Just toured 7 colleges in a week.
USC- UP. D24 loved the campus and the energy she felt. We did both a general tour and an info session for Marshall school of business. We were all impressed with the presentation and what that particular school offers. I don’t like the location or the general glitzy feel but D24 does.
LMU- DOWN Had a great tour guide who pointed out all the opportunities the school has to offer. Info session was full of good info and actually helped D24 decide she doesn’t want a religiously affiliated school. We found the campus lackluster as far as the architecture and felt some of buildings were a bit run down. View from certain spots is magnificent though.
Chapman- DOWN . We were underwhelmed with the academics except for film school. Didn’t like that the campus blends into the neighborhood. Many sophomores have to take a shuttle to get to their housing which isn’t on campus- that didn’t seem appealing.
Claremont McKenna- UP. Added this at last minute because we had time and it was in the area. D24 loved the personalization that this small school offers while at the same time offering what a bigger school can due to consortium. Tour guide was full of information and so engaging. With the focus on leadership, economics and politics, it is a great fit for D24. Beautiful setting but buildings aren’t quite as pretty given they were built in the 1940s
U of Richmond- UP. D24 was blown away by the beauty of the campus. Seemed like a very personalized experience could be had here. Lots of opportunities for those seeking them out. Liked what we heard of leadership and business school. Did not seem very diverse.
Duke- DOWN. We had an awful tour guide. He started off the tour by telling us it was his last tour so he could say anything and we couldn’t get him fired. He told us he regretted his major every day. He said Duke made it practically impossible for him to successfully complete his major. He had no work life balance. He told us that since he was premed he knew nothing about the humanities or arts departments. Since he hadn’t used career services he knew nothing about what they offered. He told us not to go visit East campus since there’s nothing there. This is where freshmen live so seemed like a place prospective students would want to see. He pointed out what he thought were the 3 ugliest buildings on campus- all on science drive because that’s where he spends his time. He told us not to bother visiting Humanities buildings because they are old and depressing. When tour ended D24 said that given she loved what she saw of campus (we spent several hours there after tour) and given the strengths of the departments she’s interested in, she will still apply but would need to come back to get a better sense of what the environment is like. She said she would not want to spend 4 years there if the tour guide was representative of student body. I was especially disappointed as I am an alum & interviewer who had an amazing experience there. I am still in shock over the tour.
Elon- UP. Great tour guide who made sure we knew about all the opportunities available. Beautiful campus. Not much of a town but liked the one street or two with restaurants and shops. Like that this school caters to students at so many academic levels. Not very diverse but felt welcoming and inclusive. It’s a les