Thanks for your honest portrayal. My S applied RD and just received news of acceptance with an awesome merit scholarship; as tempting as the scholarship is, he could not accept because he just got into Skidmore ED2. He is an extravert like you and would be very disappointed by what you describe, so now I feel better about him going to Skidmore. Thank you.
I agree - I appreciate PreMed taking the time to share her experience - that is what it is: HER experience. We get plenty of rah rahâs for all the colleges are kids are looking at, so this is no different - just a different perspective. I have a son at CofW, a sophomore. He loves it. I just hosted he and 5 of his friends for part of their spring break and they are all of the same mind set. However, my younger son is a senior and heading off to a big SEC school in the fall - he would be miserable at CofW. I really do believe kids end up (eventually) where they are supposed to end up. I also believe that that college is NOT a job - itâs a time of exploration. It may take time to find the right fit - both in the college itself and their major. My son had a rough start - roommate was a total mismatch. But - it was the BEST thing that could have happened for him, because it forced him to go out of his comfort zone, head up a few floors, find an open door and find âhis guysâ. He joined a club team and now they are all the best of friends, and will be moving in to a service house next year. I have no doubt they will be life long friends. Is Wooster a social mecca - no. But it works well for him and best of all - He is HAPPY, loves his classes and itâs all good! Heâs settledâŠnow I can pray S #2 settles in as nicely down south!
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I appreciate this thread. D16 just had her overnight. It was her first visit to campus, and she was going in viewing Wooster as a top choice. She loved the campus, town, the class she attended, and the info about various programs, but it is not an exaggeration to say that the social aspect of the overnight was a disaster. Her host and friends were all juniors and seniors in a sorority and they essentially complained about College of Wooster the entire time she spent with them - primarily the workload and lack of fun. They criticized my daughterâs choice of academic interest, and when they found out she was from out-of-state, they questioned why she would want to go there. It is shocking how disparaging they were in such a short amount of time. Sheâs struggling with how to respond - she still wants to give Wooster a chance, but this was her only experience. Time is short and we live too far away for her to visit again before the deadline.
howaboutthat - Iâm sorry your daughterâs visit was not a stellar experience - I know we send them there and have high expectations and itâs sad when they come back with stories like that. My son went out his senior year to Wooster and had an âokâ visit - but there was just something about the school that drew him there. Believe me - it has to be the right fit. My son plays ultimate Frisbee, that is his group and they are a tight. He knew not ONE person when he arrived on campus and now heâs good (actually great!). Social Activities and engagement could use a lot of work at CoW, as well as the whole ResLife program. Will be interesting to see what the new president brings to the table and how she will change things. APEX is a great program and my son LOVES his classes - all of them so far. It is a small liberal arts college, so there is less structure than a larger university. Itâs all part of the criteria, set of priorities each student needs to look at when deciding on their academic home for the next 4 years⊠Good luck to your daughter!
@Lauriebu mine also plays ultimate, also knew no one before enrolling, and also is happy as a clam at CoW! For my student it was, in fact, the deciding factor between schools, after narrowing to the top three choices, we scheduled overnight revisits at all three with requests to practice and stay with the team. All three were good, but at CoW there would be a âfamilyâ on the ultimate team.
Thanks, @Lauriebu. I still think Wooster is a great school, and so does my daughter, although I imagine she isnât considering it anymore. Your comment about social engagement and resident life needing a lot of work is interesting. And for any current students who host and may read this thread â being honest about your personal take on the pros and cons of your school is expected and even welcome in my opinion, but do take care not to unload on a prospie. It is unfair to your school and will reflect poorly on you even more than the institution.
We just attended the admitted student thing last weekend - maybe the same weekend as you? It was a huge event. Iâd have a hard time hanging my hat on the interactions with a few upper classmen who obviously donât share her thoughts. I had two kids there; 1 stayed with his group and had a blast; the other ditched her group and did something else and had a blast because she realized that they werenât a good social match. This is our second visit this year, and second overnight. Lots of different personalities each time. Best of luck in your decision.