Colleges your child crossed off the list after visiting, schools that moved up on the list. Why?

Parents Forum
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D accepted to 6/6! She’s interested in engineering, so we went back to the schools for Admitted Students Day and Engineering Department tours. Results:

Pitt. H2P! I knew Pitt has a fantastic Engineering School, so I wasn’t too surprised. We did an Engineering College tour the day before Admitted Students day which was led by three impressive women. One was a D1 soccer player that somehow found time to participate in Biomechanical research. Another had done semesters abroad, co-ops, research, led a competitive dance group, and participated in student tutoring and outreach. We stayed at a hotel across the street from the Engineering LLC, and the stay confirmed the fact that she really wanted an urban campus. We really like the fact that all Engineers at Pitt follow the same first-year curriculum, which includes an Engineering Seminar designed to help students decide on the major the want (which they declare at the end of freshman year). The program also incorporates what is traditionally an English Composition course requirement into an engineering-focused course that includes engineering computing and analysis. Finally, I liked the fact that their core curriculum seems to be less restrictive than other schools. Some of the schools that we looked at have very strict requirements for topics such as “Global Citizenship” or “Ethics” and offer a very limited list of courses that meet the requirements. I’m all for a broad curriculum, but forcing students to select from a very limited list of courses for their “electives” makes it very difficult for them to be able to take other courses with the same departments that they may be much more interested in.

UofSC. Moved up, but not enough to surpass Pitt. We attended Big Friday at the College of Engineering. The program included an initial address by the dean of the college, a student panel, and tours led by a faculty member and a student from each department. At one point, the professor showed us one of the computer labs and informed us that the students in there were working on wrapping up projects that were due in about 15 minutes. He made a joking comment, which garnered a equally joking response from one of the students. It was really great to see that type of student/faculty relationship.

SLU. We liked St. Louis and the SLU campus a lot. D received a half-tuition scholarship. However, the Engineering College is really small - less than 200 students in each class across all majors. They also don’t offer ChemE, which she is interested in pursuing. I appreciated the fact that the Dean of the MechE/Aerospace department led an information session, but the size of the department just felt very limiting.

GaTech. We didn’t do an Admitted Students day, but did the Engineering Tours (general dept tour, Aerospace, and Biomed). Everything about GaTech was perfect with the exception of her acceptance - she would have to begin in the Summer 2018 late term rather than Fall. She really doesn’t want to give up her summer so GaTech fell didn’t make the cut.

Florida. ([bold]SIGH[/bold]. This is one of our in-state options, and tuition would be covered through FL’s Bright Futures Scholarship. She liked the Engineering Dept tour, but has no interest in living in Gainesville.

Florida State. Our other in-state option, but I had major reservations about the College of Engineering. It is jointly run with Florida Agriculture and Manufacturing University (FAMU), and it was clear from our tour that they really see themselves as being separate from both universities. They do not participate in Admitted Students Day for either university. They don’t appear to have interest in promoting study abroad (we were told that students typically go abroad during their Freshman or Sophomore years while at FSU or FAMU, and that the Engineering College doesn’t have any abroad programs). The also don’t have a formal co-op program. The main hallway of their main building was lined on either side with desks, giving me the impression that they didn’t have enough space elsewhere for their students to work. No faculty members participated in the tour. In fact, an IE professor specifically requested that the tour not enter their lab due to a project the class was working on.

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@shortnuke U of SC = South Carolina or Southern California?

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@GnocchiB South Carolina

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I visited Case Western recently and there was nothing really positive to say about it other than the food was great. Like probably the best cafeteria I have ever been in. Everything else about the visit was not enjoyable and I found myself wondering why it costs so much a lot.

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My D and I visited University of San Diego last weekend for admitted student day. Wow! Lush, gorgeous campus, friendly students, amazing dining hall, great programs, decent merit and financial aid: SOLD! I thought chances were slim that my midwestern daughter who hates airplanes would commit to USD and she was just scamming me for a quick trip to San Diego after an awful extended Chicago winter. We both were totally smitten and I knew she was a Torero when she said, “Mom, just get me some dramamine.” Suddenly the four-hour flights were not a problem. (Too bad about the Southwest flight the next day–somehow she is still unaware!)

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@Rivet2000 I also didn’t like Berkeley surrounding area and liked UCLA campus feel way better.

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@bobo44 USD is beautiful! We are San Diego locals and USD is the only CA school my son would consider. He was accepted to their business program but it being so close has him leaning toward Boston University (most of our family is there and he has a sister at BC so he’d have plenty of company). Still hoping he may reconsider though…congrats on your D’s excellent choice!

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This thread has lost its steam and I miss it. I’ll give it a bump.

Stayed the same, but only because expectations were very high: Middlebury. Extremely impressive student presenter, though I suspect this young lady was just as impressive before Middlebury had a hand. Nevertheless, they admitted her and selected her to do presentations and for that they deserve high praise. The focus on writing struck my daughter as important, though their language strengths did not resonate. (“Dad, I really suck at French.”) J term appears to be an ideal opportunity to ratchet down the pressure or do some (brief) study abroad. The breadth and even distribution of graduates by major was very impressive. Truly a liberal arts college that seems to teach many subjects well.

Campus is lovely, though spread across so much acreage that it doesn’t feel as cohesive as it should given its tidy architectural style and consistency of materials. I imagine that spread hurts on a sub-zero February walk to class. Lots of smiles and happy looking students. First day of 50+ temps might have played a part, but we got the sense that it was a happy student body composed of kids who wanted to be there. Athletic facilities were an A+, as were the library, commons “pub” (extremely cool), science building and many others. Having your own ski resort: doesn’t suck. No card keys into buildings was nice. It said much about the safety and honesty of the place and its students. Food was terrible. Like ‘I can’t believe you could survive on this’ terrible. Yikes. Burgers, hot dogs, curly fries, a salad bar and some gloppy soups with congealing skins so thick you could cut them with a knife. Those and too many desserts. I tried to salvage my lunch with abpeanut butter bar thing that had to have been dropped in sawdust. I’ve eaten at many college cafeterias and nothing has even come close to this bad. I am infamously cheap and a free meal is always appreciated - in this case only until I actually ate (some of) it. Students deserve better. My daughter dug the real ice cream you scoop yourself.

Town of Middlebury is very cute and close and a real asset. In these small towns I try to count the stores/restaurants that might actually be useful and ignore the cute but worthless things (i.e. Ye Olde Christmas Shop). This town has plenty of places that college kids or visiting parents might find useful. Great pizza: check. Indian: check. Burlington, just a shade under an hour away, is dynamite. Again, it was sunny and (relatively) warm, but sitting outdoors at a restaurant on pedestrian-only Church Street felt a lot like a European square. Double thumbs-up on Burlington. Lake Champlain is breathtaking.

We came away from Middlebury very impressed though with the nagging suspicion that its best months are missed by the students. Undoubtedly true of all the NE schools. It’s obviously a fantastic school. Everyone we met was extremely friendly and really believed in the institution. That matters. Would be very happy if my daughter ended up here. I think she would too, though she never says much after these tours.

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This is a great tip!

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Middlebury is a little like Brown. Everyone loves it, so its near impossible to get in without a hook. Don’t know if its still there, but right outside town Middlebury had an A & W Root Beer drive-in that was a plus.

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It’s GREAT to BE a FLORIDA Gator!!!

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Have twins, will travel

Moved Down:

Bates: D19 not feeling it. Tour ended in a stodgy room with chalk boards. We were prepared for Lewiston to be a little sketchy, but it was pretty sad. The school buildings were either new or blah. There was nothing wrong per se, just nothing shiny. Daughter truly wanted to love it, but just didn’t.

High Point U: After hearing many, many stories about HPU, decided to visit sans kids. If Disney and Stepford built a college, it would be HPU. Campus is pristine and surrounded by iron gate with one, guarded entrance. A mere 15 ft. on other side of iron gate is a housing project complete with drug addicts and tied up dog. It was like something out of a movie. Yes, everything is one campus including pools, movie theatre, and bowling alley because too dangerous to walk around. Pres. is primary investor and it feels a little surreal to have him so worshiped.

Davidson: Off - with a sad mother. Two tours and we finally have an opinion. It is in a very cute town, but the school is not innovative. Excellent premed, but no neuroscience major. Solid school and I would be happy for either to attend, but neither kid loves it.

Wake Forest: About the same. It is a big campus, has its own med school, Winston-Salem is a little edgy/crime ridden, but the academics can’t be beat. Rolling ED allows for rejection and another shot at ED if you apply summer after junior year. Party scene bothers me though. Greek scene seems to be central.

U of New Hampshire: off list. The 30 minute info session and 90 min. walking tour did nothing for twin 1. It is the only public u. we’ve toured and the difference was not lost on her. Only 20% of students study abroad and graduation rate needs some improvement. In reality it is probably just too big.

Smith: was top choice for Twin 1 for a long time, but now she thinks it is a little to political for her. The houses vs. dorms are fantastic and the town within walking distance has great appeal too. My introvert would love the housing, but the intensity was off putting.

Northwestern: moved down. Twin 2 loved it with lots of research, but the tour guide was not helping the cause. Campus didn’t have that cohesive feel that she wanted and they did not show a dorm on tour. Uber driver said that the pitch black, cold winter nights with the wind off the lake were awful so that didn’t help either.

Moved up:

Bryn Mawr: Favorite of Twin 1, however, negative press re: depth of STEM faculty is a concern. New STEM building will be complete by fall 2019, however, if students can’t get the sequential classes needed to graduate in four years, that is a deal breaker. The campus is absolutely incredible. The new gym and quad are enough to entice anyone. If the STEM kinks are worked out, she would apply ED.

Furman: Number 1 for Twin 2 despite concerns of being conservative. It is a great small school, stunning campus, and Greenville is my favorite southern town. It is the perfect blend of academics and fun. She’d be at top for academics, but has major depression issues so it the small environment seems to be a great match.

Elon: Moved way up. We live near Elon and my nephew attends so we felt quite knowledgeable, but after the junior visiting day, we left with new respect. The school aims to move the needle on study abroad (which is already award winning) and four year graduation rate. The new president is more than capable and hopefully the tiny town will grow.

Next up for touring: Dickinson and Hobart and William Smith.

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I have two more schools to report on. We just visited Villanova and Lehigh.

I’ll start with Lehigh. A while back we were in the area and drove around the campus and looked inside a couple of buildings, but nothing formal. I think I wrote about it, but D and I thought it was too hilly and my husband was the only one who found the campus attractive. Now that my D has decided she wants a medium sized school we went to an info session and on a tour. I don’t know what happened, but I thought it was stunningly beautiful. D felt the same. She loved the architecture and the landscaping. The hills with the fraternity houses scared me the first time, but didn’t seem to bother me. Anyway, D can see herself there and it’s one of her “top 4 schools” right now. The man who did the info session was so entertaining and funny, yet he gave us all the details we needed. His name was Mike Cunningham. If you get him, you’re lucky. The school has a casually preppy vibe with a mix of geeks thrown in. Just a bunch of regular kids. More diverse than other schools we’ve seen. The academics seem strong. Bethlehem is ok. Tour guide admitted it wasn’t the safest area at night. Most of our tour was outside for some reason so we didn’t get to see a lot. The most important thing is that D has another school for her list.

Villanova was a nice surprise. It’s the first Catholic school we’ve seen. H thinks the religious aspect is it’s one downside. I think it’s a strength. D liked the school a lot and could see herself there, but she said she would not ED it since there are other schools she liked better. The student body was the whitest I have seen. I also noticed that there were lots of very good -looking kids. Everyone looked liked they took good care of themselves. The student body was a mix of preppy and sporty. I didn’t see any dyed hair or tatoos in that crowd. Overall I would describe the vibe as suburban preppy. Kids looked happy and not stressed despite it being close to finals.

Campus was clean and pleasant, but all the construction going on took away from the beauty. The Connelly Student Center was probably one of my all time favorites. The info session was short and sweet. The person who did it talked a lot about the community feel of the school. Academics seem strong. The one big concern was how competitive it’s gotten. It’s ridiculous. Bottom line, we all agree that it’s a good fit for D. It seems like you can get a good education and end up with a good job. Class sizes are small despite it’s size. It’s a bit bland when I think about it, but it might be a nice change for a city girl like D. For a suburban kid it might feel too familiar. Hope this helps.

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why is it that a bunch of schools aim to have the real cost of going there after merit aid to be around 40k a year, its annoying.

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^ so they compete with the COA for oos tuition at public universities?

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@citymama9 - I fell in love with Lehigh. Still am trying to get over my disappointment that my daughter turned them down ; ).

@TwinMom2023 - My husband fell in love with Northwestern, daughter didn’t even apply. Felt too “urban” and our tour guide talked about having his laptop stollen from right beside him. She also wasn’t a big fan of the quarter system after talking to some of the engineering students and too much emphasis on double majoring/minoring and not enough on tech electives for her liking.

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@TwinMom2023 Love the astute, evocative update. Laughed audibly at “Davidson: Off - with a said mother” as that was exactly my experience. Thought it would be perfection for my S, and willed it to be the case, but alas, S’s will was stronger than mine. I was interested to hear how much you liked Elon, as there were elements in your High Point U review that reminded me of our trip to Elon–the Disney/Stepford commingling (didn’t see pools, but burbling fountains had similar effect). Glad to hear the good news on Elon!

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Anyone take a school on or off mainly because of the quarter system? We have a few schools we want to look at that are on the quarter system (U of Denver, Santa Clara) but I just think my son will be studying too much and never feel like he gets a break. I hear as soon as you start your 10 weeks you are getting ready for midterms. Having all those tests seems too stressful. We are looking for a more laid back environment, but worried the quarter system is counter productive to that. He’s a strong student and will definitely have the stats for these schools, but I’m worried about the stress.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

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@collegemomjam - My daughter took Northwestern off her list primarily because of the quarter system. She talked to a number of juniors in chemical engineering who said the pace was crazy fast and they had to drop down to 3 classes and add a quarter. Professors framed it more that there is no ramp up to the classes and they just delve right in to materials from day one. My daughter’s sense is that it worked fine for non STEM majors but was an unnecessary challenge otherwise. Also super good if you have a student interested in double majoring or minoring because there are more courses throughout the year. I have a pointy kid who didn’t see that as a positive. The other question that didn’t get answered to her liking was about internship opportunities because most schools are on a semester schedule and end sooner. Profs and admins said ‘no problem’, but there was a different vibe from students that if they were going to a company with lots of interns, that they were late to join the team. My daughter had other reservations as well so it came off her list. To my recollection, that was the only school on her list that was on quarters.

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@collegemomjam I had a quarter system when I was at UCLA and I loved it. That said, I was not a STEM major and I loved college in general and enjoyed taking lot of different classes in different subjects – so I appreciated the overall increased course load the quarter system offered me. Even if you only took the minimum 3 courses you would still end up with 4 more classes overall by the time you graduated than the equivalent 4 course semester system. But after my first quarter of Freshman year I started taking 4 per quarter, so I ended up with 12 courses a year, the equivalent of 1.5 years on the semester system. My son is just wrapping up his sophomore year at a semester college and I can’t believe he’s half-way through having taken only 16 classes. Of course, UCLA had twice as many requirements for my major as most majors do where he is, so it’s just a totally different system.

Again, with the caveat that I was a non-STEM major, I didn’t feel the pace was a problem. My courses did often involve a ton of reading and I’m a slow reader so I would have to get head start on the course books over the breaks but I didn’t mind. My winter break was still 3 weeks long which is not that much shorter than many semester schools – just a week or two less – and not shorter at all for semester colleges with J-terms.

All that said, my son who has never experienced a quarter system does love his 5 week winter break and 2 week spring break (I only had 1 week in spring).