<p>Ok, I do not want to come off as rude because I know that there are people here who had a rough go of it come March 10th. My DS did not apply to any of the big name, "prestigious" schools often mentioned here. We want a more balanced life for him-academic, athletic, and artistic. So he applied to a bunch of the "hidden gems."</p>
<p>He was fortunate to get in 5 of the 6 schools he applied to. He has narrowed his choice down to 3 schools. We have done one revisit thus far and have 2 more over the next week.</p>
<p>So for those parents and students who have been through this before....how do you make your final decision if all else ends up being equal? Do you go by what your gut is telling you is the better fit even if you can't fully articulate it?</p>
<p>I think I'm more nervous than my DS about the decision!</p>
<p>I’d go with gut feeling. If it all ends up being completely equal, and by that, I mean you’ve looked at academics, athletics, arts, and they come out equal, and then the relative size of the schools, the casual/formal aspect, religious life (optional), campus fit, people fit, faculty fit, surrounding area (city, town, middle of nowhere) financial stuff, and more (I’m probably leaving off some stuff here), that’s when you toss in the towel and go eeny meeny miny moe. But the likelihood of THAT happening is really, really low, because no three schools can be THAT similar.</p>
<p>
Congratulations to your son on his good fortune! </p>
<p>And kudos to you for being a grounded, rational parent! I suspect you have probably put more thought into compiling this slate of 6 schools which you were impressed enough to invest the considerable amount of time/money/effort to apply to, than the prestige-crazed parents who picked schools on the basis of a silly acronym or their adult egos. </p>
<p>Some little things that you might weigh in the decision:</p>
<p>Sport or activity he is passionate about: which school has the stronger team or better facilities? </p>
<p>Dress: formal or casual. Does he have a preference?</p>
<p>Meals: Sit-down meals are a nice to have, as they promote a sense of community and school identity. Some kids dislike sit-down meals</p>
<p>What’s around the school: anything recreational to do off campus? Access to shops to get supplies? </p>
<p>Access for you: do you plan to visit regularly? Some of my S’s parents visit every other weekend. Some kids like this; some don’t</p>
<p>Disciplinary Policy: One-strike-you’re-out? Something more forgiving? What are you comfortable w as a parent? Teenagers do make mistakes.</p>
<p>General upkeep of the campus: Is it maintained well? Or does it appear thread-bare? Would you want to live 3/4 of the year there?</p>
<p>Dorms: Roomy? Visitation policy for the opposite sex?</p>
<p>The kids there: Do they look happy?</p>
<p>
Most kids will be happy at a number of different schools, so please don’t kill yourself w stress over this decision-- exhale… Enjoy the revisits.</p>
<p>Pick wherever he’ll be happiest.</p>
<p>I suggest looking at all of the above. Great list GMT! </p>
<p>In the end, after all the revisits, I think your gut will let you know which school is the one.</p>
<p>Congratulations and good luck!</p>
<p>I’m totally with @GMTplus7 on this. The one thing that I would add to the list:</p>
<p>**Ease of travel?: ** Does travel to/from require a plane transfer through a snowstorm-prone city and a two hour bus ride, or is it a one-hour drive away.</p>
<p>Ideally, all of these choices would have been made in the initial selection process, when you were narrowing down schools. That may be the case here and you truly have 3 schools that are basically equals. At which point, you go with your gut.</p>
<p>I assume that there are no financial considerations that make one more preferable than the other. If money is not a driver, I would suggest that you let your son take the lead on deciding.</p>
<p>Congratulations.</p>
<p>How was your revisit that you did do? I am interested if the school on revisit day gave you the same feeling as when you initially visited? I agree I am more nervous about this than my son. </p>
<p>Newbie3kids we feel the same! My DD has three wonderful, yet very different options and is very stressed about her decision. These schools were our three favorites initially, so the boxes have already been ticked in terms of most of GMTplus7’s list (although thanks for the reminder about the disciplinary policy - I think that is a great question to ask during revisits). I may have mentioned this in another thread, but one of the schools suggested that we look at the course requirements and put together a very preliminary academic plan for the next 4 years. Then show up at revisits with that plan in hand. Although we haven’t attended any of the revisits yet, just the exercise of going through the course catalogue and trying to map it all out, has been VERY helpful for DD. It triggered some questions, as well as excitement, and is IMO a good place to start. Beyond that, we are going with our gut!!! Good luck on congratulations on having some choices!</p>
<p>Rhodes College vs. Washington and Lee for Science minded quiet student?</p>