<p>i visited BC yesterday and made my decision to attend tulane</p>
<p>Have visited about 12 colleges with 2 D's.....disliked Vassar (the area around it was a dump), liked American, Sweetbriar (but rather isolated), Wellesley (who wouldn't - its gorgeous) Skidmore -neutral, Hampshire - OK but the weather was crummy. I hear its very pretty when not grey and late March.....Ithaca - flat out no - cold, crowded and too cementy. Cornell - beautiful but awfully big.</p>
<p>Yes, When I toured a dorm and realized the showers were in a walk thru hallway and the tour guide walked us all right thru the bathroom to the next hall way to show us the laundry. Poor guy on the pot was having horrible indigestion at the time. UGH!</p>
<p>When I visited Northwestern, I wasn't as blown away as I thought I would be. My mom was swooning, but I had been somewhat turned off. The people, the general atmosphere just felt...cold.</p>
<p>For another school (fortunately, within driving distance), I started the morning wondering why we were even bothering to visit, but that was ultimately what convinced me to apply. I absolutely loved it.</p>
<p>With the school I've actually chosen to attend, the visit fell in between. I walked on the campus thinking the school was my top choice, and I guess nothing convinced me otherwise. But I didn't get that gut feeling everyone talks about, either, where you "just know.</p>
<p>shiftyeyes: Was the other school that you visited-- Lake Forest College, Depaul, Loyola or Chicago or ? What did you like about it? Are you going to enroll at Seattle University or ?</p>
<p>The Wisconsin tour turned me off. I was expecting to LOVE it, but a combination of the negative-degree weather, the sprawling and unappealing campus, and the other prospective students on my tour just turned me off. I'll probably still apply because I'm sure it wouldn't have been as bad had I visited without the negative wind chill and several inches of snow (not to mention the sociology and journalism programs) but it isn't even close to the top of my list like it was before.</p>
<p>And I was expecting to HATE Georgetown--we visited just because we were in DC and we figured we might as well just take a look--but I liked it a lot. So I guess tour impressions can definitely go both ways.</p>
<p>Georgetown impressed me. I was interested, but neutral. The tour guides drew me in and made the campus seem really involved and interesting. Don't know if it's my top choice, but it definitely made me consider applying!</p>
<p>Brandeis was a real turn-off. I don't know what it was. The dorm they showed us was in really bad repair. It felt like the tour guide talked about the buildings the whole time and really arbitrary things, instead of about the academics or the sense of community of the campus. I don't know--I just wasn't impressed or drawn-in in any way.</p>
<p>At Connecticut College, on the other hand, I went from being interested, to flat-out knowing I was going to apply and that it would be one of my top choices. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming. The tour guide did a wonderful job of showing why Conn. is a unique and great school. She made it stand out and she showed the feeling of the campus. I think that's a whole lot more meaningful than talking about buildings (or even academics--most people know the academics if they do some research--you don't know the feeling of the campus 'til you visit).</p>
<p>I'm surprised by those people who were turned off to Cornell by its campus. Unless they're looking for a really urban feel, it's well regarded as one of the most beautiful in the country. Never heard its campus as a negative.</p>
<p>Also to be turned off to Georgetown by Washington, DC? DC's an incredible city. What a pity to miss such an opportunity.</p>
<p>I had a bad feeling about Harvard's campus. Just something in the energy of the place - very dark and somewhat deceptive (sorry - I'm a bit of an intuitive).</p>
<p>I visited my top choice after applying and hated it. H.A.T.E.D it. Shouldn't have evan applied.</p>
<p>I never guessed the 'feel' of a place would be so fracking important. It is.</p>
<p>"even"</p>
<p>10 char</p>
<p>jocan, what was the top choice?</p>
<p>D visited U of Miami, expecting to love it, and completely hated it (dorms smelled and thought the library was sterile). Was not impressed with Cornell, but loved Hamilton, Vassar, and Colgate. She was neutral on Skidmore. Thought Union was very pretty but was turned off by the tri-mesters.</p>
<p>loved brandeis everyone was friendly warm and courteous, hated american university, loved GW but hated their dining options, loved jhu beautiful campus great tour, loved penn</p>
<p>Son and I visited Cal Tech & Harvey Mudd in summer. Cal Tech was first & we both loved the campus. Tours, etc emphasized how much fun everyone has there playing tricks on each other and on other schools. Mudd was not so pretty to look at. Tour & interactions with students and profs emphasized the approach to learning.</p>
<p>Son preferred Cal Tech at first...ok, me, too, I love that style of architecture...til we started talking about the message each admissions team was trying to convey. Second visit to Mudd in October - cooler weather & kids on campus enhanced the appearance. Son decided Mudd was a better fit for his learning style.</p>
<p>marie3: Any stories on people who totally missed mark by buying sight unseen?</p>
<p>Grinnell. I went to a presentation by a Grinnell alumnus given in a local high school. He was charming, intelligent, gave a great talk, and persuasively presented Grinnell as a great place to go. I asked him if people transfer out of the school, and why they do so. He said that most people who left came from one of the coasts, and found they couldn't tolerate the location. A shame; I would have loved it there, but he convinced me of the need to spend the money for my daughter to visit colleges and make her own decision.</p>
<p>Positive visits - Davidson, Williams, Hamilton, Allegheny, Rhodes, Carleton
Negative visits - William & Mary (had previously been at the top of my daughter's list)
Neutral visits - Skidmore, Centre, Sewanee, Southwestern, Macalester
Wouldn't get out of the car - Vassar</p>
<p>Creighton in Omaha, Neb., my son had a great last minute visit including scholarships dinner. His aunt drove the two us, she has a young hockey star coming up, so she's starting the CC journey. Shattuck St. Mary Mn. for him, eighth grade next fall. </p>
<p>We are Catholic, but I never heard of this school til application season. My sister and I enjoyed the art museum a couple of blocks from campus. </p>
<p>It an old school but every single building has been replaced, feels modern. I remember it's "one of the most wired campuses". Aren't they all? It seemed to be a top school for pharmacy and nursing, with a hospital on campus.</p>
<p>Seems like it should be on the colleges that change lives list--warm and nurturing vibe, very livable campus close to city.</p>
<p>"Then the tour guide who was wearing a microscopic shift dress with snow boots announced that although there were core requirements at the school, the kids should not worry because there are plenty of "gut" courses to take to fulfill those requirements."</p>
<p>You object to excessive candor on the part of the Wesleyan guide? It was this kind of candor that made me like Brown so much--both the student at the info session and the tour guide felt free to mention things they didn't like about Brown, or things that Brown lacks--but their affection for Brown was obvious.</p>
<p>With three kids, I feel like I'm slowly visiting every school. </p>
<p>Positive visits - SUNY Buffalo (great tour guide who made the tour outstanding); UMaryland (kid liked the school more than I did. IMO the dorm they showed us was a dump and the tour guide was arrogant. We DID have a great lunch at the shopping center next to the school...a highlight of that road trip); UCONN (great tour, very well done with digital photo of tour group...unfortunately, the photo never got emailed to my kid. Met an alumni at the Creamery who raved about the school. This was #1 choice, but didn't get any $ to assist with OOS tuition); UToledo (far and away the nicest people of any of our tours. Too bad it's ranking isn't better. I liked it - my kid didn't). </p>
<p>Negative visits - Villanova (Vanilla-ova - my kid hated it), PSU (convinced kid it was just too big), Ohio U (Senior English major used poor grammar during a presentation; tour went right to the Rec Center where the guide talked about the athletic program ad nauseum - minimal info on academics); URI (went in summer and the bldgs/grounds were in poor shape during our visit - peeling paint, sidewalks with grass in cracks, presentation in a really run-down room in an old student union, sample classroom was rough and exhibits in the classroom showcases looked like they hadn't been changed out in 20 years). U Kentucky (this had a kid's first choice, until classes changed and the sidewalks were filled with clones wearing Kentucky tee-shirts. The kid couldn't see himself wearing blue every day); Kent (took a Friday tour, and campus and classrooms were dead); Duquesne (based on prior Gifted Student events there, my kid had high expectations. Tour guide showed us the outside of the library for 20 minutes and bragged about the number of books -which were much less than other schools on the list. We could have gone into the building? End of story).</p>
<p>Neutral visits - Pitt (very well done presentation, but our tour guide wasn't enthusiastic); U Delaware (tour well organized and we got to see everything we needed to see, but we were warned about no OOS $); Temple (everything a little too crowded); Marshall U (very laid back, nice people who love their school but not enough info about activities and social life to satisfy my kid); Washington & Jefferson (kid decided too small); Indiana U of PA (very well done tour but not enough emphasis on the honors program); Hiram (surprisingly pretty little campus).</p>
<p>Wouldn't get out of the car - Miami U of Ohio; U Akron, J Hopkins, Case Western; Allegheny College; Edinboro; Slippery Rock U; U Dayton; Grove City. </p>
<p>And more schools to visit with the next kid...</p>
<p>has anyone visited Brandeis? any comments?</p>