Colleges everyone has visited

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Here's a place to post the colleges you have visited and what you liked/didn't like about them. </p>

<p>For me...</p>

<p>Duke- Absolutely loved. Campus seemed dynamic, students friendly and upbeat, beautiful location (weather was also great when i was there), great info session lady spoke- talked about how the essays are so important and that she (a representative for the NJ area i think?) will campaign for students who have a really unique and great essay, bball brings students together therefore school spirit great, frats/sororities but not dominant, a lot to do on campus. Didn't like- some dorms don't have AC (it gets really hott!!), the city of Durham sucks, big graduate program so maybe they dont pay as much attention to undergrads?</p>

<p>Georgetown- Liked. DC area is awesome, travel abroad seems popular (they have their own villas in Italy etc), campus is pretty but not gorgeous, very politically active ( can be good or bad?), somewhat diverse student body. Didn't like- info lady very conceited, they won't take writing SAT scores, it seemed almost too squished together, would be nicer if it was more spread out and had more grassy areas.</p>

<p>BC- Visited during the summer but really liked. Location is awesome, very safe campus, beautiful stone buildings. Don't like the whole religious aspect but idt it is too prominent. Sports are big there also. No frat/soror.</p>

<p>Bucknell- HUGE FRAT/SOROR school- majority of kids do it, middle of no where, students seemed nice, beautiful campus, great gym, good food, good looking students</p>

<p>Colgate- Pretty much same as bucknell except that the frat/soror is being taken over by the administration- could lead to shaky relationships between student body and administration?</p>

<p>Hamilton- Not as pretty as bucknell, colgate. Seemed more liberal than Bucknell, colgate. They let you send 3 best scores from any of these- aps, acts, sat. </p>

<p>UVa- BEAUTIFUL!!! Info lady gave a lot of wrong info, tour guide was wonderful though, i stayed overnight there with a friend and although there are supposedly 70% in state i found that there were plenty of students who were also out of state. also, most are from northern va which is not too unlike suburbia ny where i am from. found that a lot of students good looking, jocks. lots to do on campus. bars very popular- easy to get into for underaged students. </p>

<p>Wake Forest- very homogeneous student body, but helpful/friendly/good looking students, pretty campus, but it seems like its important to have a car/know someone who has a car on campus bc its popular to take road trips.</p>

<p>Wesleyan- Didn't like at all, everyone was protesting. Just didn't get a good vibe.</p>

2

<p>UCLA: Man, this campus is HUGE! I Liked the look of the campus, and there's always either a painting or sculpture to see.</p>

<p>University of Southern California: This campus is simply beautiful. So calm. It seemed so cozy.</p>

3

<p>Grinnell: beautiful campus, wide open, railroad tracks. Really nice buildings, looked pretty new. It sounded like a lot of the students didn't really like one another...maybe due to smallness of the school.</p>

4

<p>Stanford: absolutely incredible campus, looked like we were in Spain, it was absolutely beautiful. awesome facilities from what i saw, and everyone seemed very relaxed and many rode bikes to class, etc. zero complaints.</p>

5

<p>Williams - I liked the atmosphere, how the people just gerenally BREATHED superiority (not in attitude, just... how they were), but I couldn't stand the size. I don't know what it was, because I've visited comparably sized schools and loved them, but the isolation and size combined to end up being the only real impression I got from the school.</p>

<p>Georgetown - Loved the architecture, and definitely the location, because I love DC and it has tons of opportunities for internships and such. Also, I was interested to see that no ugly people were in sight during the tour. It sounds trite, but everyone we saw was at least moderately attractive. By the end of the tour my mom and I were making jokes about how they must stuff "the uglies" in trash cans when they see tour groups coming.</p>

<p>William and Mary - I was very impressed with the campus (it's GORGEOUS), as well as the overall campus feel. I was expecting almost a cloyingly Southern feel, but it was very similar to the feel on New England campuses I've visited. Not all that happy with the town, which appeared to be five or six waffle houses and an Uno, but the campus made up for it in my book.</p>

<p>Brown - I thought it was interesting how diverse the people we met were, as it seemed almost forced, with the black girl, the Middle Eastern guy, the two gay guys, the Hispanic guy, and the token WASP and New England Jew, but even if it was intentional, it made its point. Brown was probably my favorite of the schools I've seen, due to the campus and surrounding area as well as the impressive way the Open Curriculum and advising system were presented. I didn't love Providence itself, but that's really the only big negative I can think of that I noticed, personally.</p>

<p>Tufts - I really wasn't that impressed with Tufts. I could blame it on just having come from Brown, or on the weather, or the construction, or our smarmy tour guide, but I have the distinct feeling that I wouldn't have liked it anyway. Nothing in particularly stood out; although it seemed relatively well qualified in many areas and had a pretty, if forgettable, campus, it really didn't do a good job of presenting itself. The campus was my main actual complaint, actually, it wasn't cohesive and just seemed like a bunch of buildings thrown together in a clump. I did like the surrounding neighborhood, though, and the proximity to Boston is nice.</p>

<p>Amherst - I came to Amherst preparing to hate it and ended up falling in love with it. It's about Williams' size, but it somehow had a bigger feel. The campus seemed comparable to William and Mary's, and there are so many colleges nearby that it seemed as if cabin fever was less likely than at Williams. The tour and info session were less formal than at other schools, but it didn't seem forced, and so it was very appealing. Their open curriculum was also stressed, and (if not for its slightly limited major selection), it would definitely be at the top of my list.</p>

6

<p>
[quote]
UCLA: Man, this campus is HUGE! I Liked the look of the campus, and there's always either a painting or sculpture to see.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Actually, in UC terms, UCLA is very small. It's less than half the square acreage of Cal. This is either good or bad depending on how you look at it.</p>

7

<p>northwestern
u of chicago
wash u
johns hopkins
georgetown
william and mary
duke
unc
davidson
ut
rice
claremont mckenna
pomona
usc
carleton
-more to come</p>

8

<p>kenyon
trinity college (CT)
Connecticut College
Bard
Vassar
U Pittsburgh
Villanova
Haverford
New York University</p>

<p>soon to visit
Boston College
Boston University
UVA
William and Mary
American
James Madison</p>

9

<p>Oberlin: pretty, pleasant, everyone was very nice. I loved the library and cool chairs. It seemed almost too liberal even for me, and I'm very liberal--just seemed like that defined the students a little too much.</p>

<p>Cornell: I think I mostly didn't like it b/c it was very hot the day I visited, but I also found it a little too big for my taste. Still an impressive campus, people seemed friendly, and I fell in love with the town of Ithaca.</p>

<p>Colgate: absolutely gorgeous campus, very friendly people. Sort of struck me as just like your average college (only better academics) with nothing special socially or academically.</p>

<p>Bowdoin: I spent the weekend part of my college tour trip in Brunswick, and fell in love with the ocean before I even saw the college, so that may have made me view it with rose-tinted glasses, but I loved it. Bowdoin was a semi-favorite choice for me for a while. Wonderful, amazing food.</p>

<p>Williams: The small town part didn't bother me, but I really didn't like it at all. I think it may have been the tour guide, but it seemed more structured and restrictive academically than the others, and socially limited within the campus.</p>

<p>Amherst: Actually didn't make a super strong impression the first time I visited. I liked it. Then I went back to the open house and fell in love. Everyone was very pleasant, the food was fairly good, the classes I went to were wonderful, the town was small, but pretty and had everything you'd need. </p>

<p>Wesleyan: Loved it. People were friendly and open, campus was pretty. I got lost and had to wander around searching for my car for an extra hour or so, and I actually enjoyed the time exploring around campus. </p>

<p>Swarthmore: I went planning to hate it, since I had already liked too many of the schools I visited. Then I saw the arboretum, went on a tour, and fell in love. There were so many little things that I liked, and the Quaker traditions and principles seemed like a positive sort of basis.</p>

10

<p>Oooh, I forgot Swarthmore:</p>

<p>I saw it right after Haverford, which is also an arboretum. Now, whereas Haverford's seemed to be contained, nicely organized, healthy, and green, Swat's was like this mass of nature descending on the campus. I mean, it was kind of nice, like made me feel like I was in Hobbiton or something, but altogether, just too much nature. They must have walked us past this little garden 3 times on the tour, and it looked like it was dying. Flowers were trampled, stems were bare, the whole thing looked really bad and ill-kept. Also, they have this cool outdoor amphitheatre thing, which I initially loved, but was disenchanted when I noticed that they let trees grow all over that too, so its use as an outdoor theatre was pretty much gone. Also, I'm pretty sure my allergies would have gone to hell at Swat.</p>

11

<p>Rice--wonderful, swaying grand oak trees around the campus. It feels very collegiate in the Oxford sense of the word. It was THE best tour I've ever been on. The senior girl walked behind the whole time and knew everything from memory. Like everyone else, she was a double major--in ecology and environmental science. The campus is beautiful. The dorms are a little bit dingy for a school of Rice's caliber, and I don't like the risk of being kicked off campus (by lottery) after your sophomore year, because it's a great campus and I can't imagine wanting to live off campus in downtown Houston. Rice is located smack-dab in the middle of some of the best healthcare in the world. My father remarked, "You could hobble over there with a bleeding stump of an arm." The buildings themselves are BEAUTIFUL. The whole interior of the computer science building is a series of metaphors. The class sizes are very small, with little Toshibas and Inspirons clicking away, taking notes. The engineering building is amazing. It's so strange, walking outside of the Baker Institute of Public Policy and standing by a piece of the Berlin Wall. Downside is that I toured in November, and I was sweating from the heat and humidity. I'm used to this (I live in Louisiana, I've worn shorts in December) but I think most northerners would find this strange.</p>

<p>UC-Berkeley---huge. I was very intimidated. The Bancroft Library is AWESOME, with a whole room full of the thin screen computers wired with Ethernet. Very liberal (was accosted to vote for Nader when I gently reminded them that I was only 15). There's a pub right on campus--the Golden Bear Pub, I think it's called. This surprised me. I am from the conservative, we-don't-like-tolerance-South, so there was a lot to "get used to." I love the architecture. But some of the dorms (the units) are really ugly. The BEST part is walking down the main drag and looking out into the Bay. I mean, how cool is that?! Berkeley as a town seems a bit shanky, but I adore the campus. This is the one school I would go to if I could get in (and receive nice loans--I'd need them!). It has international prestige, a gorgeous campus, excellent faculty (one econ prof is currenly on leave while serving as the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of SF) . . . what more could I want?</p>

<p>UT-Austin--very friendly, fun. Also, HUGE. You can drive and drive and drive and drive by the borders of the campus and it's STILL UT. People seemed a bit more open than at Berkeley, I suppose it's a Southern thing. We had at least 5 people stop and help us find our tour group. The tour was pretty bad (got a jock who said, "Oh, yeah, that's the library over there. I don't know, I've never been in there, but I hear they've got a Gutenberg Bible or something like that. . . now! Onto the Gregory Gym!!!) but the Freshman Information Session was really worth going to. Austin's a great town (supposedly one of the best college towns in America). The West End of campus is . . . more alternative, and there's this whole section of tables and tables of clubs handing out flyers and brochures and people protesting and stuff like that. The stadium is GIGANTIC, a testament to the seriousness of football. Burnt orange is EVERYWHERE.</p>

12

<p>My D is also interested in some of the same colleges. Can you say something about the ones you visited and post after your future visits?</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

13

<p>Seattle U: This is a fairly nice school, and I definitely liked the academic focus. The campus itself isn't all that great. Its small and feels somewhat crammed into Seattle and the dorms and stuff weren't excellent but the people were very friendly. I recieved a lot of smiles and waves. I got to sit in on a class, but it was "specially put on" for us, so I don't know how honest a look it was or no. There's a very strong education program there and the people seem to love what they do. I wish I would have gotten more time to explore, but I was only able to be there for a few hours.</p>

<p>Linfield College: This school seems as though its been trying to fix its image. The campus is very nice, and is quite large thanks to a donation from a computer megagiant. Like a lot of Pacific Northwest campuses, its covered in beautiful trees and the architecture is very nice. Some of the gardens looked abused a bit, but for the most part it was nice. A lot of the social life seems to revolve around the numerous frats and sororities and there is a definite drinking culture (one that came off as so strong I ended up hating the place). No one seemed particularly academically driven, but a lot of the students were heavily involved. I sat in on a class and the professor was very good but the class was not paying attention. Also, I got the idea everyone practically goes home on weekends, the place was absolutely dead. I have a few friends who love the place though, so I think it just didn't jive with me.</p>

<p>Reed College- My visit was very short because I was suffering from a severe case of bronchitis, but the time didn't matter. I fell in love with this school and will be matriculating there. The campus is incredibly beautiful, no question. The architecture is very similar (save the cross canyon dorms) and there's a very cohesive campus feeling. Plus, the trees and greenery are just wonderful. The facilities I saw were all very nice, and the dorms I saw were much better than Seattle U's and Linfield's. At Reed, most people have divided doubles which was a huge plus in my book. The library is absolutely amazing! And now, the people. There were some hints of academic elitism but most of what I saw was passion. People were incredibly passionate about their subject of study and about learning. They took pride in the fact most people lived in the libraries and were eager to share various quirks associated with Reed. Everyone I talked too was very bright and most were plenty happy to chat with me, even though I could hardly make any noise with my throat in the state it was. Needless to say, I knew instantly this was the school I wanted to attend.</p>

14

<p>
[quote]
Also, they have this cool outdoor amphitheatre thing, which I initially loved, but was disenchanted when I noticed that they let trees grow all over that too, so its use as an outdoor theatre was pretty much gone.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>The trees are supposed to be there! It was built on a wooded hillside. The ampitheater is used routinely, including for the freshman class welcoming ceremony and for graduation and for musical performances.</p>

<p>I did get a kick out of your Hobbit description. I get the same feeling on Swarthmore's campus because the foliage hides the buildings as you walk around. That impression is particular strong around the Lodges -- old stone cottages with slate roofs.</p>

<p>The campus is known to trigger some allergies or two because there are so many flowering trees: magnolias, cherry blossoms, etc.</p>

15

<p>Yeah, I figured they were supposed to be there. I have just seen too many outdoor plays, and I was mourning the loss of what would be a spectacular place to put on, say, Greek comedies or something.</p>

16

<p>CMU-Very academically focused students. Not much social scene but I want to work hard in college so I can get a head start in my career. It will take time to warm up to Pittsburgh since its kind of a quiet,dull, blue-collar city(although there are a bunch of corporate businesses in main Pittsburgh). Pittsburgh looks beautiful where you're coming in, but once you're in you get a feeling of a mining city for some reason. When I reached Pitt on a Sunday Night, it was almost impossible to get dinner as most places were closing down around 7ish.</p>

<p>UVA- What can I say? One of the best laid out campuses if not the best. TJ designed it himself I believe and its absolutely beautiful. But don't believe me, go here: <a href="http://www.virginia.edu/rcam/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.virginia.edu/rcam/&lt;/a> for live cam or
<a href="http://www.virginia.edu/imap/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.virginia.edu/imap/&lt;/a> for an interactive map. Many students suggest that they are 'preppy'. This may be due to the fact that UVA was voted 'Most Fit Campus' for a few years. E-School doesn't look that great though because UVA has a liberal arts/sciences focus(I think 2/3 or 3/4 of the school is initially in the Arts and Sciences school). Business school has an internal admission after 2 years but I don't think its too challenging to get in. Lots of frats and recently gaining a party reputation.</p>

<p>Vtech: Campus is huge. Facilities are nice. Academics outside engineering school don't look that great. Students look less academically focused and more worried about their Hokie Pride etc. This visit was a huge turn off for me, but the dorms are really huge since Vtech is in the middle of nowhere everything is huge.</p>

17

<p>UT - big campus. but big enough that no matter what you want, it'll be there. dorms werent too nice. especially jester. but there were some good housing options available. we did get lost trying to find our way back to the car...so that was not good. it was very hot. (it was july in texas, go figure). liberal campus, which i liked. very centered around athletics. however it was a safety school for me, so i walked around trying to accept it...so im not sure if that takes away from it or not.</p>

<p>Texas A&M- also a safety. but i've lived in college station my whole life...everything in college station is Aggies, Aggies, Maroon and White, etc. Huge campus. I think it may be the nations biggest as far as actual physical size. Party school. Both my parents teach there...and they say that many students dont go to classes on friday at all, because thursday has become a party night also. VERY conservative. Despite that, its big enough that you will fit in somewhere. But on the whole, WAY too conservative. But if that doesnt bother you, thats good. Football is huge here (even though i think the team is not even that good) A&M got a new bball coach and is now having an awesome bball team...</p>

<p>Rice- my school. haha. Rice is worlds away from A&M and UT. Much, much smaller. Serious students who work hard and play hard. The tour was awesome. The guide took us into her dorm to show us what a quad was like. It seemed like so many resources are available to Rice students. Even though many people seem to not like houston, the area immediately around campus is very nice. The texas medical center is nearby, as well as a nice upper-class neighborhood. Many museums and a large park surround campus. Campus was nice as well. Trees everywhere and a hedge surrounding campus. Very nice school.</p>

18

<p>I keep reading and hearing about Rice.</p>

<p>my D wants an urban artsy small/medium LAC. we are from NY. We were really only looking not too far from NY but everything I am hearing about Rice sounds good for her.</p>

<p>We were going to check NYU, Barnard and Fordham in NYC.
Boston: Boston College, Boston University
And after that work our way South on eastcoast in urban areas.</p>

<p>But what is Houston like?</p>

<p>Would a girl from Ny fit in? She wants to study English,art and photography within a solid Liberal arts context. Does Rice sound like a possibility?</p>

<p>She is an A average student too.</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

19

<p>Furman (my first choice) - I've grown up right next to the university, so naturally when I think of "college," I think of Furman. It has been considered one of the most beautiful campuses in the nation. The architecture kind of has a Williamsburg-esque feel (the architects who revamped Williamsburg designed the first buildings). Almost the entire campus is shaded by trees. As a liberal arts college, Furman has a strong reputation academically and is recognized for undergraduate research. They have a great sports program; the Paladins are picked pre-season #1 in 1-AA football. Not far away from the campus is downtown Greenville,SC. I know I am probably biased because that's where I live, but I believe our downtown is great. Recently it has undergone revitalization that has really made it a good place to go for college students.</p>

<p>Clemson - Big campus. Looks like an excellent public university. The town of Clemson is a nice small college town. It's a great place to see a football game with 80,000 other people! They have a good honors program with good perks: you get nicer dorms and free tickets to different events, etc.</p>

<p>College of Charleston - How can it get much better than to go to school right in the middle of one of the oldest and most beautiful cities in the country? The architecture of the older part of the school is amazing. I didn't take an official tour or anything but I was still impressed. C of C is probably a little bit more liberal than Furman or Clemson. </p>

<p>University of South Carolina - I spent a week there for Palmetto Boys State. I was probably in the worst and oldest dorm building there: the humidity was so bad that when we first got there, it was literally raining in the dorm rooms. Besides the humidity and heat, it does have a nice campus. They have a new top-notch physical activities center (named after Strom Thurmond).</p>

20

<p>bump...........</p>