My son toured 6 schools. A mix of mid size and large, mix of big city and rural.
Moved up:
University of Oregon. He was originally not super interested in this one because he’s not a big sports or school spirit person. Fell in love with it pretty quickly. He said he felt at home there. We had a fantastic tour guide which helps. The school is a great fit for him ideologically.
Moved down:
Oregon State. He loved it on the online tour. He said it felt stuffier to him. More traditional looking buildings. Liked the program but not campus as much. Tour guide had less energy and we visited after seeing UO so I think that had something to do with it.
Crossed off:
University of Portland. I thought the campus was great and the community was great. I liked their approach to the religion piece, as a non-religious family. He was willing to look at it but said it solidified for him that he wants a larger campus. He felt like he’d spend most of his time in Portland vs on campus.
Also toured Washington State, Gonzaga, and Western Washington. WSU held up well. Gonzaga surprised him and he kept it on the list. Western is “ok” for him. After all the tours, he realized that he wants a big campus with lots to do.