I think a lot of the up, down, stay the same has to do with expectations and preconceived notions going In. Just did the Maine trifecta for D2 and this is my report.
Colby. Went in expecting not to like it and to banish it from the list. Came away wowed. I mean the campus is just so stunning. And for a school of less than 2,000, so expansive. You could double the amount of students and it would still feel big. Full disclosure, my D1 is at Holy Cross, so I am partial to a school with a hill, as in both cases it makes for some beautiful vistas. But in addition to the gorgeous landscape, the school felt home to smart, collaborative kids. Seemed very well rounded. My D remarked that everyone looked so happy and fit, and I have to say that everyone we encountered, from admissions to a custodian I chatted with in the rest room was incredibly friendly. My D is sporty and we found the gym impressive, but then they told us they were building a better, bigger gym! And to top it off, walking through campus, the scent of fresh pine was everywhere. A sensory delight for sure. Okay, ok, Waterville is not the most exciting, but the school is partnering with the town to build student housing, a hotel and more retail and office space to attract jobs to the area, so it is poised for growth.
Bowdoin- moved down only because I was expecting college Nirvana and it didn’t meet my very high expectations, but it was still really really good! And yes, the food was excellent. Info session was a little flat, was surprised they didn’t do more to talk up their academic excellence, but perhaps that is the New England humility at work there. Which was a contrast to a mid Atlantic LAC we visited in the spring where the pretentiousness was on full display. So I guess I do prefer the Bowdoin style. Vibrant is the word that comes to mind, when describing the feel of the place. Liked the emphasis on the ‘common good’, the art museum on campus and engaging with the town in various ways. The coastal facilities which we did not see but heard much about are a bonus. Town is super cute and location being near the coast and very close to Portland are big pluses. Campus was pretty, though felt a tad small, and since I am partial to hills, felt too flat. Tour guide was charming, informative and all around nice guy. Did not like the taxidermy bear, but all in all a great place.
Bates- expected to like it and did like it. Did the best job of the 3 in articulating their history and mission. Being inclusive is key and informs much of what they do. Cynical cc posters will say they are test optional to hide bad scores, but the real reason is to be inclusive. Talked about admitting a kid who came from a school that sends just 7% of grads to 4 year colleges. And Lewiston is fine people! Nice to have places to walk to from campus. Liked that they encourage kids to explore a variety of classes and topics. Lovely tour guide too. Friendly vibe. Civic minded kids.
All in all, 3 great schools. An excellent education to be had at all of them.
Thanks, @wisteria100! Great report! Do I dare ask the name of the Midatlantic LAC that you visited and felt was pretentious??
^^ @homerdog It was Swarthmore. Came off the list immediately. But to be fair, it has a really beautiful campus, and the honors program for upperclassmen seems terrific. But we felt it was a school for a very specific type of kid, not a place where a wide variety would flourish, and that’s just not my kid.
@wisteria100 Could you please explain the type of kid who would fit in there? Thanks! 
“Overachieving nerds” is what one alumna said to me, re: kids who attend Swarthmore.
When we did the Swarthmore tour, someone referred to it during the info session as “Sweatmore” and the tour guide talked about how great it is to have the free counseling services because so many people need to use them to deal with the stress. This was all said affectionately. They seemed comfortable with their reputation as being a place of competition among high achievers. Never had a kid there so can’t speak from first-hand experience, this is just what they were conveying in their tour process. As others have noted, beautiful campus.
Thanks! @odannyboySF @citivas
U of Chicago - didn’t like the vibe for some reason, ironically Northwestern moved up the list, really liked the campus, facilities, classroom visit.
About Swat- D15 had a similar experience on her tour regarding comments made by the tour guide about the stress environment. Tour guide essentially said most kids “hit the wall” at some point and then suggested it was a bit by design so that (once broken down) the school could build them back up. No thanks!! But heck I know there are students out there seeking an overtly intense experience. I can see that Swarthmore would be a great fit for them and it does have a particularly gorgeous campus.
Just a note of thanks to everyone for sharing! We wont be able to make it to the US before applications are sent so this is really interesting to read!
These are reasons some kids used, but other kids love the schools and their parents may not be on CC or even just not on this thread. I didn’t like Duke, but that doesn’t mean it is not a great school with a line miles long to get in. YOU might love it.
@twoinanddone Exactly. It’s all perception , and perception is personal and not reality for everyone.
Each of my kids crossed one school off their lists without even taking the tour. Like the past 2 posters, I’ll choose not to name the schools-- I would hate for anyone considering either to eliminate a school based on my kid’s perceptions.
Son: The entrance to the school was a long, tree lined road. I thought to myself “He’ll LOVE this!!! It’s just like Lake George!!” We eventually came upon one building, then traveled around a bend to find another building, then another bend to find a third. At that point he said “Mom, we can take the tour if you want, but this is like a bunch of old cabins in the woods. I am NOT going to school here!!!” We pulled over, talked about it, and called admissions to cancel the tour.
Daughter: The school was located right in the middle of a neighborhood-- lots of “no parking” signs on the streets, houses surrounding the campus. She got out of the car, arms folded, and announced “I HATE this place!!” Things didn’t improve as we found the admissions office and signed in. After a few minutes I asked her if there was any chance she would be attending that school, and she answered “NOPE.”
So we cancelled the tour and went out to lunch.
If the point of a visit is to decide whether or not you like the school, it was mission accomplished both times. Both kids were surprised to find that I was OK with leaving without taking the tour. I figured they saved me a 2 hour tour when they already knew what we came there to find out.
@lr4550 - As a Swat parent of a Senior, I had an oddly similar conversation this weekend.
My daughter was telling us how one of her friends ran into a long time family friend while walking out of gym the other day. The friend was on the tour with their child. They caught up later, and the visitor was surprised by the tour guide repeatedly discussing how difficult the school is.
Swarthmore is challenging. The students are generally focused, but they also participate in EC’s, go to parties, and head into Philadelphia for events. My take on the kids there…they don’t waste time. The extra time they spend studying I wasted when I was in college. The time i spent hanging out in my door room listening to music, watching TV, etc…they use to focus on school. The more STEM focused the major (or those in the honors program), the less likely they are to waste time.
No school is for everyone, but the misery narrative surrounding Swarthmore (IMO) is perpetuated by a minority of the population there. It’s hard, but I believe the vast majority of the students work so hard because they are deeply engaged in the material and the community.
Sidenote: The students I’ve met (I could name a few dozen…) are incredibly interesting, nice kids.
My son’s school sends quite a few kids to Swat. All have loved it and thrived there. With that said, they are not time-wasters (I love that description! @EyeVeee ) and one said "one of the things I love about this school is that if I choose to work on a Friday night, other people are too. I’m not suffering in my room while everyone is in the hall partying. " Not to say that kids don’t have fun there, but this struck me as a good differentiator. And this kid, also a varsity athlete, is of a “type” that choose Swat from our school. Not necessarily nerdy, but definitely more serious and purposeful.
There’s a lid for every pot.
Yes, exactly what I was trying to suggest with my comment above- the overtly intense environment is simply not for all students looking for that caliber of school (or “tier” of LAC that Swat occupies) but it definitely is the right school for some and for them Swarthmore is a fantastic school. It sounds like the admissions office might encourage (or at least not discourage) tour guides to be very frank with potential applicants. If that is the case I admire their transparency, that they are honest and not pretending to be something they are not. The few Swarthmore grads I’ve met knew what they were signing up for and truly appreciated their Swat experience.
@wisteria100 , lovely report. As my child attends Bates, I want to emphasize that inclusiveness is a big deal there. Nowhere on campus expresses this as well as the beautiful Gomes Chapel, which, apart from flags that represent all faiths, is devoid of religious iconography. The stained glass windows depict great minds from history, to stress the focus on academics.
@EyeVeee I thought Swarthmore was wonderful, but my D really did pick up on the stress level. She didn’t have the grades for Swat anyway, so it fell off the list. For kids who can handle the intense academic atmosphere, I personally think it’s the ideal school and if I recall, it was #1 on Lindagaf’s Top Ten colleges in the US list. For what that’s worth.
I love this thread and find it so interesting. Please mention the school names. It’s okay. No one will not consider a school based on a review here. I am so curious about the school with the winding road and log cabin type buildings!
Agree about naming the schools . I don’t see much of a point in throwing out info about a school visit and then not naming the school.
@bjkmom, I’m curious about the cabins in the woods campus–and there are definitely kids who would go for that atmosphere!
I’ll put in a name
We visited Fairfield U with S18 and he’s basically crossed it off his list.
Hubby and I liked it (especially because we like Jesuit schools and he’d be competitive for merit aid) but he didn’t find it engaging. The campus is beautiful and well kept, with lots of green space, hills and trees in a nice suburban neighborhood and a mile away from a downtown with lots of restaurants, stores and a train station that would get him home in 2 hours. But the info session was a bit bland and the tour guide was nice but low-energy. We’d spent time in the car prepping for difficult interview questions and the interview itself was anti-climactic with unchallenging questions.
S felt that the school was too small–right now his top choices are Penn State and U of Md-College Park. Also he goes to a HS with lots of smart kids who go to schools with bigger names, and like many teens he’s prestige conscious, so it would have had to make a real impression to get his attention.