I would say that this was probably in the top two criteria for D21’s college selection. She actually found the guided tours pretty mundane and I would always see her scanning the campus and groups of students rather than listening to the guide. She crossed places off the list if too many students looked miserable 
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My H says he knew S had shuffled his list around just by looking at his face when he saw the campus and students in person. He did not need an official information session. It just clicked when he saw life on campus.
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DW took S22 down to New York from Boston to see the Knicks’ home opener against the Celtics for his 17th birthday (we’ve moved around internationally, but he spent his first eight years in the NYC suburbs and considers himself a New Yorker). The next day, before taking the train back up, they got a private tour of Fordham Lincoln Center, arranged by a dean we know. The school remained in second place out of his two applications (he applied EA, with NYU his first choice, ED), but it was good for him to get a firsthand look. While he doesn’t care much about campus life or aesthetics, being much more interested in being in the heart of the city, he said his favorite part was the landscaped plaza at the center of the LC campus. DW, who got her MBA at Fordham 21 years ago but had no sense of the undergrad scene at the time, was surprised that everything was so self-contained – classrooms and dining are right below the beautiful high-rise dorm, McKeon Hall. But she said S22 was comfortable with everything. Still very much wants to study communications at NYU, but he wouldn’t be miserable at Fordham if it came to that.
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“…but he wouldn’t be miserable at Fordham if it came to that.”
Hopefully, that is not a quote taken from your son’s application to Fordham.
We visited NYU, GWU, & BU as well as Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus. Whether or not a school moved up or down depended upon the designs of the majors being considered. Liked Fordham LC because of the self contained facilities in the middle of a major city.
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Certainly not – he applied quite enthusiastically. But it’s a clear second choice for him, and the visit did nothing to change that.
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We’ve wrapped up sending in all the apps (mostly EA) for my ds22. It’s our second and last time through this process. He very quickly became annoyed with campus tours so we reverted to drive through / highlight visits. Here are a few of the impressions:
Salve Regina University: Loved it. The campus is beyond gorgeous, he loves Newport, and the ability to stay and spend a night in the dorms with a family friend really helped. Had a great interview. Way up on the list. It’s a match as per Naviance.
Roger Williams: Lackluster tour guide soured ds so it fell off the list. Parent impression: pretty campus on the water
In Bristol, RI with solid programs for your B/C student.
University of Rhode Island: I love the campus, he thought it was just fine, could see himself there. Very traditional campus with a nice quad, standard dorms, close to beaches, in a suburban environment. Stayed on the list. Nice energy. Also a match for him.
Central CT State: He went with his dad so I didn’t see it. My husband said it was just ok, nice dorms and student center, but nothing special. Campus was dead. Ds literally hated it. Off the list. Was his safety, so we added Plymouth State in NH to replace it. Won’t visit there until decisions are in.
St. Michael’s College: Small, rural VT, pretty campus with nice view of the mountains. Close to Burlington. He loves their popular campus EMS/Fire squad club program prospect. Stayed in the dorms at this one as well with another friend’s son. Got to meet lots of kids, went to a rugby game. Strong interview here as well. It’s at the top of the list and also a match.
He’s also applying to a few more matches as per Naviance (Tampa & College of Charleston) and a couple of reaches (Syracuse, IU, and UVM—his brother goes there and he loves Burlington). We won’t visit anything else until all decisions are in at this point. He also has a list of 4-5 schools he may apply regular decision to if he’s not happy with his results in the EA round. I’m just happy to be (hopefully) done at this point!
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Ha! Exactly the same reaction from my daughter after visiting NYU.
On the other hand, Columbia moved way up her list.
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Salve will be on my sons list. Thanks for the review.
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Yup. More so, NYU had been the childhood dream of my daughter’s - long before high-school, just the vibe of the Village, Washington Square,… She knew early-on, this is where she would go to University.
Naturally, she didn’t (need to) tour it before applying. And after jetting/racing to a few accepted-students’ visits on competing weekends, NYU’s was the second-to-last to attend - obviously with the highest of expectations after not having felt “instant excitement” for the other schools (although she could see herself in any of them).
Coming from this very high pedestal, she felt (emotionally) let down, because the entire event (at least in that year) seemed less cohesive, inviting, and well-organized than the other schools’, the information presented didn’t “speak” to her, and touring the buildings (there is no campus) didn’t offset that, despite Washington Mews.
In comparison, she realized how much she valued the “campus feel” of Columbia University and Barnard College - even though it meant not being “in the heart of the city”. It helped that she had audited two classes on two different days at Columbia U - and even though no students ever talked to her, she did get a sense of the vibe on and around campus, and built up the confidence that academically she was going to be “just fine”.
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Pre-COVID I traveled to Gainesville, Florida for the first time with my D22. At the time, we traveled there for other reasons; but we took an organized tour of the University of Florida (UF) while we were there. Originally, we signed up for the tour just to have something to do for a few hours, but we ended up really enjoying the campus. I came away with a new-found respect for UF and its academic offerings.
The student-tour guides’ main focus was on the academic attributes of UF and how students prioritize academics first and fun second. They bragged a few times on UF’s national, academic ranking instead of the football team’s ranking. We spent more time touring libraries and academic buildings instead of the rock climbing wall, rec center, and football locker rooms. The campus overall seemed to exude a “serious student vibe" while also offering numerous extra-curricular activities to students with varying interests. It appeared that football, Greek life, partying, etc. were certainly there if desired, but it felt like they were definitely a supplementary part of the overall experience.
The campus was prettier than I thought it would be for such a large, state university. I was impressed with the fact that UF seemed to have everything on campus available no matter what one’s course of study: medicine, law, journalism, business, veterinary, dental, agriculture, etc. The facilities all seemed to be first class.
Gainesville appears to be a pleasant college town with plenty of retail and restaurants to satisfy the typical college students’ needs. There was also a little downtown square with nice restaurants that seemed like it might offer an alternative to the “campus scene”.
We flew non-stop to and from Gainesville on American Airlines from Dallas/Fort Worth. I noticed non-stop flights to and from Atlanta and Miami, as well. The Gainesville airport was nice and easy to navigate.
D22 seemed to enjoy herself on the tour but did not say much about it until recently. After looking back at the pictures we took together of the campus and realizing what a great school UF is academically, she submitted her application for Fall 2022.
I would definitely encourage her to attend UF if she is accepted.
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My S was underwhelmed by Princeton though he did like its suburban location. He’s seeking a close-knit community with campus life at the center of it all. We toured on a Friday afternoon and campus was dead. It didn’t help that our tour guide talked mostly about the rigorous academics and how often he went home on the weekends. S left feeling like Princeton was all work, no play. It’s not off the list but below Penn where he felt there was a stronger sense of community on the bustling campus (also a Friday visit).
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@mountainsoul: did you head down Prospect street? That’s where all the Eating Club houses are. Although the numbers have dropped slightly as Princeton develops more of the distinct college communities the participation rate is close to 75%.
My son and I went to Johns Hopkins hoping for the best. I was hoping for a fun environment with what I knew was an academic powerhouse. First of all the campus is beautiful and although surrounded by a neighborhood that didn’t have a fun vibe, it was well maintained although all the buildings looked identical. All the things we heard from the info session and our tour guide was impressive. These students likely will do very well in life but I didn’t hear one thing they did to have fun. There was alot of talk about group study sessions, and other studying on the weekends. On the ride home, I asked what he thought and he said it was fine and ranked 4th of the colleges we have visited. We have only seen 4. It was an amazing place if science and pre med is your passion but it didn’t hit home with us.
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Yes. Our tour group paused near the area while our tour guide discussed the eating clubs. We also drove down Prospect afterwards. It was very quiet, with few people out and about, and the houses seemed lifeless.
I’m not one to defend Princeton (neither of my children wanted to apply after several below-average visits), but comparing to activity levels with Penn is a bit unfair. HUP and CHOP are 2 of the largest employers in the city, and with Drexel attached next door, there are tens of thousands of extra folks wandering around on a workday. It’s city vs. suburban…but having friends and family who graduated both…I don’t think Penn’s community is that much different, and the Princeton grads (I know) have more active lasting friendships than the Penn kids (obviously a small sample size).
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If it’s not totally off your list for other reasons, try U Rochester - one of JHU’s “peers” academically with research and pre-med, etc. What totally impressed my guy on his visit there was all the kids he met were having fun and discussing their research. A handmade sign he saw in the dorms read, “We’re not nerds. We’re intellectual bada—s.” He knew he had found his people.
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Perhaps the comparison to Penn is unfair, but it doesn’t change the fact that Princeton was too quiet for my guy. He wants a spirited, suburban campus.
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No need for everyone to chime in but as a Penn alum who has many college friends years after graduation (as does my brother who is also an alum) I disagree with your hasty conclusion.
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It is decades in the making, but as noted a very small sample size. Congratulations.