<p>Yes, D went for an overnight to DePauw (greencastle indiana). Loved the school, and the faculty, but did not like the party, party, party attitude of the student body (don't get me wrong she is not a prude, but felt too much party would be a real distraction in a small place like DePauw.
She also realized that as much as she loved NY, the lack of a real campus put NYU at the bottom of her list.</p>
<p>I was on the fence between San Francisco State and Sonoma State in December. As soon as I visited both, I was locked on Sonoma. ^_^</p>
<p>My son, now happily in his sophomore year at William & Mary, started out not interested in W&M -- my wife and I went and met there, along with my sister and her husband, so it is sort of the family school. He had been visiting there all his life. </p>
<p>He was looking for communications/journalism so we looked at:
U Penn (he liked it)
U of Maryland - College Park (didn't like it but it has a really good journalism program and his HS journalism teacher was pushing it hard)
Catholic U (was only so-so)
American U (so-so)
Washington College (just to see what a really small school is like - hated it, way too small)
U of Richmond (not impressed)
SUNY-Geneseo (hated it -- too far away)
U of Delaware (in-state - he was against it from the beginning -- we live less than five miles from UD so it was "too close." </p>
<p>Also, although it has no communications and/or journalism, Princeton - he really liked Princeton and it became his first choice at that point. He decided that maybe he could major in English along with working on the newspaper. </p>
<p>We suggested that if he was willing to do the English major thing and it didn't have to be communications/journalism, then he should do the official tour at W&M. He is very much like me in mood, temperament, personality, and comfort zones so we felt that he might find the same fit at W&M that I did. He did see it differently after that and it moved onto his preferred list, along with Princeton and Penn. Ithaca College was added to the list when his GC nominated him for a full-ride scholarship in the School of Communications. He did not like Ithaca after our hurried, cold December day visit, and we had to twist his arm to go to the 4-day weekend for finalists for the scholarship. But he came back very enthusiastic, so the overnight visit and interaction with current students and with prospective classmates really did help him broaden his thinking. He didn't get the full-ride scholarship but did get a 1/2 tuition ride. </p>
<p>He ended up applying to Princeton, Penn, W&M, American, UD, Ithaca, U Maryland. UD was the budget safety, and Maryland and American were just to keep options open. He came to realize that Princeton and Penn were reach schools for him, especially when several kids at his school (a very, very highly rated math/science charter school) got rejected early decision at Princeton - he lost interest in the Ivies at that point so was not too upset when he did get turned down by P and P. He was and accepted at all the rest. The decision came down to W&M and Ithaca. As I said, he is at W&M so it edged out Ithaca (although it is the more expensive choice) due to it being the better fit, his life-long comfort with it (he's been visiting there since he was an infant), and the fact my sister and her husband and his three cousins live there - nice home-cooked meals every couple of weeks.</p>
<p>My daughter is going through the early search process now:
Dickinson - too small
Drexel - too urban
Yale - not interested to begin with but we were driving right by on vacation
W&M - loves the campus and atmosphere but does not have the programs she wants
Duke - hated, hated, hated it -- smug, condescending, overbearing attitude.
Elon - loved it - it's on her short list
Wake Forest - okay but doesn't have the programs she wants
Emory - did not like it - couldn't really say why - perhaps too far away
Ga Tech - did not like it - too urban, perhaps too far away</p>
<p>We still have a few to see - Va Tech, Lehigh, RPI, Johns Hopkins, maybe York, maybe Lafayette, Carnegie Mellon, maybe Rowan (grandfather teaches there).</p>
<p>Sunny, nice weather really does make a difference on a tour. Even knowing this and trying to mentally compensate for lousy weather, which you know in your head is not the school's fault, it is much easier to be favorably impressed when the weather is nice.</p>
<p>Also, quality of tour guides makes a difference. Generally, a gregarious, informative, mature, loud-voiced tour guide makes it much easier to like a school. My son was partially won over to W&M by the tour guide, who was informative, entertaining, and was able to talk to both the parents and prospective students from a perspective they could relate to. The tour guide at Elon was much the same. The tour guide at Wake Forest, although a communications major, didn't seem to know very much about the program other than in his narrow little area - he lost the chance to win over my daughter and I think that a better guide might have.</p>
<p>So, overnight visits, good weather, good tour guide. Unfortunately, we can only control one of those. </p>
<p>Good luck to all of you in your search!</p>
<p>--K9Leader</p>
<p>
[quote]
Duke - hated, hated, hated it -- smug, condescending, overbearing attitude.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I resent that statement. :p</p>
<p>yes, UCR in fact became totally unbearable for me. I couldn't stand its ugliness, especially its ugly clock tower. Gosh, I couldn't imagine going to that craphole.</p>
<p>S visited Kenyon, Dartmouth, Bucknell, USNA, GW as an athlete recruit. He wasn't interested in large universities. GW was the only "large" school on his list. Really thought he'd go for smaller rural schools. Surprise it's GW all the way. Lack of dining hall wasn't important - there's lots of food options, DC has so many options and opportunities. Dad was concerned about the lack of "campus green" - you don't need campus greens when you can take a training run past all the monuments.</p>
<p>I visited UGA and loved it, (which is why I'm here now.) </p>
<p>I visited Duke on one of the hottest days imaginable in August, and though I did like it, I wasn't blown away like I thought I would be. Some parts of it were gorgeous, but I didn't like the neo-Gothic architecture and what the inside of the dorms looked like. I couldn't imagine myself there, in short, so it really affected my attitude about Duke.</p>
<p>I visited Boston University, and while I did like it, the campus was just way too urban for me. The city of Boston is basically the campus, and I looked around at some of the classrooms and the dorm area, and did not like how it seemed you would have to search to find some quiet. I love Boston the city, and having the campus right on the river and everything makes it beautiful, but again, I couldn't imagine myself there. I think this visit totally affected my decision of whether or not to attend BU or another school.</p>
<p>In short, VISIT if you can. It makes a huge difference, whether that be positive or negative.</p>
<p>I'll be visiting BU on the 25th, and I hope I'll like it.</p>
<p>I was all set to go to the University of Arizona, but I visited it and was less then impressed. The school is beautiful and it has a lot to offer, but it was 90 degrees in October and the campus is HUGE! I liked the school itself, but Tucson screamed 'urban sprawl', something I want to get away from.
Next I visited the University of Idaho, and I was thinking, "Idaho? What do they have besides potatoes?" I got there and fell in love with the area and the school. I'll be headed there in August.</p>
<p>The VaTech presentation and tour was impressive. The campus was beautiful, the tour guide was perfect. The buildings were clean, well maintained; the grounds are gorgeous; the students attractive and enthusiastic. My son was/is interested in engineering, and they have wonderful programs.</p>
<p>NCState- another fantastic engineering program. Unfortunately we visited on probably the hottest day of the summer (and we're used to heat, being from Florida), and all that construction- brick, dirt and dust- made the tour unbearable. Not their fault, and actually a good sign. Although IMO the tour guide should NOT have told the story about how they built a huge building which was supposed to be a library, but didn't consider the weight of the books, and it began sinking into the ground and had to be converted to some other use. Or the one about the guy who keeps donating tons of bricks every year and they don't really have any place to put them anymore. :confused: I don't understand why those anecdotes were considered relevant or impressive.</p>
<p>GaTech- great engineering reputation, one of the best. They made too big of a deal about grade deflation (IOW, "this school is going to whoop you"). Engineering in an of itself is hard- why scare the bejezus out of the kids? The tour guide should not have taken us on that short cut down the dirty disgusting alley. Bad strategy. Otherwise, good presentation, impressive university.</p>
<p>UF- the presentation made a big deal about how hard it is to get into UF nowadays. I guess compared to a generation ago, that is true, but on a visit- it's kind of a downer. The campus is beautiful, very old Florida habitat. Live alligators, turtles, ducks, birds, lots of ponds, trees, moss, very natural, unmanicured settings. We loved it, but we're from Florida so go figure. The breadth of academic offerings sold us parents. The football stadium sold oldest son. The medical school sold younger son (even though he's only a freshman- lol).</p>
<p>The tours, overall, didn't really make a big difference on the final decision.</p>
<p>I visited Rutgers yesterday, my state school. I started out not wanting to go there, but my visit made me start to second guess accepting a generous FA package from the University of San Francisco. Now I have no clue what to do, stay in NJ and go to a rutgers, or save a little money and go the USF, a school that I have never visited.</p>
<p>After visting Georgetown, I decided not to apply. There was construction going on, so maybe that was a factor. But the campus was just too small. There was even a weird cemetary on campus! hahaha</p>
<p>Visited:
Syracuse U-wonderful presentation by the Dean of S.I. Newhouse who is no longer there...horrible dorm room was shown-rest of campus pretty nice (the weather was gorgeous-something that everyone on campus decided to yell to our tour group that it was not typical)</p>
<p>RPI-my sister goes there, and my dad did, nice if your into it</p>
<p>Santa Clara U-loved the beautiful gardens and campus, not so sure about the surrounding city and San Jose..I'm from near the Adirondacks so city is kind of iffy for me.. (it was raining and cold when I visited of course-the weather that isn't typical)</p>
<p>Boston U-great tour guide, liked the city aspect of campus (something new to me being from a smallllll small town), not so sure about the huge tower dorms
I wandered into the Communications building with my parents and the people in there were very friendly-even though the facility is smaller than Newhouse-seemed more cozy and friendly somehow
that was a summer visit
going on an overnight Monday-Tuesday</p>
<p>SUNY Oswego-gorgeous dorms and dining halls and student center-stupid students..horrible wind from Lake Ontario
(went Friday)</p>
<p>SUNY Oneonta-my ex bf goes there-cute little college in a cute town, nice people though not the most intelligent</p>
<p>Dartmouth-too isolated-no wonder it's all about partying there- also heard through my dad that Director of Admissions (or old director) would not let his daughter attend DC if her life depended on it-did not respect it at all</p>
<p>I echo 45%'s sentiments. It's definitely a "Bob W." (Best of Both Worlds) situation down at Penn. It's a lovely campus.</p>
<p>Although I'm a Penn student I prefer Columbia's campus on a matter of pure aesthetics--no doubt because I'm a total sucker for principles of neoclassical design. But when you factor in every other part of the campus--the students, the relationship with the city, etc. Penn came out ahead for yours truly</p>
<p>I thought Vassar's architecture was hideous and oppressive. Which is kind of ironic, haha, since i had heard how it has a "gorgeous" campus. Plus, my tour guide talked too fast and i had a headache.</p>
<p>Pretty dumb reasons, but I can't imagine going there.</p>
<p>bartlet4america, agreed.</p>
<p>George Washington U was one of my top chocies! But after I visited it, I hated it, and did not even bother to apply.</p>
<p>Xeneise:</p>
<p>Quote:
Duke - hated, hated, hated it -- smug, condescending, overbearing attitude. </p>
<p>I resent that statement. </p>
<p>Sorry, but she didn't like Duke. There were a lot of little things, each innocuous on its own, but that added up to give a negative impression. My D is not that impressed with reputation, so a school playing on its reputation is a turn off. </p>
<p>We also got tired of hearing about the basketball team. Again, for those who are fans and/or impressed by that, it is a selling point, but not for my D. </p>
<p>We visited Elon the next day and she loved it. Got a much more warm and fuzzy feeling from everyone we had contact with and from the whole experience. That road trip included Duke, Elon, Wake Forest, Emory, and Georgia Tech, and Elon, the least well known and least prestigious, was the only one she really liked. </p>
<p>We'll see where her head is in a year. Lots can change.</p>
<p>--K9Leader</p>
<p>Applied to Carleton, got accepted, visited this weekend expecting good things. After my visit, I have officially decided not to attend. Something just didn't sit well with me on that campus. Not to mention Northfield, MN would probably end up feeling really really really restricting at some point.</p>
<p>Quote from Krug:</p>
<p>"Unfortunately for us, we live in KANSAS!!! All of the schools that are of interest are a flight away."</p>
<p>Krug,</p>
<p>Thought you would be amused to know that we are from Connecticut and that most of the schools that my daughter looked at were a flight away also. Which one did she choose? Kansas State University. She is now an early admission scholar at K-State's College of Veterinary Medicine, and couldn't be happier. Of course, she had no interest whatsoever in the University of Connecticut. Go figure.</p>