@gardenstategal Oh that’s such a wise comment. Of course each year is different. I did remind S of that the other day. He was saying something ridiculous like he feels like he recognizes everyone in his class already. I said that’s his impression but cannot be true. It seems like that because he’s whittled down who he sees every week - his dorm mates (only 60 kids in his dorm), his teammates, and the kids in his classes each semester. THEN, he went to a freshmen dance and realized he hardly knew anyone. Lol.
Next year, he may meet more of those people when he’s in a different dorm, when he maybe takes a work study job, when he has different classes and then the new freshmen will come and there’s 500 more kids who aren’t there now. He says he already feels a special affinity towards Bowdoin and the state of Maine but I expect that feeling will also become more and more part of him. As he narrows down what will be his major, his experience will also change and he will hopefully be able to advise younger students. When he’s a senior, he might look back and see his freshman year differently than he sees it now.
D is lucky to have him. I like that he have a whole year under his belt plus a few months of sophomore year before D will likely need to send an app. His perspective is important. He also has good friends at other schools like Vandy and Duke and BC who share their experiences with him so he’s a wealth of good info on the ins and outs of college life and can help D be realistic about what to expect.
The more I read in this thread, the more I become convinced that it would be a shame for OP’s daughter to miss a visit to Washington & Lee. (As everything that OP seeks is found at W&L, and it is likely to flush out OP’s daughter’s feelings about whether she prefers an intimate LAC escape or whether she prefers the challenges of a larger, more diverse community.)
FWIW While academically demanding, there is an inclusive country club feel at Wash & Lee.
Also, all four seasons will be experienced while at W&L.
P.S. Wash & Lee overlap schools according to the Fiske Guide To Colleges 2020:
Williams, Amherst, Middlebury, Carleton, Davidson, Univ. of Virginia, UNC-Chapel Hill, & the College of William & Mary.
I am a bit surprised that Vanderbilt, SMU, & USC are not on this list–especially Vanderbilt as USC & SMU are located across the country.
My perceptions of W&L - there is no place like it. The campus is like a snow globe. Perfectly perfect in every way. The academics and alumni support are superb. If I could make my son a better culture fit it would be MY first choice for him. Unfortunately it is too conservative and small for him. He recently admitted to questioning his sexuality which I think makes W&L a hard pass. It would be so perfect for my fratty S23 but sadly his worth ethic and grades make it utterly unreachable for him. Sigh
Worth mentioning, since W&L has only about 1,825 full-time undergraduate students, is that Wash & Lee also has a law school with about 330 law students (about 55% male/45% female).
Before you pass, tour the school if you haven’t. While its reputation is conservative, in practice it is more moderate to liberal. Now, that makes it more conservative than, say, Amherst for just one example. But I don’t think you’ll find an overriding sense of conservatism on campus. The university provides significant resources to the LBGTQ community and one of the houses on campus is dedicated to that group. This may be of interest:
Finally, you’ll find an abiding sense of respect among all students. Students aren’t protesting in demand of “safe spaces” as some have in remote areas of New England. The sense of civility fostered by the honor system imbues the student body with trust that all are accepted. The speaking tradition initiated by General and Mrs. Lee holds firm today. I encourage you to think again.
In terms of a statistical aspect, when a school registers the highest standardized scoring profile in a populous state, as is the case with W&L, it’s usually something of which to take note.
We toured it in the fall. S was VERY impressed and there was much to like. It happened to be Gay Pride week so the campus was littered with rainbow flags. So I agree, there is certainly a culture of respect. That being said, we all felt the overwhelming preppy vibe and according to some friends with currently enrolled students, the Greek scene is very, very important. I suspect that while a newly “out” kid would be shown respect and kindness, I question how easy it would be to find a fulfilling social scene. I’m wondering if it still might be worth it attending a class in the fall but that might just be me trying to force a fit at a school that I love.
His current top choice is Georgetown which would be amazing but a reach for everyone, with Richmond his #2. I share some of the same concerns about the social scene at UR but feel some comfort in the larger student body and access to a city.
@homerdog Apologies because I don’t have time to read through the whole thread but noticed an early comment:
“@ucbalumnus absolutely. I agree with that! She will definitely take some stats or computer science classes to flesh out a social science degree. We want her to go somewhere where the career center is helpful in this regard and can help guide her.”
We just toured Santa Clara U and were really blown away. Regarding the above comment, it sounded like they are getting great placement for their Arts & Sciences grads, often in tech. The students seemed very happy and the tour guide had all kinds of stories about the professors investing in their students. By far the best tour that we had. I also believe that it’s a strong up-and-comer due to the internships, donations, and building they are doing, including the 2021 multidisipline STEM building. I liked the emphasis on teaching soft skills vs. just hard core engineering. We are not religious but the take on that is laid back. I would encourage you to visit if you can. Personally, I much prefer the vibe at SC to USC or Pepperdine (the latter is where I got my law degree.)
I’ve enjoyed the discussion here about class visits. We didn’t do any with my first two kids, for various reasons, including as @tkoparent and someone else had, my S19 did not want to stand out as the high schooler in the room. An introduction? He would have been mortified! I guess I felt too that what is one class going to show? But after reading this, I get it. I did make S19 go to the dining hall to observe the kids (he didn’t want to stick out there either dining with his parent) and I liked the comparison of doing that to observing students in the classroom. I have one more S23 to go through it all, so maybe we will rethink the classroom visits!
@TS0104 I would not say that S19 is super outgoing and was probably pretty nervous when he went to his first class visit but, after that first one, realized this is really no big deal. You just say hi to professor, tell them your name and say you’re a high school junior observing the class and say thank you. Sit in the back and that’s it. None of the students are going to care that you’re there. Class carries on like normal.
@TS0104. My son was the same way. Like everyone in the cafeteria is going to point to your son because he is with his parents and laugh or something.
LOL… But this is how they must feel… Right?
My son was also on campuses for summer programs so he has Also experienced the college dining hall and class rooms. But on our tours outside of the official ones we would go inside when the class was on break between classes just to look at the setups. Just to get a feel for it.
Meeting professors one on one was the biggest plus. After meeting with the first professor/head of departments it gets substantially easier. We found these people just get it. They were mostly very kind and understanding and willing to take the time to answer questions. They actually seemed to enjoy doing this.
I’ll tell you what’s embarrassing during a school visit. When I was a teenager, my parents took me to Vanderbilt. As we were driving through campus, my dad spotted some cute fraternity boys playing frisbee. He pulled the car over and called out to them and said he had a question. Three of them approached the car and my dad asked where the engineering buildings were because his daughter (as he pointed to me in the backseat) has “dreams of being a biomedical engineer”. Shoot. Me. Now.
D nixed a LAC that offered her a substantial merit scholarship because she observed their students were not engaged in the class she attended. It was a day or two before their spring break, and it was only one class, but her 17-year-old brain just couldn’t get past what she perceived as a student body made up of dullards. That’s certainly not universally the case at this college, but just as one bad tour guide can leave an outsized impression, one lukewarm class or prof or really any encounter can turn a prospective student off. Yeah, guess we have to narrow the list somehow.
This is good point I hadn’t thought of, in light of homer-family’s most recent visits. Compared to BC, SCU is smaller, more chill vibe, warmer weather. The SV recruiting reports are intriguing.
The campus architecture is quite different from the east coast, of course. Campus is compact, across the street from a train to SF, and <10 min from the San Jose airport. The city of Santa Clara is in the process of trying to re-construct a walkable town center that abuts campus and they sound like they are looking very specifically for the quaint factor. (Maybe this will help someone, the things I look at in my spare time lol: http://reclaimingourdowntown.org/)
The info session at SCU includes a student panel, like BC’s. Plus, there’s EA and the possibility of a little merit. Just a thought keep in the back pocket.
There was a 15-20 minute talk from the perky admissions coordinator. She left and the student panel was great about answering questions. Students were acknowledging us with - “go Broncos”, etc. and our tour guide was very warm and engaged. I will say that some of the out-of-towners (incidentally many from the Midwest) were a bit concerned about its distance from SFO - SJ airport is only a regional airport.
My friend’s daughter is a senior there - has anxiety btw, loves it, and has been supported. She continues to share a room to be right across from campus @ $1000/mo each with 8 other girls in the house. I believe SC is doing first two years on campus and they are looking to continue to expand housing options for upperclassmen. So housing is no joke but the opportunities are amazing due to the location.
The people I know who have applied got very little merit - a puny $600 in one case. Daughter above received $10k off the first year, but it didn’t continue.
Thanks @Knowsstuff, yes, that’s the feeling! With D17 we did have an extensive meeting at a prospective school’s (ultimately chosen) dept head, and it was very helpful. She’s so different from S17, and also knew exactly what she wanted and what she wanted to talk about LOL!
@homerdog that could be a sneaky way to steer your kid away from a school you don’t think is right…embarrass them so much that they feel they can never set foot on the campus again!!