Oops, didn’t see your response to @ChezCurie before I wrote mine. Obviously your daughter has had a much different experience than my friend’s daughter! I’m glad to hear that it’s been very positive for her. Is there a lot going on just off campus that the kids can take part in? My S22 was hoping for cafes, restaurants, theaters, etc. that were within walking distance from campus because he won’t have a car.
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My daughter attends USC and loves that she can go to DTLA and experience all the restaurants, cafes, stores. She is close to the beach and close to West LA. She loves the urban environment yet loves that USC has that confined campus college feel (perhaps different from BU that doesn’t have that?) It made her easily cross off schools like Duke when we thought Durham was a sleeper city and Duke was too rural.
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Again, there is no WALL lol. Your friend’s daughter should have transferred if she is living that kind of existence at any college, that is too sad! I have had 4 there over the last 10 years and visit often. Kids do not hide on campus at all, unless freshman getting use to it all, or perhaps someone that just isn’t experiencing it they way they should, and the way we hope they do! USC students exist, interact, and have fun (situationally aware of course as one does in urban areas) in the neighborhoods around them. There is certainly a big neighborhood of students outside of campus (as majority live off campus) bordered by Figureoa/Exposition/Vermont/Adams. Did you see the Village while there? There are certainly walkable eateries/night spots, but students also Lyft all over the area (downtown is less than 2 miles away) and many do have cars as well - always good to have a friend with one. Lyft is free around campus and they also have Campus Cruiser services.
Oh shucks, since she’s a junior, she has spent very little time at USC cause of covid - that may help explain why she never acclimated. Too bad and too sad either way. There’s lots to do there and good they learn how to navigate an urban area so when they take their first solo business trip they are well educated! My Trojans (still one there) never worried about the area (I did) or were fearful at all, and are so travel saavy now, which is great. But mine went to college pretty experienced/independent to start with, so that can make a difference too.
Having said all that, UCLA is a much more “walk to cafes/restuarants” type school than USC. Pepperdine is not walkable to anything, and Chapman isn’t much better being in suburbia. Loyola and the Claremonts aren’t either. So UCLA is best Socal choice if want a “walk to things” type campus. Regardless, they find things to do (like homework ha), and figure out how to do them, whether things are walkable or not.
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As a side note and just fun info, there are tons of things kids can sign up for at USC dealing with theater and film, inside and outside (industry stuff) of USC. My son signed up to be a red carpet filler when he saw the sign up sheet on a bulletin board somewhere…he guessed he’d be in the stands or on the side to make it look full, but they had him walk in next to Seth Rogen at his film premier, like he was part of his entourage, lol. The SCA kids get exposed to all kinds of this stuff, but since mine’s an engineer, this was a real hoot. We still laugh about it and have the video from one of the entertainment shows. Also attended private concerts in places like top of Roosevelt Hotel, etc., and other cool “insider type” things if one wants to do them!
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Enough about the wall.
Let’s keep the thread on point.
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We visited about 30 schools, including a few real tour/info session visits, and some drive-bys, many self-tours, some self-tours with campus guidance (QR Code tours). On top of that, D probably connected with over 200 schools (including the 30 we visited) through virtual info sessions, tours, college fairs, and other events.
Early on, we ruled out anything south of Virginia, and nearly all California schools because they’re not cold enough. Eventually, even Virginia and New Jersey were deemed “not cold enough” because they get so little snow (this is ironic because D is also looking at schools in Scotland and Ireland, where the temperatures are very moderate, and snow is definitely not a given.) D is not a skier. She just likes really cold weather.
We also - eventually - saw D gravitate to the bigger schools. She loves some of the perks of the LACs, but ultimately, she accepted that a large school, urban or near-urban, was really what she wanted. The day that happened, another 5 schools fell off her list, and I was relieved she could finally compare each school to all the others left on the list (can’t properly compare an LAC to a large research uni - just totally different places).
Northeastern / BU / Tufts:
I wrote about NEU and BU upthread, so I won’t repeat here. I will add that D loved Boston, and Tufts stayed about the same after visiting. If she really wants Boston, there are dozens of schools, and surely one would accept her (even if none of her targets do!).
Drexel / UPenn:
Strangely enough the NEU/BU phenomenon was not unique. Looking back, I realized that D had also experienced a strong connection to Drexel, while not being too enthusiastic about UPenn. We did drive-bys at both, and the vibe at Drexel really was fantastic. It was summer, but there were plenty of students around, big smiles on many faces, kids chatting in groups. UPenn, there were far fewer people (summer!) but the ones we saw were solitary and headed somewhere with purpose (with grim, serious expressions on their faces - likely grad students working on their theses). D did virtual tours and info sessions to fill the gap, and she never did shake her original impression that Drexel kids were enjoying their experience more.
Columbia / Cornell
This was another paired comparison, and I was sorry to see it come to pass. 
We self-toured Cornell over the summer, but the day we were there was some kind of admitted students event. So there were hundreds of super-happy families strolling around campus with their enrolled rising freshmen. We spoke with many, and their excitement was so contagious. Beautiful campus, very cool nature integration (we walked from the dorms to the classrooms on the lower bridge into the “woods”), and plenty big enough for D. Ithaca has always been one of our favorite little cities, and we ate fantastic food while in town. D’s major is widespread at Cornell (variations are available in multiple schools), and she would have outstanding job prospects. D liked everything about Cornell!
Until she was in NYC with a friend, visiting friend’s schools, and they walked through/past Columbia. Suddenly, NY was the place to be, and while NYU never did climb back onto the list (was a contender early on), Columbia was now a solid pick. We had some serious discussions about dropping Cornell to add Columbia (not that she’d get into either - their acceptance rates for kids like D are low single digits). We pointed out that Columbia has few field work opportunities for her major either on or near campus, but Cornell is overflowing with those opportunities. We pointed out that Ithaca is plenty big, even though not “big city.” We reminded her that we are not a money tree, and we would not be funding weekly Broadway shows and a diet of street food. But here we are, with Columbia on the list and Cornell off.
Of course, she also did her homework on both schools with all the virtual stuff, so I’m sure it’s the right decision for her.
Last one:
UVM went WAY up! It was the parent pick, so it was staying on the list no matter what we experienced on the tour. But we were able to schedule a tour on an actual mid-week school day (I really wanted D to see this particular campus “in action”). And UVM did not disappoint! It helped that we had the world’s best tour guide - hands down! She was fabulous. But the whole experience was special. Like Northeastern, they’re not resting on their laurels, they’ve put some real effort into identifying and capitalizing on what makes UVM tick. First, their info session focused on integration with the wider surroundings - not just the community of Burlington (which is wonderful) but the mountains and lake, and their own role as stewards and researchers. They have few grad students, but all teachers are expecte to do research - yes, even the arts and humanitites professors - so there are loads of research opportunities for undergrads. The campus was flooded with amazing - and well-populated - study and hang-out spaces - from a gorgeous sunroom in the (LEED Platinum) Environmental building to the hammock city in one of the green spaces. There were students just everywhere, but nowhere seemed crowded. The location is similar to Ithaca, but Montreal is only 1.5 hours away, Boston 2.5 hours. The school hosts numerous off-campus excursions to the lake and mountains, and many students are there for the outdoors aspects. D was very happy with pretty much everything and admitted (grudgingly) that we were right to promote it for her.
The one thing that is lacking for D was the international population (very low at 5%). But the school is unusual in that is has relatively few in-state students, so it’s got a more worldly student body to begin with, AND… and this is big… UVM offers significant financial aid to both out-of-state students and international students!! They have clearly recognized they need to step it up to attract those missing international students.
I’m sorry to see this time of exploration come to an end. I’ve enjoyed traveling, seeing new places, getting to talk to different people. But it’s been very fun!
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Thanks for this information. I’m interested in hearing more about your Tufts tour, it’s location, etc. Haven’t seen it and it is a very strong contender for my D22.
I’m sure @OnToTheNext will share their experience, but our Tufts experience was very quiet. We were one of 2-3 families wandering around this summer in mid-June. It was definitely Covid era stuff. That said, my D22 liked the campus a lot—this is one of her top picks. The hill was somewhat tiring on a super hot summer day (it was in the 90s and we are wimps from Northern CA), but we loved the central quad, the lawn in front of the President’s house and the steps leading up to campus. The elephant, the library and library roof with views of the city were great, too. It very much has a sense of place and we imagined how gorgeous it would be in fall and winter with the leaves and snow.
It was about a 10 minute walk through a residential area to get to Davis Square, which was a much livelier scene that day. Definitely spots to eat, shop, see music and enjoy the area, and the T was right there to get you into Boston quickly. This made D very happy. There’s a fairly well know alternative theater right there, lots of ice cream and burger places, etc. Reminded me of a neighborhood in Brooklyn (we lived in Park Slope for 10 years and D remembers that well)
D22 also seemed to like BU, but in the final list tweaking it fell off her list and Tufts stayed. It was more a matter of trimming the number of highly selective schools she had, but I was surprised when Tufts stayed and BU went. She’s gravitated toward city campuses. I don’t know!
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Thank you for all this detail. It’s super helpful. We are from a small rural town and my friend’s daughter was really only on campus for a short time because of the pandemic so that does explain a lot!
Great review! Thanks!
Regarding USC: It has the Village, but it’s no Westwood. That said, people drive to everything in LA. It’s the culture ( I lived there for years) UCLA students don’t stay in Westwood all the time — they get Ubers or get in their cars and go wherever.
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Oh, there were so many more pine needles than that! 
To be fair, the pine needles just cemented S19’s impression that the campus was not well taken care of and seemed a bit run down and neglected, including with a lot of trash in the parking lots.
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I don’t know what major your daughter is considering, but note that there are two undergraduate colleges at Columbia Univ that share course calendars, facilities etc.: Columbia College and Barnard College. If Barnard could be a fit for her she could instantly double her chances by applying to both. Further improving odds: At Barnard, her application would compete only against other females.
Barnard maintains its own female dorms, but everything else is used (often valued) by the co-ed University community at large, such as their new library, dining spaces - and oftentimes smaller class sizes.
Students from either college end up with a Columbia U degree, except that Barnard students will have an additional Barnard-only graduation, before the „big one“ for the entire Univ.
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Wow, you did a good job selling UVM, I’m going have my D look at it, only she doesn’t like really cold weather!
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Ontothenext, if your daughter is looking for a good school in a cold climate, did she consider Northwestern? It’s highly ranked, strong in most fields, it has a lovely campus and it is a short train ride from Chicago. Oh, and it is cold. And there is snow. Did I mention the wind coming off Lake Michigan?
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UVM costs $62,000 or so. It’s a terrific college, but doesn’t meet full need for all…so depending on student budget it might or might not work. Actually, it looks like UVM gives aid to international students only as merit aid….and limited.
I’m posting this here so that folks can see this…but it’s a tad off topic.
The University of Vermont offers funding to international students in the form of a merit scholarship. The international merit scholarship goes up to $20,000 per year . If you are admitted to UVM, then you will be automatically considered for the merit scholarship, there is no separate application . Applicants will be considered holistically for scholarships, as grades, SAT/ACT testing (if provided), extracurricular activities, essays, and letters of recommendation will all be considered as part of scholarship review. You will be notified at the time of admission should you receive an international merit scholarship.
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We also toured UVM with both my daughters (22 and 23) – both liked it, similar to Boulder/CU which they loved. Better fit for my D23, and after our Seattle/Portland college tours Burlington homeless was a non-issue for us, but it will be cold. D23’s dream is to somehow live in Boston be it college or post-college so UVM was a hit for her. And the skiing sounds easy w/transportation etc…
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We just returned from a big East Coast tour with our S23. It was really interesting because we toured some of the same schools that we had toured with my S21 and had very different impressions.
Boston University
When we toured with S21 two years ago in the summer, we were really impressed and surprised. This time we toured with S23 and it was on par with our expectations. Our son really liked it, especially the location. Their tours and presentations are very well run. We didn’t get to see the inside of any buildings so it was more of an outdoor tour. The students seemed pretty engaged. My son wasn’t sure it was toward the top of the list since it felt really big and anonymous. He’s keeping it as a contender.
Northeastern.
I didn’t know what to expect. I thought it would be a lot more urban like BU but it surprisingly had a nice campus and a lot of new buildings. Some of the buildings were really impressive. They had students reach out to the kids on the tour and answer questions. They are very intentional about their programming and of course, emphasized the co-op. Had a big pre-professional feel. My S23 is keeping it on the list. Not sure if he could see himself there. The co-op seems disruptive socially with people coming and going.
Tufts
Last time when we visited Tufts it was summer time and we weren’t impressed. This time, we were VERY impressed. The tour guide was very engaged and gave us a great feel for the social life on campus. The campus is gorgeous and easy to navigate. My S23 wasn’t sure about the 6 semester language requirement but our tour guide assured us that he could test out with his HS language. The academics seem rigorous but it seems like there is a balance with social events. They are also building a T Line on campus which will take kids right into Boston. Another reason my S23 was interested!
Babson
We didn’t have any expectations. As soon as we pulled up, my son knew he didn’t want to go there. It’s in Wellesley and felt secluded. There were no places to walk to from campus and it felt really international. It’s great if you 100% know you want to study business. However, my S wants to consider other majors, too. The campus was beautiful and immaculate. Although it has a small student body, the campus felt like a medium sized school. Kids there have the opportunity to study at Olin Engineering (the campuses touch) and Wellesley. Babson fell off the list.
Lafayette
This is my husband’s alma mater. Lafayette was VERY impressive. The campus is stunning and lots of new buildings. There was a lot of personalized attention. Only 3 visitors were touring and we all had one on one tours. This was one of the only tours that allowed us in all of the buildings. If you are looking for a liberal arts school with a great campus and resources, Lafayette hits the spot. The kids were sitting outside in small classes with professors and students were playing frisbee in the quad. Felt a lot less competitive than some of the other schools which could be good or bad, depending on your kid. For my S, it felt too small and too far from a city. He also wants more of a university and wants the opportunity to study business. Lafayette is now offering some business but it doesn’t feel like it’s an emphasis. He will keep it on the list.
Lehigh
Lehigh hit all of the criteria for our son. The campus is beautiful despite the steep hills. Students seemed to work hard and play hard. There was a petting zoo happening on the big hill when we were there and we saw students hanging out with each other. School has a lot of resources and programs such as the NASDAQ and UN programs for kids. The only drawback my son saw is the location. It’s walking distance into Bethlehem which seemed like a cute town. But, it’s at least an hour from Philly and NYC. We got stuck in traffic on the way back to New York and it took close to 2.5 hours. He will keep it on the list.
NYU
When we toured with my S21 a few years back, he hated it. The campus was integrated into the city and it didn’t feel like a college. My S23 loved it! We were supposed to run from there to Columbia and he didn’t want to leave. He loved the variety of people and the location. It didn’t bother him that it was in the city at all. There are so many opportunities in his potential field of study–screenwriting and business. The drawback of NYU is that you really need to know what you want to do when you apply if you want to be in Tisch School of the Arts or Stern Business school. If you want to minor in those schools, you may have access to those classes. If you are in Arts and Sciences, you won’t be able to take classes in those schools. NYU moved up his list!
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My son and I really thought we would be wow’d by Georgetown. It just wasn’t that great. Bummer. He’s super happy where he wound up, though. Visiting is so important.
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