Colleges your child crossed off the list after visiting, schools that moved up on the list. Why?

Parents Forum
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Adding a bit of clarifying info to this as someone asked me about it later:

When S and I had a question about Great Conversations and the role of religion at Olaf while we were coming to the end of our time, he offered to stay and wait for us to finish our final information session so that we could chat further.

We are not religious ourselves, and while I had read a great deal about how ~45% of students at Olaf are not affiliated with any religion, it was important to me to both suss out if there was any sort of social division between students who are religious and those that aren’t, and while I knew (on paper) that the branch of Lutherans at Olaf was one that had both women and LGBT pastors, I wanted to ensure that there wasn’t any quiet bigotry. We are not anti-religion! But we will not financially support any institution e.g. in which their religion “tolerates” LGBT folks or reproductive health care, but also says those people are going to hell.

Our tour guide was gay (and not religious), and thanked me for asking the question about bigotry and “tolerance,” and we went on to have a really lovely and detailed conversation about faith and religion at Olaf and I left our discussion confident that Olaf would be a terrific place for my student.

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Self toured Bucknell as DS21 had a track meet there, and track meets have a LOT of downtime. Very pretty campus, lots of brick buildings, was asked by a passing student if we needed directions, so a very welcoming vibe. Overall, It seemed like a really good spot for those who want the (mostly) LAC experience but want more than the usual 2,000ish students (Bucknell is 3600).

One personal demerit was a score of 0 on my “Dandelion scale”, i.e. how much Dandelion, Clover, Chickweed, etc. there is on the campus greenspaces. Admittedly with no real evidence, I think the way they treat the green spaces are a clue to the culture of the school. I prefer the species diversity and unkempt look to the more manicured golf course feel, but YMMV.

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Once again… let’s get back to the theme of the thread and discuss colleges visited.

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Recent trip for S23:

Macalester College - campus was emptied out on a Saturday - had to double check that it was not a break week. Surrounding streets had only a few shops and restaurants. Was expecting a more funky urban vibe, whereas the school and area just seemed quiet. Slightly down, although we did not have an official tour.

Carleton College - Engaging info session and tour guides. Everyone projected a very smart, open, curious, and friendly vibe. Impressive facilities and an emphasis collaborative atmosphere. Seemed like a place where education came first in the right kind of balanced way, and a moderate level of diversity among students was visible. The Arb a plus, even if still brown in mid-April. Up onto the short list. Town of Northfield had less activity than expected, but campus vibe made up for that.

Rutgers (Honors College) - This is our state U baseline option (the behemoth against which SLACs shine brightly). Rutgers tour process is inefficient, including a less than useful general info session (which took local knowledge of NJ and interest in applying for granted), an adequate walking tour of one campus (College Avenue in this case) by the general tour guides, and then an info session and tour for the Honors College itself. I understand why they do this, but the entire thing took over 3 hours. Honors College tour guides were the highlight, very smart, engaging, and describing in detail how they took advantage of the Honors College opportunities to build skills and experiences. At least held its own and probably moved up slightly in terms of not having to look deeper into out-of-state options.

Williams College - Outstanding tour with high-energy, smart, and friendly tour guide. Great info session outlining the many, many impressive opportunities offered there. Visiting just as Williams had announced its all grant, no work required aid policy. Projects intense excellence in a positive and still collaborative manner. Really seemed like a special place where students could become future leaders. Had expected this to be similar to Amherst (see below), but was much more than that. Way up onto the short list, which is a bit frightening due to the rejectivity.

Amherst College - rambling and lengthy outdoor info session that did not highlight anything special about the school, other than the ability to take classes elsewhere through the 5-colleges. Unlike Williams, which offered many reasons to apply, Amherst seemed to take our interest for granted. The diversity of the student body is evident looking around, but very surprising that no one mentioned this as a positive for the school. Tour was ok but failed again to highlight positive or distinctive aspects, and student vibe was more lonely than friendly. Left confused and deflated. This was a pre-tour favorite based on a previous look at the campus in the summer (empty) and the nice feel of the town of Amherst, but went way down - off the shortlist and onto the backlist.

Bowdoin College - This school seemed to split the difference with other SLACs. Info session was not stellar like Williams, but did provide some useful details. The friendly vibe predominated here, even as tour guide reeled off the number of prize winners among the student body. Students were out and about on the lovely quad in the afternoon, sitting in circles, chatting. S is not so interested in some of the unique things at Bowdoin (compared to inland schools), such as the strengths in coastal, environmental, or arctic studies. Did not seem quite as strong in pure science, but maybe that is just a misapprehension, judging by again by the prize winners. Stayed in place as an alternative, but not shortlist school.

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I’m not sure why people refuse to stay on topic. Once again, if you have comments or questions, please send a PM.

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Maybe this thread ( Off-Topic Discussion from "Colleges Crossed Off List or Moved Up After Visiting" ) will help. I’ve often thought of starting a thread to handle the overflow discussion this great thread generates.

I understand the desire to keep this thread laser-focused on descriptions of visits. However, I also feel a comment or two in response to a tour-comment is not necessarily off-topic. But yes, that slope is slippery and two responses can easily become a twenty-comment string that gets off track.

So here’s what I hope can become a solution. If anyone wants to further discuss something brought up in the original thread, just Quote the original post you’re responding to and post here. And in this thread, there’s no risk of going afoul of the on-topic chaperones.

Maybe this will help. If not, may it die a quick and painless death.

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I will play the game. Background. D22. We are from the Philadelphia area. D was not interested in going to a school in the Philadelphia area. She is going to play soccer in college. Her range was mid major DI to above-average DIII. That mostly changed to low end D1 to average DIII after the dust settled from Covid when many students opted to stay an extra year. At the beginning of the process, she wanted to major in pre-med but wanted the option to major in engineering. In the last six months she started to lean towards engineering which we did not see coming. D preferred a city campus, was okay with suburban and was not a fan rural. She was not a stickler regarding the size of the school. She is eligible for tuition exchange which played a large factor in the search. We did not look at schools which were not part of the tuition exchange program. D was not too concerned with really picking apart or strenuously comparing the academic reputation of the schools even though she has relatively strong stats. Despite her preferences, we took her to see some schools on rural campuses and some schools that did not have engineering or a 3 + 2 program since she was not leaning that way throughout most of the process.

NJ/NY

Drew - Moved up. It was a beautiful campus that we all liked. Madison was in walking distance of the school and is a very nice town. A train station which will get you to Manhattan in 45 minutes is in town. Morristown is only a few miles away which is a larger town with more to do. It would have been a good fit for soccer. The only drawbacks were we questioned whether there would be enough to do there on the weekends and it had 3 + 2 engineering program opposed to a traditional program. This was ultimately her second choice. (we think)

Stevens Institute of Technology - Moved up very slightly. We were a little late to the game with Stevens in terms of soccer. D started shifting from pre-med towards engineering more in the fall. By the time she got on the soccer coach’s radar most of the spots were filled but he was still interested. She liked the campus and the team but something just seemed missing. The campus was a little too small for her in my opinion. (she did not complain about it though so I could be wrong) Maybe if she was more of a priority for the coach it could have been different.

Fordham - Off the list. She did not like the campus and it does not have a traditional engineering program. It was the only urban campus she did not like. The soccer coach was also losing interest by the time we got up there.

MD/DC

Goucher - Moved up. We were all very surprised with how much we liked Goucher. It is a beautiful campus with many updates throughout and plenty of room to grow. The athletic facilities could use some love. D would be one of the best players on the soccer team immediately which could be a good thing or bad thing depending on how you look at it. Towson is a cool town which is easily accessible from the campus. She applied but ultimately felt like it was not for her. She did an overnight with the soccer team and was not feeling it. Also, it does not have an engineering school which at the end became important.

McDaniel - Moved down and eventually off the list. Too rural for D. Just not the right fit.

Washington - off the list. Way, way too rural for D. Also, it felt too small to D which is the only campus she complained about in terms of size.

Loyola (MD)- Moved up but eventually off. This one was interesting. I did not really like it but D and my wife really liked it. I came away from this one perplexed. I did not like the neighborhood, felt the school was isolated and too small. Also, the athletic facilities were off campus. D and wife had no problem with any of the above and thought it was great. Ultimately, most of the soccer team’s players have stayed the extra year and there were only 3 roster spots for Fall, 2022 which led to the coach no longer being interested.

Catholic - Moved down then shot up. We visited twice. The first visit was the same day as Loyola. It was a long day and was the first time we did two schools in one day. We had a meeting with the soccer coaches which ran late and we missed the tour. We did the self-guided tour but it was not the same. Plus the weather was getting bad. D was just not into it. My wife and I thought it was a good fit so we made her go back. The second visit was a completely different story. She loved it once she was fully rested, had the tour and had the opportunity to meet with the soccer team. She liked the urban campus, the amount of activities available on campus and the fact that there is a metro station. Also, it has pre-med, engineering and it was a good fit soccer wise. Honestly, at the end of the day it was the only school we saw which had everything that she was seeking (and worked) which we are grateful for since we really have no clue what she would have done. She will be going to Catholic in the Fall.

PA

Gettysburg - First visit moved down. Second visit moved up from where it was but still not at the top. We visited Gettysburg twice. On the first visit, it was cold and rainy. I thought it took away from the experience. D really disliked it. She thought it was too rural and too small. My wife and I thought it was very nice and urged her to go back thinking that the weather really took away from the experience. We thought the school and soccer program were a very good fit. We made sure we went up a day early and showed her around the town to try to prove that it was not completely dead and there were things to do. She liked the second visit much better but ultimately she felt it was too rural for her.

Boston
So … we were late to the game with some of the schools in Boston from a soccer standpoint which made things difficult. On the way home from the trip we hit a ton of traffic and she realized that it may be too far for her. However, while we were up there we all took the tours seriously.

BU - moved up. BU had light interest in D for soccer. She had the stats to get admitted (we think) but it was also a longshot for her to receive the tuition exchange. It was a bit of an all-around reach. However, we all loved it. It was truly a great place in a great location. However, she ultimately got caught up in the numbers crunch and she was not offered a roster spot by the soccer team.

Endicott - moved way up. We really did not know what to expect because we did not know a lot about the school. We were all impressed by the beauty of this campus. The beaches were so cool and the whole place was picturesque. D came on to the scene late with Endicott from a soccer perspective and the coaches were not all that interested in her unless she came back for the ID clinic that D already had a conflict for. I believe the engineering program is new or is starting next year which also gave her some pause. Also, it is another 45 minutes from Boston which was another 45 minutes from home.

Wheaton - Moved Down. This school was very nice but just was not a fit. Also, we were behind in the recruiting process. Ultimately, D did not see the point of going to Wheaton over Drew. Whether or not that is fair I do not know but she felt that way. She felt they were very similar and Drew was much closer to home and she was a great fit for its soccer team. If we lived closer to Boston we would have liked it more.

Wentworth- Moved up. My wife did not like it at all. My D surprisingly liked it. We think she mostly liked the location of the campus and the fact that she would be one of the best players on the soccer team immediately.

WPI - Moved down. D just did not feel like it was for her. Also, like Endicott and Wheaton, she was way behind in the recruiting process. Wheaton and WPI were the 4th and 5th school D saw in three days so we feel like she may have been over it by that point.

This was fun recapping. I hope this is of interest or assistance to someone.

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University of Utah - Down, unfortunately because with WUE the cost was on point. However, when we toured Friday the campus was dead. Just empty of students and energy, and it wasn’t spring break, etc. A parent even asked the tour guide if it was always like that because the lack of students was so noticeable, and he replied that he was asked that question often. Bad sign for D. Also, D not an outdoor winter sports enthusiast, and they pushed the discounted ski pass and remote networking ability from the mountains hard. So, although the mountains and SLC area in general are quite beautiful, D was worried that when it came to weekends, free time, etc. everyone would be on the mountain skiing/snowboarding. Great for some, just not for D. Won’t apply.

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We may have been on the same tour. My daughter liked it and the campus is gorgeous and D22 has being able to ski as a top priority. She was concerned that it seemed empty because everyone was skiing and the lack of a specific college area like “the hill” in Boulder. We asked three different guides where kids got food and they all had a blank look and said “downtown?”. Which is close to campus just not what she’s looking for… D22 felt if she went there she’d be happy but it solidified her decision to go to u of Oregon which checked more boxes. But if you like the outdoors that campus cannot be beat- 1/2 hour to the best skiing in the us. Boulder is two hours + to top skiing…

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We just toured Whitman yesterday and had a terrific visit; moved UP, with (at this moment) Whitman #1, St. Olaf #2 on S23’s list.

Welcoming staff in the admissions office preceded a tour led by a gregarious and thoughtful student. While I wish we had been able to walk through more of the buildings (we entered the lobbies or main hall of buildings rather than walking down the halls), the tour group was able to go everywhere except inside the dorms, dining hall, and the music hall.

The campus is beautiful with sculptures peppered throughout the landscape, and it was full of flowering trees, spring bulbs, water features, and ducks playing in the waterways. S was able to sit in on a class and came away from it finding the professor engaging and the students interested and interesting - the classroom experience boosted their opinion quite a bit going into the afternoon. After walking to lunch and walking around Walla Walla and the neighborhood around Whitman (a lovely area), we walked back to campus to explore the buildings more thoroughly and ended up in the campus center looking to check out the outdoor program. We had a spontaneous and fun chat with a student staffing the outdoor rentals desk - and she told S all about the (many!) trips, the focus on affordability and accessibility for students, and how easy it is to get outside while at Whitman. (The gear rental program is terrific!)

S next had a coffee and chat that the college arranged for him previously (an extra at my student’s request, as depending on the day of the week of your visit they offer either sitting in on a class or lunch with a student and S really hoped to do both).

So my S23 was able to tour the dining hall, pick up a snack and a tea and talked for an hour(!) with a current senior. As we drove away from Whitman my S said: we talked a lot about the community and the close relationships with the professors - it’s really what I want! Whitman #1, and St. Olaf #2…

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My Whittie loves it there for so many of these reasons.

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Thanks for your review, I’ve been looking forward to it! It sounds great and I think my D will like it for the same reasons.
I have heard from more than one person here that Whitman and St Olaf have the same vibe. We do our trip to Whitman this weekend, so we’ll see if our reviews are similar!

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I also know Whitman is getting a fantastic new president in Sarah Bolton, who is leaving Wooster. :frowning:

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S23 visited seven schools in ten days. I wasn’t able to make the trip, but we’ve gone over the visits.

Crossed off
Columbia: just felt it was too urban of a setting. Plus he’s not thrilled about NYC as an undergrad.
Penn: was on the fence about including it on his list. Just didn’t appeal to him…will not be adding.

Moved up
Princeton: moved up to the top spot. Loved the campus and the mood on campus. After the tour a current student had lunch with them and. S23 has a cousin who went there but was kind of miserable (cousin says its more his major than Princeton per se).
Brown: wasn’t really visiting, but they were in providence and checked it out. Dont think he will apply, but at least he’s thinking about it.
Rice: was not on the tour…they had checked it out last spring when s21 was deliberating. However it moved up on his list by comparing to what he saw in the Northeast. Likes the college setup, the academics, size and the weather (though he’s now not reluctant to go somewhere cold).

Held steady
Duke, UNC, Harvard (says they had a great visit to Harvard)

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We visited Amherst and Penn this week. They are both great schools, for different reasons.

Penn- the campus is urban, but with areas that are insulated from the grid of street traffic. We had a great tour guide. Our general impression was that one advantage of Penn is its robust offerings in terms of classes, research opportunities and access to internships. The CAS also allows quite a bit of latittude for students who have interests in more than one area. This is a plus for DS, who is interested in science, engineering, mathematics and economics. The campus was very busy, and for some students a quieter environment may be more appealing. It sounds like class sizes, at least in the early stages, are quite large (approx. 300). The pre-professional vibe was very apparent - that may help in getting some students focused on having a plan, but may also create a very competitive environment with an early focus away from academics for their own sake. We noticed that Wharton and certain named programs seemed to have elevated status (which, at least in the case of the named programs, which appear to be extremely selective, may be warranted). That did not seem to bother DS. Lots of activities, and the students seemed social. DS decided that if he chooses Penn, he will dive further into Penn’s offerings and create a plan, becasue it seemed to him that if he did not arrive on campus with a plan, that he would be a step behind.

Amherst College - The campus is in an open setting, and we attended “Be a Mammoth” day. Amherst accomodated us at the last minute. Amherst seems to take a low-key approach to student visits, providing informative talks and opportunities to attend classes. My son attended a physics class; it had fewer than 30 students, two professors and a TA. The students (including those who were visting) worked in groups and interacted with the professors and TA. The class sizes and classroom experience clearly make Amherst, like other LACS, special. Amherst has an amazing science building that was filled with light. It had common areas, classrooms, labs and study spaces. To get there, students walk down a long flight of stone steps, which were great on a dry spring day, but I did wonder about how that works in the winter in Mass. Given his interests, DS is going to further explore the availability and breadth of STEM classes, as if we are paying the Amherst tuition, we would prefer that he not need to take classes at UMass Amherst. The campus and the students were quiet, but everyone seemed nice. DS would not be on a sports team, and we could see how the sports teams create communities of their own. We do not see this as unique to Amherst. We think that DS would likely eventually need a car at Amherst, and are keeping that in mind.

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Case Western Reserve-up

We really enjoyed our jam-packed day at Case Western. We attended an open-house on April 15th. Beautiful campus, very welcoming staff and students, informative sessions. The rigor was intense but with a positive vibe if that makes sense. My son really liked it. He was reassured that it’s not just STEM-centered, they seem to embrace/offer resources to all disciplines and even encourage diversity in double majors (engineering and theatre was actually a common combo!) He plans to study psychology & loved an informal session with a Cognitive Science professor. My husband, son & I agreed that Case Western would be an absolute dream for anyone studying in the medical field with such close proximity to reputable, top notch hospitals. Literally right across the street! Very impressed with the school and definitely checks lots of boxes for my son. He didn’t say “wow, this is the one!” but definitely thinks it would be worth applying and trying for a scholarship. He just found out he qualifies to apply as a National Hispanic Merit Scholar (as per his PSAT score) and they actually highlighted that diversity was important to them in the admissions process and implied they have scholarships for many categories, including minorities. Overall, a thumbs up for the school & open house. Glad we did the full day rather than just an info session & tour.

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SUNY University at Buffalo-up

My S23’s perspectives have evolved over time so the first time we visited UB, he gave it a big thumbs-down. He didn’t like the idea of large classes as a Freshman and TA’s teaching classes. But he recently became open to larger schools which have reputable honors programs and wanted to give UB another look with an Honors College info session and another tour. He felt the Honors College would help to give a small college feel to a big school. He loved hearing about the study abroad and research the Honors students were engaging in and really liked the vibe of a close-knit community within a larger college. Not sure he would choose this school if he didn’t get into the Honors College but I think he has a good shot, based on his stats and outside activities.

Also wanted to share some amazing advice from our tour guide which also shaped his opinion and overall impression:

Our tour guide, who was wonderful, came to the end of the tour where they express why they chose that college. Paraphrasing but basically she said, “This college was not my first choice, or my second. I only applied because my mom went here and asked me to apply and see if I could get any of the good scholarships. I reluctantly applied, still focusing on a few other schools I had been dreaming of. I got into my top 2 choices with small merit awards and was so excited. Then I received the letter from UB and not only was I accepted into the Honors College, but landed the top scholarship of full tuition. It sounds crazy but I was actually disappointed and mad at mom for making me apply. I really wanted to go to one of my top 2 choices*, but how could I say no to this offer? After much reflection and thought, I grudgingly decided to commit to UB because I knew it was the right thing to do, but I wasn’t happy, to be honest. My first semester was rocky and I ended up switching my major but the support I received from my advisor and friends at UB was unbelievable. Then things really started to click into place. I connected with professors and joined clubs and took advantage of really cool opportunities available at the college and in the community. I shocked myself and realized I was falling in love with the school I least wanted to attend. And I was getting an amazing education debt-free which will help with my future law school goals. It became clear that going here was meant to be and the best choice I could have made. I came in with many credits so I could have graduated early, but decided to declare a 2nd major, then a 3rd major to enjoy a full 4 years here. I also pushed myself out of my comfort zone and even joined an engineering club with no real interest or experience with engineering, just for fun. I have grown so much as a student and person. I know this isn’t the traditional answer to why a tour guide chose a certain school, but it’s from the heart and I hope none of you discount a SUNY or your state school option just because you get into big name schools. My advice is to look for affordable colleges you can shine at and save money if possible.”

*mentioned Georgetown and Michigan State as her top 2 when we had a private conversation later

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Thoughts now that we have wrapped up S22’s college search:

Up:
Appalachian State – he loved it! He loved the mountains and the vibe of the students. Not a fan of the housing situation (controlled by The Pirates on the Mountain) for all but freshmen. Moved way up his list.

Christopher Newport – he loved it, too! CNU has a very flat campus (lots of bikes!) but the compact size (5,000 students) was a positive, especially since he planned to bring his cello, so it would be pretty easy to carry his instrument across campus. The beautiful buildings that some call Disney-fied were a plus for him. Food we had on campus was great, plus there are lots of food options across the street from the campus.

Roanoke College – loved it because it is a small campus (lugging cello factor again) and he loves the mountains. Unfortunately no real organized orchestra or symphony. He would need to drive in to Roanoke to perform in a group.

University of Mary Washington – liked the campus, but he associates Fredericksburg with traffic jams on I-95. (The bad thing about living in northern Virginia!) The buildings seemed old to him as compared to CNU.

UNC Greensboro – kind of liked the urban campus, but he seemed to start to gravitate towards smaller schools by the time we toured UNCG. Loved the music program and their strong performing arts focus.

Down:
High Point – wow, he disliked this campus A LOT. We barely lasted 30 minutes. No way, no how.

James Madison – way too big. Too long to get to the music performance spaces as a business major. He was fine with I-81 splitting the JMU campus. It was just a trek for him to get across campus.

UNC Charlotte – it was what he called “nice” but he could not envision himself just outside the city of Charlotte. Strong MIS program couldn’t overcome what he thought of the campus.

Elon – the buildings were pretty but the in-the-middle-of-nowhere factor loomed large. Probably didn’t help that the campus is close to Winston-Salem where his sister attends college.

Shenandoah – absolutely not. It’s right off the highway (I-81) and he seems to prefer the views closer to the Blue Ridge Parkway than the northern section of Skyline Drive. (Might be too many vacation trips to this portion of Virginia?)

U of Maryland Baltimore County – no way. The campus buildings are big industrial blocks. (Except for the performing arts spaces, which are beautiful.)

U of South Carolina – within 15 minutes of arriving at our hotel which is right in the middle of campus, he announced that there was no way he would apply to the school. We tried walking around a bit and it was just not for him. (At least he’s decisive?)

Virginia Tech – way too big. All the things he said about JMU, but on a larger scale.

Neutral:
George Mason – the campus is 10 miles from our house and he has spent many a weekend on campus. The too close to home factor loomed large.

George Washington University – a definite no. He has visited the campus several times since we are in DC pretty often. But there is little campus core and he wasn’t a fan of lots of walking. (Lugging the cello factor?)

Virginia Commonwealth U – we visited several times, and the first time he thought it was cool, but on subsequent visits I think the urban flairness wore off, especially after seeing other campuses.

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Adding Hobart William Smith to the list of schools that went way up for my ds22. Backstory is that it was a last minute addition to the list, and a last minute trip when he was unexpectedly accepted. He liked it so much he’s attending.

The campus is very pretty in a traditional, ivy-covered walls sense. It’s like a mini Hogwarts, with expansive grassy quads on the shores of Seneca Lake in the Fingerlakes region of upstate NY. The dorms are very typical and probably the least updated buildings, but the arts center, library and student center were modern and blended well with the older buildings. It’s a small school (around 2k), but it didn’t feel small on the accepted students day when we visited. My ds found the students and staff alike to be very outgoing, friendly, and willing to answer any and all questions. The vibe was eclectic—preppy, sporty, crunchy, artsy, you name it. It was a chilly but sunny day in the 50’s, and the campus was bustling with students, and not just the accepted visitors.

The town of Geneva was small but cute—restaurants, wine bars, coffee shops, and some cute little shops. Walgreens and grocery store are an easy drive. It was a long drive from central CT (almost 5 hrs) but it didn’t feel remote at all. We’re glad we made the trip :+1:.

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Just started looking, East coast, most likely a NY state school for financial reasons. But still exploring options.

Up-St. Lawrence. D went into this process thinking she wanted a big school, but seeing St Lawrence totally turned the boat around. Beautiful campus, great vibe and a great tour guide

Up-University at Binghamton-I’m a UAlbany alum so I’m used to seeing tons of concrete on SUNY campuses. Binghamton was surprisingly well maintained with more green space than we expected. They layout of the campus made it feel smaller and we had a top notch tour guide.

Down-Smith. Campus looked beautiful, closeness to Northampton was great. My daughter liked the inclusive vibe but our tour was terrible. Not the tour guide’s fault 100% but we felt like what they showed us was so limited and covered such a small area of the campus. It was disappointing.

Down-UMass Amherst. Maybe we just weren’t in the mood. We were self guided. It was a cold windy day and the concrete Arts Center monstrosity (the first building you see) was an immediate turnoff. Once you got past that the campus had a much better feel but it just wasn’t the day.

Same-Clarkson. My daughter was meh going into it (she’s STEM strong but doesn’t like to admit it). The tour guide was great. The layout of the academic buildings was great (all connected-great in the winter) but she thought the student vibe was too serious.

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