@aliwalsh76 Thank you for sharing this!
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We are OOS and S21 was accepted to MSU, James Madison Residential College
It is an excellent program
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It’s really hard to explain, but the place is electric during a game. You can literally feel the game…like you’re part of it. I’m from the area, and am old enough (barely) to remember going there with my father for the Big-5 doubleheaders. One of the Philly teams would play an out-of-town team, followed by a second game that was Big 5 (Nova, St. Joe’s, LaSalle, Penn, and Temple). The building was packed…hot…loud…it was amazing. No TV time-outs…you could see 2 great games in a little over 3 hours.
I’ve been to NCAA tournament games on all 3 weekends over multiple years, and nothing comes close to what the Big 5 was like. Cameron and Hinkle and Fogg I’m sure have a similar feel, but the Palestra was the home to Philly basketball…not just one team (although obviously, it was/is Penn’s home court), which is why so many locals who watched basketball from the 50’s to the 90’s love it so.
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RE: Your comment that Michigan State University is underrated made me laugh as I just finished watching the movie “Don’t Look Up”.
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57, My wife, who attended the Broad School of Business, would agree.
The Palestra is an awesome venue and a must see for any basketball fan! It’s storied history and electric atmosphere more than makes up for the dismal Penn football program. We only got to attend one game before the pandemic shut everything down but—wow!—it was so much fun. Hoping to see Penn/Villanova there before mountainkid graduates.
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Let’s get back on topic (coming from a Penn alum).
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I also wanted to add when we were visiting campuses over the past year, we brought along the Fiske guide to colleges. This guide was especially helpful for the schools who were not offering tours. It really gives a good idea of the culture of the schools and what they offer.
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I wanted my son to research and apply to this program, but he never did…I wish he had
Since June '20 we visited 17 college campuses - most w/o a tour as they were not being offered due to Covid. We have 3 kids and our oldest is '22 so we brought everyone along for the ride and hopefully have gotten a few out of the way. We are from Chicago, so some were one off trips and some were long road trips. The list:
Purdue - nicer campus than we thought it was going to be, but big - too big, and spread out. Hard to get a sense of what it is like given it was June '20 and no one was around, maybe that made it seem bigger?
Pitt - really liked the neighborhood and the campus, especially the Schenley Park plaza with the cafes. We liked that the school was urban, but set up in its own neighborhood. Without people around it was hard get a sense for the vibe of the campus;
Carneige-Mellon - easy walk from Pitt, nice classic quad - quieter than Pitt. Out of our league, so it was just a nice visit w/o expectations;
Duquesne - liked the hilltop and separation from the rest of the city, walking distance to downtown. Buildings seemed to be mish-mish of styles that did not flow together;
Ohio State - for such a big school, the main classroom areas seemed close together. The little lake was unexpected and quite serene. Again summer ’ 20 so very hard to get a sense of what it is like with students around, but nicer than we thought it would be;
Xavier - very nice - small campus. S22 liked the campus itself, but there seemed very little to do in the immediate area around campus and it seemed like a car would be a necessity to do things in Cincy;
UCincinnati - Liked the neighborhood and the closeness to downtown, kind of like Pitt, with a campus in the city, but definitely its own neighborhood. Campus itself seemed cramped. Very little green space. Was on S22 before visit but fell off after;
Dayton - really liked the campus, seems bigger than than the school size. Liked the houses that the school has bought for off campus housing.
Butler - much like Xavier - very nice campus - small but appropriate for its size. Seems isolated from the city with not much in the immediate area, need a car to get around;
SLU - liked the campus a lot - basically seems like 4 long city blocks with a main walkway and buildings on either side. Like Duquesne, there is a mish-mash of styles. The neighborhood to the west seemed to have a lot going on + St. Louis gooey butter cake;
Loyola New Orleans - Very small but nice campus. It is right next door to Tulane - so its a two-fer campus visit. S22 thought it was too small. St. Charles streetcar stops in front of campus - 20 min ride to CBD and the Quarter, beautiful park across the street and with Tulane next door, you get the feel of a bigger campus;
Tulane - like CMU out of our league, so we just walked around a bit. Very lovely grounds and neighborhood - see LUNO notes;
Ole Miss - great campus, separate from the town but right up against it so everything is easy to get to. On the smaller side for a big state school, liked the size of the buildings, with nothing really big and the newer buildings seemed to have tried to maintain the style. Definitely smaller in feel than Big Ten schools;
American - nice campus, but small. Like Butler and Xavier, seemed a bit removed from the city center and the train was not right on campus. Like BU and XU, the immediate neighborhood around the campus did not seem to have much.
Catholic - nice campus, immediate neighborhood had some cafes and shops. Big plus was the on campus train stop, so seemed much more integrated to the city than American. Seemed to have a lot of green space;
Loyola Maryland - very nice, small campus. Again, like XU, BU and AU, seemed isolated from the city and immediate neighborhood did not have much going on. Just to the south the neighborhood seemed very upscale and about a mile away was Johns Hopkins, so maybe there is more stuff near there?
UW Madison - super beautiful campus, right on the lake, integrated with Madison, tons of things to do. The campus did not seem to have a central quad and was really spread out, but it is a big school
Acceptances from Ole Miss, LUMD, BU, Dayton and SLU from these campuses. No decision yet on where to go.
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Thanks. A few on our list.
Moved off the list: U of Richmond, Cornell, American, BU, Haverford
Moved up the list: Syracuse, Villanova, Fordham, Fairfield, NYU
Any color on why? Of course sometimes it is just the feell\…
@Blers Question: Has Catholic U sent a decision yet?
While my S20 is happy at Dayton, I always look at CUA as sort of the one that got away. Usually when I’m driving 8 hours to Ohio and I wonder what it would be like if he went somewhere half that distance. 
When he and I self-toured CUA, I really liked the campus and surrounding area. It all seemed like a haven, yet very accessible to DC. It seems like a great place for students to spend 4 years. CUA is definitely on the radar for my daughters, and it’s always nice to read a positive review of it.
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He did not apply to CUA. He wants to study Chinese and CUA does not have or it is not robust enough for him. I really liked CUA as well as it is a distinct campus, but definitely in the city and well connected via the Metro to town. In that respect it was different from Xavier, Butler, Loyola MD and American - which are all nice campuses but seem too removed from or hard to get to city attractions.
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I have relied on this thread so much during my son’s (2022 HS grad) college search that I figured I would pitch in with some quick thoughts on the many campuses we saw during the past year and a half or so. Son is coming from large metropolitan area and looking for small to medium sized school in mid-Atlantic, Northeast, or New England with good academics (likely economics or other social sciences major), access to some sort of town area with restaurants, etc. (not too rural), and not too dominated by Greek life. We won’t qualify for any need-based aid. Here are our impressions of the schools we visited:
Amherst- No formal tour. Loved the campus and the town. Campus not big but very pretty and within walking distance to super nice New England college town, with large University (UMass Amherst) nearby. School a bit smaller than ideally want but reputation so good and liked the town so much decided to apply even though very much a longshot to get in.
Bates- Toured. Campus small and only OK. Town nearby did not seem particularly nice. Not far from Portland which is good but still seem like you are pretty isolated. Students seem to love the school and academic reputation is great but ultimately did not apply.
Boston College- Toured. Probably the prettiest campus of all that we saw. Beautiful traditional campus buildings, football stadium right on campus (got to see a football game while there, which was super fun with great tailgate scene). Tour guide we had was amazing. Great access to Boston with the T right off campus that can take you directly into the city (is a decent ride). Don’t love the idea of 40% of Freshmen having to live on campus a mile away, but those students that had to do this did not seem to have a problem with it. Ala carte dining plan also not ideal but food generally got decent reviews. My son’s #1 choice. Admission has gotten so competitive that decided to apply ED2 to increase chances.
Boston University- No formal tour. More of a defined campus area than I had thought there would be based on everything I read. Campus is kind of between two highways but has great access to park and running/biking paths right along the river adjacent to campus. Buildings seemed a bit old and run down. Weather not great the day we were there but suspect campus looks nicer in good weather. Great access to Boston (much more in the city than Boston College). Too big a school for my son, but my daughter may end up applying there in a couple years as she wants more of a city school.
Bowdoin- No formal tour. Pretty campus (though small) with really nice downtown within walking distance that has plenty of restaurants, coffee shops, etc. School a bit smaller than want ideally (and super competitive to get in) so ultimately just missed the cut and did not apply.
Denison- Toured. Nice traditional looking campus with buildings that all appear fairly new, even if they are not. Campus very hilly. Very small downtown at bottom of hill within walking distance that has a few good restaurants and some shops (but not a lot in that town). Very nice and new looking athletic center. Impressed by the tour guide’s description of the academics and in particular the career placement and guidance office. Columbus only 30 minutes or so away, which I hear can be a fun city for younger people. I liked the school more than my son did. Did not apply.
Dickinson- Toured. One of the more impressive tours we did. School’s description of its academics, career guidance, and especially study abroad programs was very compelling. Think this school would provide a great education and really help students find the right field for them. Campus traditional and very nice as is the adjoining town. Son could see himself here, though school is small. They offer good merit aid, though are test blind unfortunately so not sure if my son will get any merit aid or not. Applied.
Franklin & Marshall- Toured. Impressed by this school. Very nice traditional looking campus adjoining both suburban looking neighborhoods and downtown Lancaster with restaurants, bars, shops, etc. Really liked the way they describe how the different residence halls on campus each have their own identity and how those halls have their activities and even compete against the other residence halls. Concerned about how much of the social life is dominated by Greek system (not clear to us), but son really liked this school. Applied.
Gettysburg- No formal tour. Pretty, traditional looking campus. Nothing amazing about the campus, but very nice. Within walking distance of downtown Gettysburg which has good number of restaurants, bars, etc, though very touristy. Nice athletic center. Seem to give decent merit aid. Son ultimately applied though not one of his top choices.
Haverford- Toured. Very nice campus with tons of space considering small size of enrollment. Within walking distance of nice downtown streets with lots of restaurants, stores, etc. Also close to lots of other schools and has easy access to Philadelphia. Based on the tour and everything we read, including close relationships between students and professors, confident that this school would provide an amazing education. But a bit too small for my son so ultimately did not apply.
Kenyon- No formal tour. The definition of a campus in the middle of nowhere. Beautiful but really surrounded by nothing but farmland. One street downtown seemed to have 2-3 places to eat max. Didn’t help that school was largely empty when we were there, but son who comes from a major metropolitan area just could not see himself living here for 4 years. Athletic center at this school was amazing though – probably the best we saw at any school we visited.
Lafayette- Toured. One of the better tours we did. Campus is traditional looking and beautiful. Like how it is a smaller school that still offers engineering. Tour guide’s description of academics and relationships with professors was very impressive. Nice, small downtown area at base of campus within walking distance. Town has several very good restaurants. Less than an hour and a half to both NYC and Philadelphia which seems great for occasional weekend visits, job interviews, etc. A little concerned about how much of social life might be dominated by Greek life (not clear to us). But my son really liked this school and would be very happy here. Applied.
Lehigh- No formal tour. Son did not like this school at all. Photos of campus look very nice but son said many of the buildings seemed run down and the adjoining town especially did. Did not like how the whole campus seems to be on a steep hill. I was not there but the party/Greek reputation of this school probably not a good fit for my son. Did not apply.
Richmond- Toured. Probably the most impressive tour we did. They present the school extremely well and the campus is not only beautiful, but immaculate. We joked how it is hard to even find a stray leaf laying on the ground. Probably the second prettiest campus we saw behind Boston College. School has a really good business school and like how you don’t have to apply into the business school right from high school and how you can take business classes even if not in the business school. Seems like the school has a ton of dining options (much more than most schools we saw) and the food got universally great reviews from everyone we spoke with. Campus is a 10 minute or so drive from a cool area of Richmond with lots of bars, restaurants, etc. Not ideal that isn’t within walking distance, but is a fun area. Richmond likely provides lots of job, internship opportunities (Richmond guarantees each student a certain amount of money for internships), and DC not far away. School gives a lot of merit aid. Little concerned about how much fraternity life might dominate social life, and the recent racial incident involving one of the fraternities is not comforting. But son really liked the school and applied Early Action.
Swarthmore- No formal tour. Very pretty campus within walking distance of nice town and added bonus of easy access to downtown Philadelphia via a train right across the street. School a bit smaller than son wants but ultimately decided not to apply because of reputation school has (rightly or wrongly) for super stressful academics.
Tufts- Toured. Liked this school but not as impressed by campus as hoped would be. Campus seems small, not particularly pretty, and a bit crowded considering size of student body. Great access to Boston, a short T ride away. School within walking distance of areas with plenty of restaurants, bars, etc. Academics really impressive. Son applied.
Ursinus- No formal tour. Quickly walked through campus. Nice, traditional looking campus with athletic facilities right on campus, but campus is small. Access to OK downtown area. Did not apply mainly because too small and not an academic fit.
Villanova- No formal tour. Beautiful campus in great area right outside Philadelphia with lots of other colleges nearby. Easy access into Philly. Great business school and top programs in many other areas. D-1 sports definitely a plus. Some concern over how much Greek life might dominate social life, but son liked this school and applied Early Action.
Virginia- Toured. Surprised that we didn’t like this school more. Obviously great academic reputation but school seemed like much more of a huge university than thought it would, especially considering student body isn’t all that huge. Main strip with lots of bars and restaurants would certainly be fun. Tour guide spoke very poorly of the quality of the food and the academic/career advising, and did not give a great impression on the quality of the housing. Seems like lots of large lectures early on at least. Campus is pretty but seemed more run down that I would have thought. Area around the campus much more developed and suburban sprawl than I would have thought though I know there are beautiful areas right nearby with mountains, hiking, etc. Did not apply.
Wesleyan- Toured. Pretty, traditional New England college campus. Easy walking access to small downtown area that seems to have tons of restaurants, coffee shops, etc. Academics seem super impressive, especially in the arts as well as numerous other areas including astronomy. Liked the tour guide’s description of the housing where students are given improved housing, with more independence and responsibilities, each year as they progress through the school. Liked this school and thought my son should apply but he ultimately decided it wasn’t the right fit for him. Did not apply.
William & Mary- Toured. Campus much nicer than expected. Lots of open spaces, traditional looking buildings, everything within easy walking distance. Campus adjoins both Colonial Williamsburg and area of City of Williamsburg with plenty of restaurants, coffee shops, delis, bars, etc. Small and touristy but think there is enough there to keep students occupied. Tour guide described food as fine. Residence halls nice looking from outside but hear many are old on the inside and many if not most lack air conditioning, which can be rough the first 2 months of school. Very impressed by the school’s description of the academics, including the variety of majors offered. Seems like much more of a serious academic/intellectual school than some of the schools we saw (e.g., Boston College, Richmond, Lafayette) which gave off more of a pre-professional vibe. Richmond only an hour away and DC only about two and a half. Plus Norfolk/Virginia Beach only about an hour away. Applied.
Wooster- Toured. Traditional looking campus that seems large for a relatively small student body. Athletic facilities right on campus which is nice. Within walking distance of town with lots of restaurants, bars, etc. though town is a bit run down. Very impressed by the tour guide’s description of the academics, the close relationship with professors, the career counseling, and the required senior thesis. Dorms very traditional but old looking. Know that they are re-doing the student center (may be done by now) which was definitely needed as it looked like it hadn’t changed in 20-30 years. Good school but ultimately did not apply.
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Did you & your son visit / consider American University in Wash DC ?
If so, could your share your thoughts & impressions ?
Thank you !
Depending on the news from BC, these analyses may help your son when considering his choices:
We did, twice. First on a self-guided tour, and later on an official tour.
I loved almost everything about AU. A lot of potential applicants mention the location as being a negative, but it was not bad IMO. It’s not right in the heart of the action of DC like GWU, but no one I spoke to at AU mentioned any problems get into and around DC. Also, being in an area surrounded by upper-middle class neighborhoods has the benefit of being a super-safe feeling location for families who worry about that. For us, the location was far from a dealbreaker. I liked that AU provided every student with a metro pass.
With my son planning to major in Economics and/or Business (at the time) with an interest in Communications, we both liked their Economics program. Their Communications programs seems especially good. The Business school also would have worked for my son.
What we both liked a lot was how AU took advantage of its location. There were many events where locals (politicians, media, business people) came to speak or teach a class. There seemed to be a wealth of internship opportunities in the area for all majors. AU seems to have a robust Study Abroad program.
The buildings on campus were a mix of newer and older buildings. It wasn’t a campus of all perfect buildings or all buildings needing serious upgrading. It seemed like a normal campus to me in that regard - not Richmond perfect, but not bad either. If I wanted anything more from AU’s campus, I wish it was a little larger. A little more space would have given it a boost.
My son wasn’t wowed during either visit to AU. Probably because both visits also included visits to one or more of Georgetown, Howard, GWU and CUA, and each of those campuses had at least one thing to offer that surpassed and overshadowed that same facet at AU. Georgetown was a classic campus that had a multitude of impressive looking buildings. Howard, though a little run down, just seemed like home, was a place he could see himself thriving academically and socially, and was in a neighborhood he could see himself in a lot. GWU was a great tour for us and it was great to be so immediately close to so much. And CUA was just a great little campus.
But weeks after the second visit, he started talking more about how much he liked AU. Actually, he liked all five DC campuses and would have been happy at any of them.
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I’ve loved reading all of these posts, and so I decided to add our thoughts now that S22 is done with his college process.
Visited 12 schools & son prepared apps for 7 of these (plus 2 more that we didn’t visit). Son ended up submitting 5 apps but then withdrawing/declining 4 when admitted to his ED1 choice, Bucknell.
Priorities for my son were: liberal arts schools (small class sizes), larger-sized LACs (ideally not fewer than 2,500 students, but definitely not fewer than 2,000), “work hard, play hard” mentality with a good frat scene.
Top choices after all visits:
Bucknell: Loved the campus, school/class size (3,500+ students), frat scene. Knows several people who have attended – all very bright and a lot of fun. Loved that campus is walkable to the teeny but cute town. Really could see himself here. Was one of top choices going in and ended up being his first choice. He applied ED1 and was admitted! Thrilled to be into his first choice and done.
Richmond: Second choice after the visits. He applied EA but would have switched app to ED2 if he hadn’t been admitted to Bucknell. Campus was impeccable! Grounds looked manicured, and loved the new/old feel of the buildings. Also really liked that each student able to access a stipend to support research or internships. What put this right behind Bucknell for S22 was the fact that you can’t live in the fraternity houses. My husband and brother both had that living in the fraternity experience and LOVED it. Son really sees himself doing the same.
Also, I didn’t love that the school isn’t walkable to Carytown; felt a little land-locked despite being the closest of any of his schools to a metropolitan area. Withdrew his EA app once admitted to Bucknell.
Colgate: Tied with Bucknell for son’s top choice. Only reason he didn’t apply there ED1 was bc his school’s college advisor recommended applying to Bucknell and Richmond ED1 and ED2 to maximize son’s chances to get into one of his top choices (bc Colgate more difficult to get into). No regrets here but Colgate was beautiful, the right size/party scene, and great academics. Prepared app but didn’t submit once he got into Bucknell.
Dartmouth: This was an absolute far reach for my son. Visited and toured bc husband an alum. Of course, Dartmouth checked all of his boxes and is the perfect size (~4,000). Would have been S’s first choice if he thought it was worth using the ED card here.
Stayed the same:
Lehigh: Son and husband loved the campus and surroundings. I thought it looked a little downtrodden and didn’t love the former manufacturing feel of the town. Very hilly. Not an LAC and not as small as he wanted, but he still liked it. Son prepared application but never submitted.
Franklin & Marshall: Lancaster is a really cute town and campus was beautiful. The housing groups (can’t remember what they’re called) looked so interesting. Son prepared application but never submitted.
Denison: This was the first college visit for my son. He and I visited last March as it was the first school that fit his criteria that was available for in-person visits. Very hilly campus, but beautiful and liked how close it is to the cute little town and that it’s not far from Columbus. We’re from Ohio and it’s in-state for us, and son wanted to got OOS. Still, he could have seen himself here. He submitted his application (RD but submitting before 12/1 made him eligible for the Ohio scholarship) but withdrew it once accepted to Bucknell.
Moved off:
Gettysburg: Not impressed with the very flat campus, but offerings and gym looked good. Son saw himself at other schools above Gettysburg so didn’t apply.
Lafayette: I loved the school and thought grounds were beautiful. Son and husband didn’t like it as much. They thought campus looked a little run-down; I didn’t agree. School fell off list and S22 didn’t apply.
Skidmore: Though Saratoga Springs is a great town, none of us loved the campus. A little too 60s-ish. Son also didn’t feel the vibe of the campus so decided not to apply.
Hamilton: Husband and I loved Hamilton and could easily have seen either of us at the school. It was too small for my son and the social scene not appealing to him. It also would have been difficult to get in, so he didn’t apply.
Middlebury: Husband and son visited this without me. Husband loved it but son not so much. Again, would have been a significant reach so not worth it for my son to apply if he wasn’t excited about it.
Not visited but applied EA:
Hobart William Smith and Elon. He was accepted to both (found out the same day as he learned about Bucknell), but he declined as soon as possible to open up spaces for others. Website review of both made them look great.
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