You are right that I have probably overstated the heat problem at USC. I am just sensitive to it because I have lived in CA for 25 years and it has gotten significantly hotter these last 10. Where I live now, it used to be perfectly pleasant almost every day of every year, but now we get many days/weeks between May and October that are in the high 90s and 100s (when the weather graphs say we should be in the 80s). Everything at USC is made of brick, which on hot days would make the place seem like an oven, I suspect (that is what our back yard patio is like - unbearable in the summer, even near San Francisco). Because USC is so urban without substantial green spaces to absorb the heat, and far from coastal LA breezes, I think my son would struggle there on those really hot days - but most are in the summer when students wouldn’t be there anyone.
Our son had almost the exact same situation with Lehigh. On paper, it was at the top of the list and went right off after the visit. He loved Lafayette but didn’t go because it didn’t offer the academic program that he was most likely going to pursue. We know several students from Lafayette and only hear good things.
I know you are not seeking suggestions but our son also felt the same way about BU. Our biggest surprise after visiting was Pitt. For a city campus, you feel separated but still in the city somehow. Worth taking a look, strong engineering.
Here are D22’s and my impressions. Most tours were in the spring, much affected by COVID
Tulane - UP this was our first college tour, we could not go inside any buildings. Compact campus in the city. Location across from Audubon park is beautiful. Tour guides were fun, knowledgeable, enthusiastic, no question was off limits. They seemed to have handled COVID well. the students we saw on campus seemed happy. After the tour even my S26, who was 12 at the time was ready to attend Tulane 
Rhodes - somewhat UP. There were very few students on campus when we visited, we could go into some buildings. The campus is small, cute and fenced. The fenced part is what bothered D22. the tour was very well organized, staff was very friendly, good COVID protocols and great tour guide. What stood out was that the tour guide seemed to know everyone we met, incl. the janitors, and had a friendly word with everybody. If this is representative of the school that all people on campus are treated the same, regardless of their position, that is very impressive to me! D22 visited Rhodes again for a sports ID camp and she liked the students she met that day. The part I did not like about Rhodes is that there is nothing in walking distance for the kids, no cafes, restaurants to go to. It didn’t seem to bother my D.
Ole Miss - somewhat UP. We didn’t take a tour, it was on our way to Memphis to see Rhodes. We just drove around campus on a Friday evening and were positively surprised. The campus is beautiful. D wants big city and this is in a small town but D could see herself there anyway. She loved, wait for it…, the food robots that were rolling around campus 
Ole Miss has a specialty program that seems a good fit for D, so she applied.
Washington & Lee - DOWN we visited there while on our way to DC. It was all too small and too remote for D. We did not take a tour, it was a total no. It didn’t help that we hardly saw any people while we were in town.
George Washington - DOWN. D did not like the absence of a real campus. Tours were not offered due to COVID, so we just walked around. Buildings were closed to visitors.
Georgetown - DOWN. Something about the atmosphere did not appeal to D. She did not like the dark main building and the few students that were around didn’t seem as happy. Again, tours were not offered, so we just walked around. Buildings were closed to visitors.
American - way UP. We took a self guided tour and tagged along with a guided tour for a while. She loved American, pretty campus close enough to the city. There were lots of students milling around and they seemed happy. It’s rivaling Tulane for the number one spot. Similar to Rhodes I didn’t like that there were no cafes, restaurants etc. in walking distance. It did not bother D.
LSU - UP. This was the biggest surprise. It is D’s safety and our state flagship. I had no expectations as I always saw it as a school that values football more than academics. We attended a full day kick off event, which was very well done. For the first time we were able to go inside the buildings of a school we toured. The Honors College and its dorms are new and nice. The professors whose sessions we attended were very engaging and exuded fun in their subject matter. The brand new engineering building is amazing (though my D will never take a class there). D can now actually see herself there, which is a relief (especially to our pocket book).
JMXC21, as a runner and as the parent of a former HS XC runner, I wouldn’t rate USC very good for running. It’s nowhere near the beach, so that’s not something your son would do much. Most runners I know just head of running from where they live, and that’s where USC would feel confining to me. You could do laps around the campus and maybe around Exposition Park, but the other directions wouldn’t appeal to me. We also have a kid who was a NMF, but didn’t end up getting in to USC. I liked the campus and I think it would have been OK safety-wise, but it would have been the most expensive option even with the half-tuition scholarship. For California schools that a NMSF might be applying to, not including UCs since they’d be full price for you, Stanford would be a good one for running (but the toughest to get into).
Hope she gets in to one of those places.
@youcee @lbo1965 @mtmind @CMCMLM @Wjs1107 Thanks for all the information. Sounds like USC won’t work for my son. He will be glad to not have to write the essays.
@youcee Yes Stanford is a beautiful campus and great for running; first he has to get in. I will post our college visits at some point in case it is helpful.
Thanks so much for sharing your impressions, @trops! So glad to see some deep south schools being compared to some of the more commonly mentioned ones further up north. For students who are unsure about moving far away, it’s always great to hear reactions from people who have had experiences with campuses closer and further away.
Son flew down to DC with my husband and a friend on Monday to tour American and GW. He liked them both and will most likely apply to both RD (yes he is late with a list). His impressions:
GW - Good tour guide, great location in the city and really near everything. GW kids seemed wealthier to him with girls really dressed up. Biggest downside was the lack of green space. Guide said the national mall is their place to hang when they want to throw a frisbee etc.
American - Liked the distinct campus, plenty of green space. Ate lunch in the cafeteria and said the food was good (although not as good as UMass). Kids seemed happy and more “chill” which he liked. Dorms seemed pretty nice. Overall he really liked it. As he is looking to the humanities (and possibly political science) it is a good fit academically.
Just curious if your S was able to also tour the Mt. Vernon campus of GW?
My S, first year, lives on the Mt. V campus and while it wasn’t his preferred choice (Foggy Bottom obviously more convenient) he is quite happy living there.
There is a decent amount of green space living on the Vern, and the Mt. V campus is compiled of all freshman this year. It has provided a great opportunity to make many friends.
My S is extremely happy with GW so feel free to PM with any questions that you may have.
Thank you so much! He didn’t see the Mount Vernon campus just Foggy Bottom. I will have him check out the other on-line, if possible.
My daughter is applying to GW because she really liked the energy and location of the foggy bottom campus. But it seems like a lot of freshmen end up in Mount Vernon. Do you think that’s a good thing? That maybe it ultimately helps them transition better? There’s plenty of time to live in DC and have the city life. Not sure if my daughter agrees, but I kind of like the separation at first.
My D22 really likes GW and has reservations about the Vern. I kind-of like it too and would want her to be part of honors there to establish bonds and get needed support/advising.
I think living on the Vern campus has its perks in terms of being somewhat of an enclosed campus with plenty of green space for walking, frisbee, outdoor movies, etc.
And this year, freshman only are living on the Vern bc a long-standing, large capacity freshman dorm, Thurston, is undergoing significant renovations; so Thurston wasn’t an option for any students this year. So more freshman got shifted to living in the Vern this year than usual.
S has gripes about the shuttle (that runs about every 20 mins) to Foggy Bottom bc it sometimes runs late or is overcrowded and you have to wait for the next one. But….in no way would it be such an issue that he wishes he had attended school somewhere else.
I think bc he rides the shuttle about 2-3 times a day it has served as a place for him to constantly meet new people (like even last week he mentioned meeting some sorority women on the vex shuttle and they invited him to go to a DC museum/garden with them the day after, etc.)
S typically spends most of Tues/thursdays all day on FB and has used that time to study in one of the libraries (that he affectionately calls his “office”), to get his glasses fixed, try out new foods or restaurants, and go to a gym. He also has study group time, and EC’s (like political, chess, radio, etc) on FB campus so again, he spends a significant amount of time in downtown DC.
And I can confirm this by admitting I check his iPhone location during the day and have seen places he is nearby or at and I Google it and it’s fun to see what’s he experiencing.
So while he would prefer living in FB (to avoid the shuttle riding every day) he thinks the experience of living on the Vern has been positive and he has no regrets.
To me, I like that it’s almost like a small community college but with housing kind of feel. Or like a post high school environment. They are young adults but everyone there is in the same situation and it’s easy to look to each other for support and help.
Like one time S bought new pants and they needed some stitches in the waist and he said no worries, he met someone who can sew who will be doing it for him. Super nice. And yesterday they helped someone celebrate a bday with a cake that they had all bought and decorations and a “roasting”.
Picture is view from his dorm on move in day.
S is in GW honors and it has been a positive perk. First, West Hall houses all honors kids which is great bc (1) dorms are newer compared to most, and (2) the dorms are mostly private rooms with a shared living area, and bathroom. (My S has his own room, as does another roommate and then the other two share a larger room, and they all share a bathroom, two sinks and a sitting area that has a full sized fridge and microwave).
Each hall has its own kitchen and social space, and laundry area. And the bottom level of West Hall has the small dining area for Mt. Vernon campus, and the gym, and the packaging/mail center.
Early registration is nice, as is honors counseling and access to honors classes that I believe are capped at 20? (Maybe fewer?)
GW has been a very good fit for my S. Those who are independent, self starters, willing and able to talk with teachers before and after class or during office hours, and good problem solvers if situations (academic or otherwise) come up that they aren’t familiar with….are they students that would likely be most happy or pleased at GW. Also, flexibility is a trait that is likely an asset to GW satisfaction.
Edited to add picture of a little walking trail on Vernon campus he took before sunset a few weeks ago.
.
Took a short trip to Boston last week and here’s what we saw:
Wesleyan: Moved up, sort of. Honestly, my wife and I loved it, but our daughter thought it was too quiet. The open curriculum will probably keep it on her list, though. they seem to really want the students to study whatever they feel like and take whatever classes they want- no requirements at all, except what you need for your major. It also seems like there is a ton of support and the kids are involved in an impressive array of research and internships- maybe they are coddled a bit…Also Middletown has a surprising strip of restaurants, coffee places, etc, and is only a 10 min walk from campus. Tour guide was very knowledgeable, but left nothing for the info session which followed to add, so that dragged on.
Tufts: Moved down. Very pretty main quad, but even being bigger than Wesleyan, it felt even quieter. Nothing really wrong with it, but it just didn’t sell itself. Info session was your standard boring one telling us nothing we don’t already know or can’t easily look up.
Boston University: Moved up. Campus really has a lively buzz to it, and it kind of is a real campus since the buildings are all BU and not mixed in with other businesses or residences. We couldn’t go inside anything so that was a bummer, but they do a polished info session with a very professional brochure handout. the area is very clean for it’s urban setting- we did get lucky with a sunny fall day. the main negative observation is that it’s just always going to be noisy there- no quiet spots to reflect and meditate or whatever. that will work for some kids, but not all.
Harvard: We didn’t tour Harvard- it is not a place our daughter will bother applying to- but we spent a night in Cambridge. It’s a very cool place to go to school with a great location on the Charles River for walking or running and lots of shops and eateries adjacent to campus. I get why it’s popular…
If you want to get away a bit from BU it is a very short walk over to the Esplanade where it is quieter - great for running, walking, rollerblading and beautiful views. Just thought I’d throw that out there.
DH and DD22 went to the Guilford College Open House yesterday. DD had already applied and had a quick visit. She was already really interested and DH was skeptical, with big concerns about the school’s finances. The incoming president, Kyle Farmbry, was there (super smart of them to have him attend) and addressed the group. DH left “sold” that if this is where DD wants to be, he’s all in. He thinks this president, with a background in both college admin and his research on the “intersection of academia and private and independent sector entrepreneurial development” is exactly who the college needed. Both DD and DH commented on the positive vibe and the gorgeous campus. It felt like just the right size to DD who is looking for a “homey” feel.
My son is also applying to GW, and my initial reaction was the same as yours- he’d better try hard to get housing on the Foggy Bottom campus. But then I really thought about it, and I like the idea of a green space campus, housing mainly freshmen, and has a little dining hall, almost like a regular college. If he goes there, I now hope he will be on the Vern, and since he will try for honors college, I guess he would be (if he gets in). I think it will help with friendships, and as another poster said, can talk and meet people on the VEX, and I think it would be the best of both worlds.
Very first college visit tours with our D23. We are from New York but daughter wants warmer weather for college so first trip is two schools in North Carolina.
Wake Forest: Moved up. Size was perfect for my D23. She wants to roll out of bed and get to class quickly but also wants it to feel bigger than her high school. Tour was fine. 1 hour all outside buildings. Noted that close the library early on Friday and Saturday nights to try to encourage students to not study. You can tell there is definite academic pressure here. An acquaintance that goes to this school agreed to take D23 to lunch and to a class. Now for the class… 15 students in a U shape. D23 takes this class in high school so the subject matter was fine. She commented that most girl wore sweatshirts and leggings (or more fashionable jeans) but two of the girls wore dresses to class (that was “weird” to her.) D23 said that 12 of the 15 students were on social media or shopping during the class with only 3 truly paying attention. This may sound strange to you but it gave my D23 comfort that college classes were not that different than her high school experience. I did not have the same reaction but I was glad it made her less scared. I am told the work is “manageable” there but it definitely sounded like work hard play hard school. D23 would likely have to ED to get in and it stayed on her list.
Elon University: stayed the same. Honestly I was so impressed with my online research and visiting the school validated that feeling. However, D23 thought the school “tried too hard” and didn’t get the vibe from student that she was a good fit. The tour was probably too long. D23 appeared to have a information limit where she stops paying attention. She is still a Junior so I think college is still far off to her. We agreed it would stay on the list as a good safety school.
Both these campuses are just so beautiful especially in the Fall. As these are the first schools visited, we set the bar high. D23 does not want an urban school and this visit did validate that she was happy with just staying on campus for fun. Clear impression in both schools that most had no reason or desire to step off campus during the semester.
UC Davis is off the list after today. D22 says, “I hate riding bikes.” I am a little disappointed but I can see her point. The campus is gigantic and you pretty much need a bike to get anywhere. There’s a bowling alley on campus though, and that’s pretty fun!