<p>Here's a weirdo question: does anyone know of any colleges that physically resemble Swarthmore? Something in that appearance range?</p>
<p>Swarthmore is an aboretium, as is Vassar. I thought Swarthmore was more "park-like" but I would say that the Vassar grounds might be more similar than other schools we visited. The architecture, however, is quite different.</p>
<p>Lewis and Clark has the arboretum and grassy look. Reed, strangely, is also similar in appearance. Must be Portland. What part of the appearance are you looking for, though? </p>
<p>Since my D applied to Swarthmore, Reed, L&C (and Bard and Wesleyan), you now have me wondering how much of her college choice was based on the look of the campus. They all have brick buildings and a lot of trees!</p>
<p>Obviously, there's more to college evaluation than the appearance of the campus, but for some people, a pleasing architectural-landscape environment can affect happiness and well-being enormously. It made a great difference to me as a student, although for my D this factor was not very significant --depends on your individual perceptual-aesthetic make-up.</p>
<p>If you like Swarthmore, maybe other Quaker schools --Earlham, for example --would have the right aesthetic.</p>
<p>You probably would want someplace with similar granite building exteriors. Try Hamilton (NY) and Colgate.</p>
<p>She is wild about the architecture and happens to be one of those very visual people who needs to be in an aesthetically pleasing environment. Thank you!</p>
<p>Connecticut College. Beautiful buildings and a 750-acre aboretum.</p>
<p>Mount Holyoke is gorgeous, if she is interested in a women's college. There was a book about college campuses that listed the most beautiful landscapes, but I can't remember the title.</p>
<p>Oberlin. Tappan Square is the center of both the campus and town; it's a wooded park with diverse species all planted and labelled. Free-waving perennials are planted all around so there are beautiful colors at eye-level, as well as tree canopy. All the major buldings face into Tappan Square, so you cross it all day long and really develop a relationship with it. Outside of town is the College Arboretum, which is beautiful and has many unique species, used for biology study or just a great escape from campus. Oberlin's building architecture ranges from Victorian structures to modernist works by the same architect as put up the World Trade Center. These buildings are anchored and united by Tappan Square, plus a town/gown community that enjoys eclectic combinations. </p>
<p>Smith College is another beautiful wooded campus, designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, granddaddy of American landscape architecture. Your D already knows his work -- he did Central Park in NYC, too!</p>
<p>Olmstead did Stanford as well.</p>
<p>Olmstead designed the gounds at Vassar too.</p>
<p>geezermom, I went to Mount Holyoke--that's where I learned to appreciate the aesthetics of my environment! (Although I was also from NYC and had Central Park "as part of my DNA")</p>
<p>Olmstead farmed here on Staten Island and had several commissions here, as well. This is a great starting point for ZS.</p>
<p>Maybe he has a future as a landscape architect? Or a caterer of great outdoor picnics.</p>
<p>If the south is not too far, Furman U is referred to as the country club of the South. Aslo here's a link that speaks to it's campus: <a href="http://www.furman.edu/press/pressarchive.cfm?ID=225%5B/url%5D">http://www.furman.edu/press/pressarchive.cfm?ID=225</a></p>
<p>Denison in Ohio and Miami of Ohio. Miami is a little cookie cutterish, but the grounds and buildings are pretty.</p>
<p>^^^^^^^The book is called, "The Campus As A Work of Art" by Thomas A. Gaines (1991). It is out of print unfortunately (you can find it offered on E-bay occasionally for a small fortune.) But, here's an excerpt featured on someone's website; Mount Holyoke is listed eighth:
<a href="http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&docId=22888644%5B/url%5D">http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&docId=22888644</a></p>
<p>Here's a free look at the rankngs in the book johnweley cited. It also lists "Medallion Winners" for campus beauty</p>
<p>The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) has also rewarded campuses for outstanding aesthetic achievement. Their Medallion Program (ASLA, 1999) recognized 362 outstanding landscapes in 1999, 16 of which were college or university campuses (R. Leighton, personal communication, October 10, 2000). Medallions were awarded to landscapes that "improve the quality of life in communities around the nation" (ASLA, 1999).</p>
<p>Woah, I'd have to question how anybody could put SUNY Albany in a category with Wellesley, etc.</p>
<p>I'd suggest Williams, Hamilton, Kenyon. Not exactly the same aesthetic as Swarthmore, but equally green and lovely.</p>