<p>Lee1710,
I agree with everything nightchef said and have some to add to that. Goucher opened a huge new multipurpose building this year called the Athenaeum. It house the brand new gorgeous library, a cafe open til 3am ,a gallery, performance spaces. It is the new center of the campus and very impressive. The choice of dorms is varied. My son is ia a small double. But there is suite housing. One is Sondheim, the substance free house. It has two huge bedrooms ajoining a common space. The other is called the “T”. My son likes the food alot. I have eaten in the dining halls several times myself. There are always many choices. The vibe of the campus is friendly and open as nightchef said. Even with a small campus pop, there seems to be all kinds of kids. The school does lean left politically. My son find the professors to be approachable and into teaching. Try to goe to Accepted Applicant Day, and if you have any more questons feel free. You could also try to arrange an overnight visit if you wish to see the campus mor intimately.</p>
<p>Thanks, all the info really helps!! I want to attend the Accepted Applicants Day but it all depends on plane ticket prices, I’m coming from TX. :-)</p>
<p>I’ve been accepted to Goucher, and it’s been placed very high on my list from the moment I started researching colleges, but I’m concerned about the boy/girl ratio (coming from a high school bigger than Goucher with an even worse ratio, it’s something that may sound silly but is an important factor), as well as how important sports is at the school. I’ve been playing soccer for about 8 years, and I’m wrestling with whether or not to play D3 or stick to intramural, so I would have more free time and space to make friends who aren’t just my teammates.
Can anyone give me a little insight as to what student life is really like at Goucher? I love the location of the school, and I’ve heard great things about the academics, but I want to make sure it’s absolutely right for me before sending any checks!</p>
<p>Ok, now for sure it’s between Goucher and George Mason. I don’t know which one to pick?</p>
<p>znyc92, Lee1710, I wish you both luck with your decisions. Znyc92, do you live in NYC? If so, you can fly to Baltimore in an hour, for not too much money. You should visit, if you have not. I can’t tell from your post. I don’t think it is wise to decide to go to a school if you have not visited. I also can’t tell if your M or F? As I have said in previous posts, My son loves it there. He is in the fencing cluband likes that a lot. As far as Soccer is concerned, I don’t know too much. I do know they constructed a new field which opened last Fall. Have you spoken to anyone at the school? As far as student life, there is always something to do there. The school created a new posistion last year; Director of Student Engagement, to make sure things are scheduled on the campus. I have been pretty impressed with all that is going on for such a small school.( a schedule is sent to parents every 2-3 months) Speakers from Robert Kennedy Jr. to Karl Rove. Music, plays, art, sports events. I think what my son likes the best is the friendly, family-like vibe. Read all the threads on Goucher on this site and good luck.</p>
<p>Well, it looks like our son is picking Goucher. I wouldn’t call it a done deal quite yet, but he’s starting to post on his FB page etc. that this is where he thinks he’s going. Nobody in our family had ever heard of Goucher before we started investigating colleges, yet we are probably going to end up there. It says a lot about what a good job the college does presenting itself to prospects that he’s picking it over U. of Rochester as well as some very good peer schools (Clark and Wheaton) closer to home.</p>
<p>nightchef, congrats with your (almost) decision. Are you going to Accepted Applicant Day? We had pretty much decided before that, but that last trip clinched it. By that visit, his admission’s counselor was greeting him by name. The college president came up to me and asked how my son was doing, wished us luck with our decision. How many schools does that happen with? My son wants to minor in music; he plays the violin. He feels that the school offers alot of personal help with charting your own course. We had first heard of Goucher through the “Colleges that Change Lives” books and website. He also picked it over several other schools that are better known. Good luck, and if you have any questions about dorm selection or anything, feel free. Send me a private message if you want.</p>
<p>Congrats on an almost decision. Re: Accepted students’ day, if you’re going to reserve a hotel and haven’t yet, I was successful with a priceline bid of 65 (82 with taxes and fees) for the Sheraton right next to Goucher. It’s a really convenient place to stay (with a walkway to the mall). My D, a sophomore, chose it (Goucher) over a variety of schools including Conn. College, Fordham, Muhlenberg. We, too, had never heard of Goucher before the application. It became the front runner for her after the visit.</p>
<p>Thanks for the tip, jasmom. I just got a reservation at the Sheraton next to Goucher with the same priceline bid of $65!</p>
<p>Unfortunately Accepted Applicants Day is looking like a long shot at this point–our son has a HS festival concert gig at 3:30 on Sunday. We went through the travel options last night and none of them looks good: drive down after the concert and get in around midnight (wife: “that’s crazy”), fly down Monday morning (we’d have to arrive partway through the program), or take a redeye train down Sunday night (too expensive, never mind the sleep issues). Oh well. Son is a bit disappointed at the prospect of missing it, I can tell.</p>
<p>Going with Goucher! :-)</p>
<p>Yup, it’s a final decision here too. We have a Gopher in the house!</p>
<p>Lee and nightchef, congrats on the decisions. I do think it’s a gem of a school. Something I enjoy doing is checking the webpage, news and events, then Goucher in the media, to see articles written by faculty or about Goucher that appear in the news. Really quite informative. I hope you/your student really enjoy the next 4 years.</p>
<p>Lee and Nightchef - congrats on the decisions. We never had to opportunity to visit Goucher, so it’s not in my son’s final list. But I think its a really great school</p>
<p>My son is a freshman at Goucher, and loves it. He is on the tennis team, although he had not played tennis competitively before this year. That’s one of the great things about a small school that provides individual attention for the students.</p>
<p>magicsmom, I am glad your son is happy at Goucher. Mine loves it also. I think we posted on some of the same threads last year while we making our decsions. Our sons may even know each other! What dorm is he in? Does he know where he is living next Fall? You can PM me if you like.</p>
<p>Oh joy! Reading these posts I’m tearing up - one of my dearest friends’ daughter has decided she’s a Gopher! She’ll be there next fall, and reading these posts makes my heart happy. Thank you all!</p>