URochester is an easier admit than Brown. In a city but with a well-defined campus. Open curriculum.
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Ah yes, the Brown stereotype. “Hi there. Welcome to Brown. Come and do whatever you want. Take only classes that tickle your fancy, play frisbee, sleep in, take exams or don’t take exams. If you don’t like to write, just don’t do the papers. Any answers you provide on a math or physics test will be fully embraced by the Brown community if you feel good about it. We don’t care. We won’t judge, or evaluate, anything you do here. Ever. Just come and wander around here for four years and make sure you have fun.”
Between it and Wesleyan, it’s almost as if my children chose places with monolithic “reps” just to give me something to do.
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West Virginia University: some up, some down. My son is interested in mining engineering, and WVU is one of only 13 colleges that offer this program. It’ll likely be the cheapest option for him, and closest to home (5 hour drive) so we went in REALLY hoping to like it.
He’s looking for a big school, other majors besides engineering incase he wants to switch, school spirit, football games, great mining engineering department with lots of support & great job placement, outdoorsy in the mountains for hiking, off-roading, mountain biking, etc, able to have a car freshman year… WVU checks ALL these boxes. But, we’d seen that a lot of people are turned off after visiting, despite it having pretty good reviews from current students, so we were anxious to check it out.
Well, there were MANY positives, most of which we already knew about, and a FEW negatives.
We met with the department head. This meeting was fabulous, and he really conveyed what a close-knit department it is, and how the job prospects are excellent. I’m so happy we got a chance to speak with him - it definitely made a very positive impact on my son’s interest in the school.
We do see what turns people off after visiting. The two campuses (downtown and Evansdale) are far apart. The bus and the PRT are okay options for going back and forth, but they don’t run 24x7, and can be slow and break down. There is no good way to walk between campuses, bc of the hills and lack of sidewalks(very disappointing). Also, the downtown campus doesn’t have much open space for hanging out outside, and is VERY steep between buildings (i.e. you have to climb stairs because it’s too steep for a path). The downtown buildings are beautiful, but there is a LOT of traffic - no respite from roads, noisy cars everywhere, etc. It was better on Evansdale, but it can be a 30 minute commute to get there via the transportation.
Also, the town was pretty gritty. Lots of unique, interesting places, but just a little concerning. My sons weren’t bothered by it at all, but I personally would have had a bit of trepidation about spending four years there. One positive about this - there is VERY cheap off campus housing, unlike what you find at many universities. Also, the population of Morgantown is about 30k, which is also the number of students that attend WVU, so during the school year, there is a very large student presence, which is nice.
A couple of things that surprised us - the WVU hospital complex, which I assume is for the medical school and medical-related majors, was VERY impressive. Huge, modern, and in a great location. Also - if you go to WVU undergrad, they said that you could go to law school there for free. I would have to double-check this if my kid wanted to go to law school bc it almost sounds too good to be true, but I’m pretty sure that’s what they said.
There was a really good mix of all types of people at WVU. At 60% out of state, I think my son would find friends easily.
The tour itself: we saw the visitor center, a classroom, an on-campus restaurant, the student rec center(very new and nice with lots to do!), then hopped on a big bus and drove to the downtown campus, where we got out and saw the rec center and a few other buildings. A LOT of time was spent driving around on the bus, which gave the impression that the campus isn’t very ‘walkable’.
While it’s reasonably priced for OOS, the In-state tuition is so cheap that it’s painful to think about having to pay OOS prices for this school. They do have some great scholarships, so will have to wait and see!
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Have you thought about Virginia Tech for mining engineering? We have a friend who graduated from that program, had a great experience, and came out with a job in the field (albeit probably 20 yrs ago). It would check all of the boxes also - big, spirited, football, outdoorsy.
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Here are some thoughts on schools that don’t get a lot of chatter on CC. We just visited Boston and Providence this week, arriving in both cities during torrential rainstorms.
Suffolk University - moved up! I think it is more of a regional school, we are in NJ and it was not on our radar but D23 is a B student who is interested in Boston. It’s in a great location, right in downtown Boston with buildings around Boston Common. Beautiful dorms. Nice classroom buildings/student center. Definitely an urban college without a defined campus. D23 is not a big joiner, doesn’t like sports. She liked Suffolk quite a bit. We had a lovely, assured young woman lead the tour and she did a great job. I think she showed us everything but the gym - we saw a dorm, the academic buildings, the library, student center. It’s expensive but wow - location, location, location. D23 wants to work and do a lot of internships which they seem to support.
Bryant University - will stay on the list. Beautiful, small campus about 10 minutes out of Providence. Little gem of a school if your kid wants to study business. Great admissions presentation, the curriculum seems really thoughtful and engaging and it felt like a university that was very forward-thinking. Involved alumni. Cute traditions. D23 liked it, and I probably liked it more than she did, she really wants to be in a city. You could tell they have invested a lot in this college, and they were so proud of it - it was sort of infectious. Also - they gave us Del’s lemonades and snacks before the tour. Much appreciated.
Johnson & Wales University - moved way up. I think she was surprised how much she liked this one. Great location in “downcity” Providence surrounded by cafes and shops. Pretty central campus with old buildings but both the business and design buildings are brand new and lovely. They are known for culinary/hospitality programs but have really expanded and offer business and marketing and science programs - all with an experiential/internship focus, which is what she wants. The only downside is that they have another campus “harborside” 10 minutes away connected by buses that run from 6am-12am. That is on the water and has more dorms, and some culinary labs and their athletic fields. We drove out there - it’s still in Providence, but right on the Narragansett, very pretty. Nice enough neighborhood with some amenities (pizza) around the campus. D23 did not mind the idea of the two campuses. Moved way up, and we are hoping that she will go there.
Providence College - way, way down. You drive in through the back of campus so that you are close to the parking lot. The neighborhood was not good. It is considered Providence, I don’t know what the neighborhood would be called. I work in NYC. We went to look at Drexel and I’d leave D23 there with no problem. I’m not afraid of cities or things not being picture perfect. This was a very depressed, grim looking neighborhood right up to the fenced campus. Check cashing, vape shops, that kind of thing. A bad first impression - the campus itself is green and pretty and big. The other side of town looks like it has nice old houses where the kids live off campus but I didn’t see anything to walk to - so it’s a very contained campus. It felt like 1987. No talk of technology or internships or anything current. They have a “civ” class that is two years that everyone takes, that’s about all I got out of the presentation and tour. Guide walked us around campus and only took us in the athletic building - we could not see a dorm or the dining hall or any classrooms. It was just weird! I got the feeling that they will fill their seats so…no need for them to try hard to wow anyone. D23 will not apply. It’s a very popular college in our area - I’m sure there are good things about it, other than sports, they just were not apparent on our trip.
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My son toured 6 schools. A mix of mid size and large, mix of big city and rural.
Moved up:
University of Oregon. He was originally not super interested in this one because he’s not a big sports or school spirit person. Fell in love with it pretty quickly. He said he felt at home there. We had a fantastic tour guide which helps. The school is a great fit for him ideologically.
Moved down:
Oregon State. He loved it on the online tour. He said it felt stuffier to him. More traditional looking buildings. Liked the program but not campus as much. Tour guide had less energy and we visited after seeing UO so I think that had something to do with it.
Crossed off:
University of Portland. I thought the campus was great and the community was great. I liked their approach to the religion piece, as a non-religious family. He was willing to look at it but said it solidified for him that he wants a larger campus. He felt like he’d spend most of his time in Portland vs on campus.
Also toured Washington State, Gonzaga, and Western Washington. WSU held up well. Gonzaga surprised him and he kept it on the list. Western is “ok” for him. After all the tours, he realized that he wants a big campus with lots to do.
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This is great! Thank you!
We enjoyed a recent trip to Miami so my son (current senior) checked out a few schools and I thought I’d share his impressions:
Florida Atlantic (FAU)-Boca Raton-MOVED OFF HIS LIST
Had a jock, “rah rah” vibe (not what my son is looking for.) Beautiful campus but too big (30K students!) for my son. The main part of campus reminded me of a strip mall set-up where academic buildings branch off the center area. The gym was immense and full of very athletic students. Almost every machine was occupied. He considered their honors college (Wilkes Honors College) and did a quick visit but that seemed too small (500 students) and isolated, totally separate campus in Jupiter, Florida.
Florida International (FIU)-MOVED OFF HIS LIST
Also a beautiful campus, had the diversity my son is looking for and less of a “rah rah” feel (positive in his mind) but WAY too big (55K students!) even with the honors program perks of keeping some classes small-so took it off the list. He said the university was like it’s own city.
Nova Southeastern (Fort Lauderdale)-MOVED WAY UP
Gorgeous campus and seemed to be just the right size for my son (6300 undergrads) Very research-based and has the academic rigor he’s looking for. They have good merit for my son’s stats (4.0 unweighted GPA, 1450 SAT, National Hispanic Merit Scholar as per PSAT) and a “Sharks Weekend” where students compete for bigger scholarships. They even have a BS/PhD program (non-binding) for clinical psychology-exactly the path my son wants-that is competitive to apply to, and other direct entry programs. Definitely a good school for science-related or medical majors. Highly recommend for Marine Biology majors. Maybe not a good school for undecided students. Very diverse (Hispanic Serving Institution so over 25% Hispanic) including 6% international students (our tour guide was from Brazil.) This one is added to his list!
Barry University (Miami Shores)-MOVED WAY UP
He really loved our tour and the vibe of the school. Smaller school (under 4000) but he could definitely see himself happy there. School spirit was apparent but not over the top. Didn’t seem like a party school (my son prefers a non-party atmosphere) but they had many social activities and lots of opportunities for involvement & research. Offers good merit for my son’s stats, especially if he gets into the honors program. Great diversity (30% Hispanic, 29% African American, 23% white, about 6% international.) He’s definitely applying.
The main selling point was Miami itself. My son loves the diversity and that everywhere we went people were speaking Spanish. I don’t speak much Spanish so he had to translate for me often like he does when we visit family in Mexico. He wants to minor or double major in Spanish so he considers this a big bonus which would allow him to practice and improve his Spanish skills in everyday conversation and outings. It was very hot when we toured but he thinks the warmer weather is a perk for the winter months at least (we are from Buffalo.) Both NSU and Barry are within 15 minutes of a beach so that’s a nice perk.
I know that Nova Southeastern & Barry are lesser known schools, but they seem like hidden gems if your kids are looking for small to medium sized colleges and want a social campus but aren’t into sports or parties as much.
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For anyone using this information as part of their own evaluation, the FAU honors college is the Jupiter campus, not the Plantation campus.
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Did not visit UMiami?
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Thank you for that correction. I edited my post to reflect that.
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I visited UMiami with my daughter a few years back (she’s Music so Frost School of Music) and she really liked it but was looking for a different vibe than my son. I remember it being gorgeous campus and everyone was friendly and helpful! That was actually the only college my daughter didn’t get into (out of 10.) She has a great music resume and awards and a great audition-but she only had a 3.5 GPA and 25 ACT so they told her during our tour she’d probably have to get the ACT up to be accepted. She retook it after a 4 week class and it bumped up one point 
She’s my artsy/music kid and had a good attitude with the rejection saying “if they care more about a test score than my other strengths, it’s not the school for me.”
But I think my son would be fine with his 4.0 and 1450 SAT (he’s talented musically too-a good percussion player-but more my academic kid.)
They weren’t giving tours at the time we went (classes were just starting up) and he looked into it but heard it was a “big party school” and didn’t give much merit money. Both assertions might be totally incorrect but he told me he didn’t think it would be a good fit. I could encourage him to do a virtual session and maybe he’d get a different impression, but he does have a pretty good list right now so not sure if better to just leave alone. You’re not the first to ask why he didn’t look at UMiami during our visit. It did come up but he didn’t have much interest even to just walk around to get the vibe.
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Brown has excellent placement into graduate school, and the courses are very rigorous.
If she loved Brown, she should definitely undetake a deeper dive. And there are requirements for the majors (concentrations) – just no Genereal Education requirements.
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I think the UMiami campus and area have come a huge way in the last 10 years. You should really give it a try if you are that interested in diversity, especially Hispanic representation. Maybe reach out to their Psych department (which I think is getting new building). Also, I would imagine UM provides ton of counseling experience opportunities as UHealth is the second largest healthcare provider in South Florida. The schools you visited (other than Barry) are not really in Miami, but rather FLL/Boca; not sure that would have the Hispanic/Spanish immersion feeling that South Miami/Kendall would have.
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Self toured Villanova today and, without officially speaking to anyone, got a good vibe. D23 liked the campus, and it remains on the list. Just wish we could have had a real tour. Out of curiosity drove through Haverford, she really liked the feel there- reminded her of her HS 
. So may go back and look at the TE list and merit and add some smaller schools. Drove by Bryn Mawr too- didn’t care for the setting as much, which is funny because it’s literally 2 miles down the road.
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Chapman: UP for both D and S. Both kids brushed this school off as they felt it was too close to home. We live about 15 mins away with no traffic. We urged them to tour it, just so they could compare and because they had never actually “been” on campus, just driven by it. Well, both kids ended up liking Chapman and they thought the campus was nice and liked all the majors on offer. It helped that the tour guides we had were very friendly and enthusiastic and seemed to really enjoy the school. I think touring and walking around the campus really helped. We had been to Orange before to eat, but we’ve never been on campus. We’d eat dinner or lunch and walk around the old town and then head out.
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My D and I toured Chapman last month and loved it also, for all the same reasons. We live about two hours away and D thinks it’s too close LOL. She’s still considering though.
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Dominican University of California:
Went down a bit. D thought it sounded wonderful on paper and thought it had a pretty campus. When we visited she thought the campus was pretty, but felt that the school was way too small and didn’t offer a ton of majors. She still applied though. But, didn’t end up attending. Their financial aid offer was poor, we were in that awkward doughnut hole position, where we earn too much for the good need-based aid, but it’s still a stretch to pay the tuition. Oh well, my D had lots of other good choices and she wasn’t super enthusiastic about attending anyway.
S toured it as well and thought the campus was too small as well.
San Diego State: Moved up for both D and S. Yes, it’s a big impacted school. But both my kids were impressed by the campus and the majors they had on offer.
University of San Francisco: For D it moved down after visiting. She still applied, but thought the buildings on campus were ugly and not very inviting. S didn’t apply, though he did visit campus when we toured with D
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