that college is supposed to be the greatest experience ever and I want to find the perfect school.</p>
<p>Whoever says that he fell in love with school with only one visit is just foolish. I visited my top choice college and I felt indifferent about it too. But it is still going to be my top choice. Don’t sort out colleges just by looking at the atmosphere.</p>
<p>ndgirl - so, what pieces/parts did you like or not like of the places you’ve visited so far? What do you think you are looking for in a school? Size? urban v. rural? types of majors/interests? You say “colleges that meet your requirements?” What do you mean by that? Maybe if you give a bit more info here, folks here will have other places to suggest. </p>
<p>For my son, it was definitely a journey and he did not end where he started. It doesn’t have to be a perfect “love at first sight” situation and other factors count (finances, program quality…), but it is important to feel comfortable and have the vibe/fit you want. Be flexible and open; maybe one of the ones you’ve been to will grow on you, but keep looking in the mean time. You may find a better place for you OR you may realize that one of your initial looks is a better fit than you thought. </p>
<p>Good luck! Almost every kid seems to wind up at a good match for him/her. BUT, nothing (in life as well as college)is “perfect” although somewhere could be perfect for you.</p>
<p>It happened to me… I fell in love with a school even though I came in with the mindset that I had no interest in attending. But guess what? I didn’t even end up going there. Things change man… even if you fall in love with a school at first, it doesn’t mean it’s the place you will want to be several months later.</p>
<p>travelfun - i am looking for a college in the MIDWEST that has the following:</p>
<p>-about 5,000-15,000 kids
-has a strong business program
-is at least somewhat selective</p>
<p>As I said earlier, I’ve already visited Notre Dame, U of Chicago, Northwestern, WashU, Truman, Vanderbilt, and Loyola in Chicago. Does anyone have any other suggestions that meet my above wants?</p>
<p>Hopefully others with more knowledge than I will reply. I don’t know much about the midwest schools as I’ve lived on the East Coast pretty much my whole life although my son will be going to the midwest for school this fall. I also don’t know for sure what you mean by somewhat selective (3.9/2100; 3.7/1950, 3.5/1900, 3.3/1800??). What are your interests outside of the classroom… are you into sports, the outdoors, theatre, music, chess, politics, etc…?? Into museums, journalism or mountain biking? </p>
<p>One school that comes to mind is Miami Univeristy in Oxford, OH. Not super selective, but a nice school with pretty strong business. It is the size and area of the country you requested, yet has a different feel than some of the others you visited. </p>
<p>Also, given that the size and location limit you somewhat AND the fact that you haven’t liked any of the schools that meet those parameters, maybe it would be worth considering schools outside of what you think you want. For example, U of Michigan or U of Wisconsin or Indiana University - sure they are large, but there may be ways to make them feel smaller - honors program, special interest dorms, learning communities, etc… Or a smaller school like Macalaster, Carleton, or similar (sorry, I don’t know which smaller schools in the midwest might be good for business)?</p>
<p>I hope this helps in some small way. Good luck!</p>
<p>As with romance, a lot of people have a type of college they like. Personally, I found that I liked a wide variety of campuses such as the beautiful ND or the amazing gothic west campus of Duke, but I ended up picking up Dartmouth with no visit because of aid and its programs.</p>
<p>Miami of Ohio is a good suggestion. Since you have Notre Dame and Loyola on your list, you might look at Marquette, Saint Louis University and Xavier.</p>