@taverngirl
Stevens Institute moved down the list- probably off the list. We went to their Fall Visit Day. Very well attended. They started with an information session. Housing is definitely an issue which they are well aware of. They are knocking down 2 freshman dorms to replace them with 2 new 21 story dorms and a student center. However they said completion isn’t slated until 2023 which means lots of construction and my student probably wouldn’t get to take advantage of the new housing. The main focus was engineering. They have many other majors and mentioned them in a list but only discussed engineering and some business. We then went on a tour where students gave presentations about how engineering labs were set up. Interesting but not relevant to us. My daughter is interested in physics. Then we did a campus tour. Very pretty campus with million dollar views. Dining looked really good!
Then they ended with information booths so you could ask questions about your major. However, the only booths they had were for all the different engineering majors and one small, unmarked table in the corner if you had a question about something other than engineering.
The town was great. We had lunch at a pizza place, went to Carlos bakery- made a day of it. But, my daughter was put off by the sole focus of engineering. Felt the same way at WPI. did not feel like that at RPI.
So, I think if you are going to be an engineering or business major it seems very strong.
For move-in at U Richmond we got a hotel downtown and visited the Capital building and the surrounding area on foot.
The whole place has a very historic feel and seems well maintained.
Statues and plaques abound and there are Founding Father quotes carved in granite, painted on walls and wall- papered in the hotel lobby.
We have nothing like that on the West Coast.
Parts of the downtown are a little gritty but less so than parts of Oakland, San Francisco, or downtown San Jose–wayyy fewer homeless.
We got some restaurant food to go and the staff there was very friendly and several of them jumped in to tell us how much they loved their city when they found out we were from CA.
I’m not a parent, but I visited a few schools on my own.
Crossed off:
Barnard College- At one point this school was at the top of my list. It seemed to be a lot more intimate than Columbia, and it was a perfect distance from my house- I’d have to take a bus and 2 subway trains to get there, which is far enough to justify living on campus, but close enough to easily visit my house if I’m free one afternoon. But the tour was pretty lackluster, we couldn’t see any of the dorms, and the campus just didn’t have that magic I felt when I was looking it up on the website. I genuinely tried to like it, but I couldn’t. Maybe I visited on a bad day…?
Princeton University- At first glance, the campus is really pretty. It has this oddly futuristic vibe to it, in my opinion, and the tour guide was nice enough. Unfortunately, there seemed to be this implicitly elitist vibe among the students that I couldn’t stand. I’m still going to apply, but that’s mostly because I really like their supplement questions and not so much because I actually want to be accepted.
Moved Up:
Marist College- I was at first impartial to this school, but the campus was actually really beautiful in person! They have extensive study abroad programs, including a freshman study abroad program to Dublin. The library, the dining hall, everything- I loved it. They even have an animation major, and I’m pretty darn interested in studying animation. And unlike Princeton, the students didn’t give off that “vibe”. I know it’s not as highly regarded or well known as Princeton or other schools like it, but it’s my perfect safety school right now. Almost perfect, actually- they don’t appear to meet 100% of financial need, and my family doesn’t have a lot of money to spend (income of about $36k/year, single parent, 2 older siblings in college, living in NYC). But I won’t cross it off yet.
Yale University- I visited it the first time for a school trip to Yale Splash years ago, and my first thought was that everything looked super old and grimy, and I hated it. Then again, I also got lost in the pouring rain for a little over an hour (without an umbrella) while trying to find my second class, so that probably put a damper on my entire mood for the day. I revisited the campus last year for another school trip (this time a tour!) and fell in love. I have to say, there’s something about knowing the architecture is supposed to look old and Gothic that really changed my entire perspective on things. Best of all, the students seemed really chill and laid back. It’s an extreme reach school for me, so I’m trying to not fall in love with it too much, but it’s hard.
***So far, these are the only schools I’ve visited (interstate travel is expensive!) But I plan to visit Brown, RISD, and Tufts in the future, because those are other schools that are at the top of my list.
I’m a student, not a parent. But I visited Chatham University in Pittsburgh today and it was great! Great staff and tour guides! Very friendly and easy-going. Definitely the school for someone who wants a smaller school with its own little community, not too far from the city, but not in a crappy area either. I honestly wasn’t expecting to like it as much as I do now. Definitely applying, although it is one of my safety schools. Interested in seeing how much money they offer me. Definitely moved up on my list though.
@travelfamily thanks for the review. DS is wholly interested in engineering right now, so it looks like we’ll still end up visiting Stevens at some point. I can see how that would be frustrating for your daughter though. We’re going to WPI next weekend. I visited with my dd18 two years ago but son didn’t join us. My only concern with schools like WPI and Stevens are if your child decides against engineering, they’re pretty much stuck with having to transfer out. Something for us to think about.
Visited UNH today, and I was very impressed with the engineering department. We attended info sessions on mech and civil, and the professors came across as very knowledgeable, friendly, and passionate about their fields. Lots of opportunities to gain experience, either through research, internships, coops, engineering focused clubs, mentoring, etc. Nice campus, tons of school spirit. All the students we spoke with were down to earth, smart, mature. I’m not a fan of big schools, but ds wanted to check it out. He really liked it.
Just to clarify the overseas studies at WPI.
These are not regular classroom activities that take place at an overseas University. Students start preparation for the Global Studies Program one year prior to arrival. Most programs are built around designing actual solutions to real problems at the overseas location. These are not classroom activities in the usual sense. These are researching teams of students. The programs are specifically designed in a project format. If the student’s interest is a project approach and practicing the complexities of teamwork, it fits. This is what WPI means by “hands on.”
Participating students incur no additional cost by participating in these programs.
The seven week system is intense in that students cannot let classes slide. These blocks of time make the complexity of a program involving three different projects possible (MQP, IQP and Sufficiency).
Perhaps this will illustrate the nature of the project approach to learning. It happens to deal with a student who took a gap year before arrival. To these people, related project work fuels the learning process. Teamwork has the same impact once you learn how to ride the bike. See https://www.wpi.edu/news/what-can-you-do-gap-year-jeremy-elan-trilling-has-idea and https://www.wpi.edu/project-based-learning/global-project-program
@twinsmama, memory is a powerful thing. Penn in 2018=glossy, but a lot of people here, their memory of Penn is probably more 1985–2000, when “gritty” is certainly a word one could’ve used, at least starting about a block and a half off campus (and in some places, even on campus).
@citymama9 that’s unfortunate. I live in Richmond and it’s a great city. Give it another shot. When I lived in Chicago, I saw professional panhandlers every single day. And, I have to say, I’ve seen more panhandlers in Columbia SC than I have in Richmond.
And, U of R is awesome.
I don’t recall seeing tons of panhandlers in Richmond either. It’s a great city.
@lastone03 The panhandlers weren’t the end of the world. The school is wonderful,so I would have no problems if D applies. Maybe it was just me or the day we were there. They didn’t bother my husband or daughter. I was like a magnet that day, lol.
@taverngirl If your son is interested in engineering, then yes, I totally would recommend a look at both places! That’s funny that you were at UNH yesterday. My college sophomore just started there this semester after transferring from a small upstate NY LAC. She finds the student body there much more her style and she loves all her classes (social work major). One of her friends at UNH is an engineering major and loves it. We will be looking there for my physics daughter as well! Our next stops are Brandeis and Clark over the next few months.
I also loved Richmond both times I visited and more so the second. The only issue for me would be size. It’s only about 3K. Both times we visited the vibe was very warm and inclusive. And it is NOT an easy school to get in. Now that they offer ED and EA, I think getting in RD is very difficult. This school is a safety RD choice for no one, if you ask me.
@travelfamily - Stevens has an outstanding physics department and is doing some groundbreaking research in quantum computing, quantum cryptography, quantum optics/electronics, and solid state physics. Instead of basing your opinion solely on one visit day in which the physics faculty may not have had its own table, I would encourage you and your daughter to visit the department separately and talk to some of the faculty. Dr. Ting Yu, the department head, is one of the world’s leading experts in quantum optics and quantum electronics for example. Dr. Rainer Martini, who was my dissertation advisor, was one of the inventors of the quantum cascade laser (in collaboration with Bell Laboratories). You won’t do better in physics than Stevens.
Stevens isn’t limited to engineering. While it is known for its rigorous engineering curriculum which is its roots as one of the oldest engineering schools in the United States, it is a research university that is well represented in physics, chemistry, mathematics, computer science, technological management, and quantitative finance fields. It also has a vibrant humanities/arts and letters program. The science programs are well subscribed. Many Stevens physics alumni have continued their education at the most renowned graduate schools and have held major positions in industry and academia. The gentleman who discovered the neutrino - who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1998 - was a Stevens alumnus.
Wishing you the best in your choice of school and academic journey.
@Engineer80 Thank you for your input!
@dfbdfb Yeah this Penn alum thinks they have taken a little bit of the Philly charm away from the edges of campus. Fortunately 40th and Market still has the somewhat sketchy feel I adore.
@suzyQ7 I don’t understand your comment about Bowdoin not spending the money on FA. Bowdoin has fantastic FA. It is need blind and meet full need, and it doesn’t package loans. It’s institutional methodology is fairly generous too. I don’t see any evidence that Bowdoin is skimping on FA.
We were exceptionally impressed with Notre Dame when we visited it in the late spring. The campus was gorgeous and it felt like an idyllic retreat. We then visited in late November. Dark, grey, freezing, snow flakes blowing in the wind. It left us with an entirely different impression. Given how long winter lasts in that part of the world, we crossed it off our list.
@exlibris97 that is a good observation about Notre Dame. We also loved it when the weather was nice, but worried what it would be like there when football was over and winter set in. Both of my daughters are at colleges near major cities (like right there with easy access) and they both agree that having the city in the dreary months helps because there is stuff to do.
@collegemomjam I was at ND for a late fall football game. It was FREEZING. I mean seriously cold. The game was a lot of fun, the campus looks lovely in the snow, but you have to contend with weather that makes Ann Arbor seem warm. And unfortunately Chicago isn’t that near. South Bend was utterly forgettable.
A large college campus will have so much to do on/adjacent to it there is no need to be in a city with a lot to do. In fact, for some cities the university area is the place to be. There should be fine arts, sports activities (as a participant as well as a spectator) and places to hang out indoors and outside
Duh, it gets cold up north. You own the clothes for it. Easier than dealing with football (or even walking between classes) in 90 degree weather, btw.