My D visited both Hamilton and Colgate - she loved Hamilton and hated Colgate. One of her close friends (who ended up at HWS) was the opposite - loved Colgate, hated Hamilton. Funny because to me they seem more similar than different. D didn’t like or apply to any schools she saw when they were not in session, so I’m making sure with S we visit all schools while they are in session.
@taverngirl visiting while in session is key and I completely agree. It can be a challenge though and sometimes you have to wait until summer because that’s the only time you can make it work.
My advice to prospective college road trip planners would be to try to visit the larger schools and/or schools located near cities in the summer, if you have to push any schools at all to the summer. Many of the larger schools are still bustling in the summer. For example, when we visited Colgate in the summer (and didn’t like it because it was so dead) we also visited Cornell which was bustling. Busses running through campus, lots of students around, cafeterias open, the stores in town were all busy…it made a difference and I think she got a better feel for what Cornell is really like vs. what Colgate is really like while visiting in the summer.
We also visited Penn State in the summer and also felt it was bustling, despite being summer.
Good advice @collegemomjam! We had the same experience that the bigger schools, or those on quarter systems, still had a ton going on in the summer so campus was still bustling. We actually cycled back to a couple of schools during the school year to see them again because they were so dead in the summer. Would have been better to have planned for that in advance.
I’ll just note as a sidebar that the ability to visit colleges—and particularly the ability to visit them while class is in session—is a luxury that isn’t actually all that widely available, and isn’t even actually terribly necessary. (Useful, yes, but not necessary.)
This is why I have a great deal of respect for colleges that don’t track who visits them as part of their “demonstrated interest” calculation, no matter how much the mother of a touring student at Penn whined about it when we were there (much to the visible embarrassment of her son).
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We were able to visit some but not all of the schools on S’s list and found the visits helpful, but I agree with you regarding this aspect of demonstrated interest. Where we couldn’t visit, we tried to compensate by having him write a note to the admissions officer, introducing himself and explaining why he wasn’t able to visit before applying - just something to show personal interest and effort. Otherwise, particularly with schools that don’t charge an application fee and don’t require supplemental essays, it’s hard for an applicant to show that he or she is genuinely interested in that particular school rather than just tacking it on “in case.” These notes seem to have worked for the smallish LACs S applied to, although I’m not sure it would be practicable in other situations.
Sorry, I neglected to tag @dfbdfb
Off:
Brandeis - cold, dank and dreary campus (welcome reception was very welcoming and warm) Dorms were tight, dreary and reeked of pot
GW - no campus feel; no dining hall (knew a kid who left to go to Tulane because of difficulty of socializing thru dining!)
BU - no campus feel
Middlebury - felt it would be either LOVE IT or HATE IT; Liked campus and students but feared winters would affect mood.
Dartmouth - same as Midd.
UMD - too big; impacted classes; smelly dorms (did overnight)
Emory - didn’t like to student vibe or Atlanta (my fave of all schools we visited)
Northwestern (idk reasons, I was not there)
USC - neighborhood
Georgetown - too preppy; did not like some of the architecture
Up:
UChicago - campus vibe; classes; students; food halls
Tufts - classes; food; students
@dfbdfb I actually have wondered before with a school like Penn if you can overdo it on the demonstrated interest. I actually think Penn does NOT track it or use it, but I know others do.
I think I am ok with it at some schools that really don’t want to accept students that just threw them on their list, as @tkoparent describes. Visiting is just one way to demonstrate interest though…there are definitely other genuine ways to do that. A school that really cares should definitely have an essay on “Why do you want to come here?”…
My D saw a nun walking across campus at Loyola New Orleans. Immediately axed it off her list. I’ve given up on trying to get her to reconsider… ?
I have a strong sense of smell (too strong) and D21 has inherited it. We both hate the smell of pot smoke—it’s not about morals or drug use, it’s the stink. It would be really hard for her to live with. I guess we’ll need to wander campuses sniffing when we tour!
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Moved down:
University of Washington (Seattle)—too big, wrong vibe.
Harvard—D loved the tour guide, but didn’t like that dorms weren’t integrated into the fabric of the campus like at Yale.
Princeton—wasn’t thrilled with the town or the campus vibe.
UPenn—D didn’t like Philadelphia. She really liked her tour guide, though.
Went Up:
Columbia—Loved the core curriculum.
Also went up:
Reed—D loved the interview and the supplemental essay.
Just curious, for those talking about the “vibe of the students” - is this just observational or do you talk to students? If so, are you just approaching them while walking around?
@collegemomjam I don’t disagree with you, but from the schools’ perspective, requiring a “Why X School” essay may decrease the number of applicants and affect their acceptance rate. It’s kind of a USNWR ranking conundrum for them. I liked Denison’s approach, where they didn’t require a “Why Denison” essay to apply but offered this as an option after applying.
In answer to this ^^^ My husband took my oldest to a close by SUNY for a visit. He was unimpressed by the behavior of the students in the cafeteria. Loud, obnoxious, leaving their garbage, using foul language LOUDLY while very obviously in the presence of prospective students and university personnel. At a school they liked he noticed students holding doors open for each other, throwing a frisbee on the quad while others around sat in groups, studied, chatted. At a large public school which was in session we saw frustrated students waiting in line to pass thru swipe security after a busy lunch hour. The guards were not very nice and held up the line for what seemed like petty issues (hey, you forgot to sign your friend out 2 weeks ago. Go to security RIGHT NOW to fix the problem or you can’t go to your dorm). We did not approach random students but could see how things were by observation.
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Wow! I’m asking @abbeany to come with us on future tours - those are great observations!
@Happy4u as opposed to me, the mom who liked/enjoyed every tour and visit. Some tour guides were more engaging and natural but I did like all the colleges when we started three years ago. Boys are freshman now and I admitted being disappointment when visits were done. And thinking back, I only remember one school they couldn’t see themselves, under 2,000 students and strong liberal political campus.
Someone suggested to us years ago to observe how students interact with dining hall employees. It has absolutely taken colleges off our list when we see a majority of students treating employees poorly.
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I agree that there are different ways to assess “vibe” beyond talking just talking to students. We also took note of the schools were students and staff held doors for each other, how stressed out students looked, and I will freely admit to eavesdropping on conversations in the dining hall. At one school, students were sitting together but they were all on their phones and no one was interacting at all. They were there for the entire hour we were and not one word was spoken. We also watched how students interacted and treated all levels of staff (from profs to janitors). There were definitely schools where D felt students were aloof and rude.
I will give huge props to the students at Northwestern (didn’t make my D’s cut) but we live near the university now. Probably some of the nicest, most polite, friendly group… as a whole. Kudos to any of you who have students at NU - you did great jobs of raising lovely young adults!
@Schadret – I have not commented here but I definitely observed the vibe of the students while walking around and sitting in campus dining/coffee shops. After we completed the tour & info session at each school, my son sat in on a class or two, so I passed that time walking around or sitting if the weather was not ideal. I never stopped students but I eavesdropped on snippets of conversation as I walked past. You could observe animation, camaraderie, etc. Not scientific.
If you have limited time, be sure to eat in a campus dining hall or coffee shop.