Maybe the discussion about UW Seattle can go to the discussion thread (Off-Topic Discussion from "Colleges Crossed Off List or Moved Up After Visiting"), or to the UW forum? I know that peoples’ views differ about Seattle and I don’t think this is the right thread for that.
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This 100%. The one I thought was a shoe-in fit for women’s colleges hated the idea and the one who I thought would laugh in my face at the mere suggestion fell in love with BMC (like @shishamo 's D) and almost chose it over more highly ranked schools despite how terrible they are at her sport (and sports in general).
In 100 years I would have never predicted those reactions by those two kids.
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Univ of Arizona:
UP.
Went on campus tour and an honors college info session & tour yesterday w/D24. Our only other college tour so far as been ASU this past summer. Here are some general thoughts and highlights:
- DD said she could see herself going here.
- liked that campus was more compact than ASU. Not so spread out distance wise.
- also preferred how there’s 1 campus instead of 4.
- tour guide also walked at a normal pace instead of the “almost run” pace that our ASU tour guide had. Lol.
- it rained a bit at one point during the campus tour and a staff member came around on a golf cart offering free ponchos for everybody. That was kind of nice.
- liked how a lot of the lecture halls/classroom buildings, etc were centralized around the main mall.
- got to go inside a dorm room. DD liked it. Dorm room was bigger than mine when I was a freshman elsewhere many moons ago.
- tour guide said that the Highland dorms are the most desirable and go first, so be sure to put in your $150 non-refundable housing deposit as soon as possible if you want first pick on your dorm in May when they open up housing selection to incoming freshmen.
- campus has something like 7 (maybe she said 5?) different libraries on campus. Top floor of main library is a silent floor. Handy if you need to study in total silence.
- got a hand out re: in state auto merit tuition awards, which remain NOT based on test scores. Only based on non weighted GPA through end of 11th grade.
- tour guide was friendly, knowledgeable, thought she did a good job. She was a physiology major and had 4 minors. I asked her what her largest class has been so far. She said 1st semester Chem lecture (about 300 students).
- freshman English and math classes are all about 30 students per class.
- all freshman have to take a 1 unit “UNIV 101” class their first semester. Honors students take an honors version of this.
- finally learned why UofA people say “bear down.” Never understood that the whole time we lived in Tucson.
Honors College:
- about 40% of honors college students come from diverse backgrounds. Thought that was pretty great. This was a big plus for DD.
- admissions counselor mentioned that the univ is a Hispanic serving institution. This bothered one of the…interesting and entertaining…parents on that tour/info session. We consider it a plus. Lived in Tucson for several years.
- there are honors-only study abroad opportunities and scholarships you can apply for to help pay for it. All apps for that are on the university’s Scholarship Universe website.
- honors village dorm is more expensive than reg dorms but it’s not by much.
- honors college fee is way lower than ASU’s
- just under 4000 honors students at UofA. ASU has about 7000-8000 (can’t remember total for sure).
- Honors college students enroll in classes at same time seniors do. Honors college seniors end up enrolling at same time athletes do. Non-honors students often have to have a plan B or C for their course enrollments in order to get the classes they need.
- honors college looks for students who are going to be engaged. So if you just want to show up to class and not participate in discussions, think twice.
- honors app requires just 1 letter of rec, 500 word personal statement, and an activities list.
- admissions counselor said that they can tell whether you purposely took easy classes in order to get a 4.0 and there are times when they will select somebody else with a lower unweighted GPA because that person took harder classes. Also said that they are very knowledgeable about different high schools all over the place and which ones have more rigorous curriculum options than others. What all of that boils down to is that if your HS offered a bunch of honors and AP classes yet you took none, that will not be looked on favorably.
- honors college has the only in-dorm dining hall on campus. Similar to ASU’s, it’s right on the 1st floor.
- lots of study spaces and hang out spaces. Similarly chill vibe to ASU’s honors dorm building.
- some students opt to stay in the honors dorm multiple years.
- honors dorm can house about 1100 students. Returning students get first dibs at that, then incoming freshmen based on when they paid their housing deposit.
- #1 tip - get you honors app in by 11/15 priority deadline. You will be notified on 12/15 of the honors app decision.
- honors app opens up a few days after reg campus app opens up in July each year.
- honors village dorm on the map looks like it’s super far away from rest of campus but on foot, it’s really not. There was lots of student activity at the honors dorm building. There’s a fancy new fitness center right next door with a smoothie bar.
- entryway to honors village building was very inviting, lots of places to sit and hang out and there were students doing that when we were there. Student manning the front desk was very friendly.
- some honors freshman classes are, like ASU, taught in a couple of classrooms on the first floor. Professors also have some offices on first floor. Honors college administration offices also on first floor of this building. Very handy to have it in same building as the dorm. Similar set up to ASU but smaller total space (one building compared to a 3-4 building connected complex at ASU).
DD will definitely be applying. Said that she could see herself there for 4 yr.
To me, the vibe at UofA is more relaxed than ASU. I’m glad that we found an in state option that our kid likes.
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Can’t stop laughing at the rock (cannon, etc) painting and gate walking observations. So true!
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My senior daughter wants to be right in the middle of the city, so we visited Fordham-Lincoln Center first, a few months ago. She really liked it.
We went to Fordham Rose Hill a couple of weeks ago. I think my daughter went just to say she crossed it off the list. Well, she was pleasantly surprised. Loved the campus, loved the vibe. I think lunch on Arthur Ave. may have “sealed the deal”.
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We also recently toured Sarah Lawrence with my daughter. It’s off the list. Cute little campus, interesting curriculum, but just not for her. She didn’t think she would fit in with the student body, which appeared very artsy and quirky.
One other thing that really annoyed us: the tour was huge. It had to have 30+ people on it, and one tour guide. If you were not up in front, it was very difficult to hear what the tour guide was saying. It really should have been split into three tours. Very hard to get a good feel for the campus and what the school has to offer when you are 40 feet from the tour guide and being shuffled around like cattle. The tour also barely entered any buildings at all - maybe because of the size of the tour?!
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3 posts were merged into an existing topic: Off-Topic Discussion from “Colleges Crossed Off List or Moved Up After Visiting”
Just came back from touring Colorado State University. We have previously toured WPI, Northeastern, Iowa State, University of Minnesota, and St. Olaf’s.
Same/then up. This was one of DS23s top 3 choices and all are neck in neck (CSU + honors, UMN and Michigan Tech). I think he was hoping he could move this into a solid second or third place with UMN at the top, but now it’s tied for first.
We toured over 2 days. Our first tour was with the honors college. It’s an impressive college in that it is a true learning community. This definitely moved it up on my list. Our second tour was of the general college. It was basically a walk around the campus and we didn’t go into many buildings. I was surprised we didn’t step foot in the library. No dorm room (because they are now housing students in their model rooms as they overenrolled) but we did see the athletic center and the building housing The School of Natural Resources (which just so happens to be where DS major is housed) DS didn’t love how spread out the campus was, but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t deal with. He’s a flexible kid so nothing really rattles him. He can picture himself anywhere.
The second day we met with someone from The Warner School of Natural Resources and that’s really what pushed it up for him. The counselor we met with was a Warner grad and was able to answer his very detailed questions (DS already has experience in wildlife bio research). He felt like CSU could provide him with the specific experiential learning and research opportunities that he is seeking.
CSU is known for being one of the most bike friendly campuses and there were definitely bikes everywhere. I felt like I was in Copenhagen. All areas near campus were also bike friendly.
Fort Collins has a really cute downtown area that is walkable from campus. The outskirts of Fort Collins are “anywhere USA” with every big box store and restaurant you can imagine. It was very easy for me to find places to eat with my allergy restrictions. The entire city is very easy to get around and an easy hour ride on a straight highway from Denver.
We had a crazy few days with DS getting an alert that he was accepted to UMN while we were on our tour. Then an hour later we got the acceptance to CSU and the next morning an acceptance to Oregon State.
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DS’s first choice has always been PSU, so I will lay that out first. Dad and uncle are both alums and he’s spent many football weekends there, as well as doing a few summer camps. We are still making him visit other campuses because you never know what else is out there. He things he wants to major in Natural Resource Management/Conservation Policy.
Penn State: Same/Up. Went for Summer Day. Had a great opportunity to talk with professors in the different colleges and was particularly impressed with the advisor we spoke with in Natural Resource Management. She talk with DS as though he was already part of their program. They have lots of travel opportunities that are not a semester study abroad program, which really appealed to DS. Loves the sense of community, loves the school spirit, loves the ice cream. Has applied to Schreyer Honors College to see if we can get some financial support ($5000) and would need to be an RA for two years. Willing to do it if it means he can go.
NC State: Same/Up. Went for Open House. Campus set up was very different that PSU–it’s a little segmented–running east/west. Felt contained as a campus, which DS liked, despite its proximity to Raleigh. I was impressed by all the environmental programs. Great presentation by the college which explained all the different majors within and emphasized community and support for students. DS felt like he wanted a little more, but his brain is very focused on PSU (as stated).
WVU: Down. Went for Discover Day. DS has already been accepted. They are very, very welcoming and clearly want students to attend. Unfortuantely, they really don’t have a program that meets his wants. Campus was EXTREMELY hilly and divided into two parts, which requires students to take the PRT (monorail) or a bus between the two. DS (an athlete): “You need some serious stamina to go here.” Can absolutely see why some families love it-it just wasn’t for us.
tOSE and U of SC still to visit (maybe)
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From UP to “WE’LL SEE.” So we toured Tufts a couple of weeks ago – second campus visit, first official tour. We had walked the campus earlier in the year but now with applications about to be knocked out, DD wanted her ducks in a row. Tufts was a significant EDII candidate. Let’s start with the good:
Davis Square is now like a mini-Cambridge, with bars, restaurants, the classic Somerville movie theater, it’s almost perfect. A decent walk from most parts of the campus – tired me out a little bit but the rest of the fam thought it was fine. Yeah, yeah, yeah, access to Boston via the T, but folks go mainly if they’re taking classes in the city at a satellite campus. “The students mostly stay put within a 1–2-mile radius.” Cambridge is a 7-10 min drive from campus (Goggle says it’s an 8-minute drive from Tufts to Harvard.) Good pizza, good sushi, good coffee, sports bars, townie bars, places to eat and watch the game – Davis Square should satisfy just about every student’s needs.
The opening presentation was solid – Tufts brings their A-game when exploring the admissions process – again, if you don’t submit your scores, they won’t hold it against you and I think I’m starting to believe that. We brought up the housing issue with admissions and they straight-forwardly said, “The Hyatt is gone, we’re not housing kids there anymore. We are also constructing new housing that should be ready in the next couple of years.” We appreciated the clarity. DD still loves the Fifth-Year Master’s Degree Program. Admissions handled all of us (about 50-75 people for that time slot alone) reasonably well, especially admission rep Will Wilson, again, his presentation was outstanding.
On the other hand, the tour was weak. We still weren’t allowed in any buildings. There wasn’t much of an order to the trail and at a hilly campus like Tufts, it was literally a hike. The tour guide didn’t go much into post-grad opportunities and yes, I know Tufts isn’t nearly as pre-professional a school like Northeastern but I believe they needed to address the issue much more than they did. There is still some nominal construction happening around the campus, which to me is a good sign, it’s just a very, very hilly (but pretty) campus. Remarkably, we were never brought to see the athletic center, even as the school brags about numerous club teams. We took them at their word about the non-Varsity sports pockets of fun, just would’ve been nice to be brought by the building.
As far as immediate housing goes, Tufts will maintain the converted tennis court trailers for freshman housing, and I don’t care how many Adirondack chairs you place outside each trailer, this is still not acceptable for $50-75k, depending on your financial situation, even for $30k. “You’d be surprised, they’re really nice inside,” admissions countered. We replied that that might be true, but we were never allowed to see. Admissions nodded their head, “I know, I know, sorry about that. We’re going to get there soon with the tours.” Again, admissions was forthright but a glimpse inside one of the dining halls would’ve been nice. (Editor’s note – I actually stepped into the primary dining hall to use the facilities – it’s pretty nice with numerous lunch/dinner options, menu appears diverse.) Having the tour not finish at the bookstore is either a cynical sigh of relief or a concern that the school doesn’t know how this all works. Also, there’s been a student-led movement to rid the campus of Greek life, which we took to be somewhat tone deaf and student-performative in light of a housing shortage. To be sure, in recent years, the administration had actually coordinated with select off-campus fraternities to house freshman. While it’s not always wise to judge the level of campus friendliness by a visit or two, we certainly didn’t feel a welcoming vibe while walking the grounds.
Ultimately, DD received an acceptance to a school that excites her so there’s much less urgency around these parts for an EDII. We have long-time friends/parental-type figures almost within walking distance of the campus that would’ve made Tufts a comfortable spot. It’s a great school academically, the local town/city offers a lot, DD essays are complete, but as of now what was almost a sure-fire EDII has fallen to “let’s see how things shake out after ED/EA results come in,” which is a shame because the Italian sandwiches at Mike’s Food & Spirits are pretty stellar.
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Interesting as our visit was very similar - fell from likely ED2 to “maybe RD” and we hadn’t realized the housing issues you focus on…
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I have now toured something on the order of a dozen schools, half of which are T10. Not a single tour ended at the bookstore.
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The Elon tour and guide was amazing. My daughter loved it and asked so many questions.
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Agreed, occasionally a bookstore was pointed out or mentioned but of the 20 or so tours we did none ended there.
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One our recent tours did end at the bookstore and the tour guide joked that it was like getting off a ride at Walt Disney World!
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My son is a sophomore at Elon and he loves it! So do the rest of us 
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DD2024 demoted Colgate.
While the campus is beautiful (we toured on a beautiful summer day), there is nothing around. We drove through valleys and farms, and then poof, there was Colgate.
Yes, there’s a little Hamilton town
(highly recommend the thin crust pizza at “New York Pizzeria aka Slices”),
but it’s too tiny for DD. “It’s even tinier than our town”.
A poster above mentioned how hilly Tufts was.
Colgate is hilly!
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Vanderbilt went from being my son’s first choice to completely off his short list. Vandy recruiters were in San Diego town and presented to a room of about 50 students several months ago. The pitch was super “woke” and really turned off my son. Presenters spent 15 minutes of the first hour being apologetic for not having multiple genders being represented on their student body pie chart, hyper focused on color and race, and appeasing ‘helicopter’ parents. Doesn’t character and merit matter any more?
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My San Diego native son is freshman at Clemson and so far is really happy there. Already arranged for his Sophomore housing. My other son will be applying to college next year and has Clemson on his short list.
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Up
We visited College of Charleston and it moved way up to #1. Great tour, amazing campus, excellent internship opportunities, wonderful tour guides with so much good information - we were so impressed!
Down
Rowan University - I was hoping this would work as an in state option for D23 but it did not work for her and I understood. It’s a nice school that offers a lot and you can tell they are investing in the future, but D23 needs to be somewhere with more local opportunities. The tour was not very engaging. I had high hopes but it’s not to be.
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