<p>As we start to build our itinerary for our East Coast trip with my twin-Ds, I would like some feedback on experiences or impressions of Conn. College.</p>
<p>Thanks, CD</p>
<p>CD:</p>
<p>D and I visited ConnCol in July 03. It is a beautiful campus on a hill, long and skinny with a lengthy grassy area in the middle paralleled by 3-5 story buildings (including dorms) of the same architecture. View of Long Island Sound from one end. Coast Guard Academy down the road. Athletic facilities located across a major road, but accessed by a covered walking bridge from the main campus. Do not recall a commercial area right next to campus. Drove through downtown area on the waterfront, was not impressed. Would need transportation to get there.</p>
<p>Campus was lifeless, but we expected that and we never factored that impression into any of our summer tour evaluations. Tour guide talked a ton about humanities programs. Met an elderly Chinese prof/artist in the library area where his work was exhibited. He knew the TG very well. TG had some trouble answering our pointed questions about science/math students and opportunities. Got the distinct impression it would be a great place for artsy and creative students. D was uncomfortable there. Not her kind of vibes or fit. We did not stay for the info session as she was anxious to move on. I'm sure you've visited their website and read essays from accepted students that they hold up as examples of successful personal essays. Interesting, to say the least...</p>
<p>ConnCol was on our itinerary after Smith (Amherst, Mt. Holyoke too), between Vassar and Brown, and then followed by the Boston schools Wellesly and Tufts. Dartmouth and Middlebury were the last on our trip. Went in and out of Hartford from Seattle (NWA through Minneapolis or Detroit). Took 5 days. Best part was driving through Vermont. Gorgeous - kept expecting to see Bob Newhart's Inn and Larry, Daryl & Daryl. Have a great trip.</p>
<p>Conn College is indeed a beautiful campus, but my son also was aslo off by it. It seemed too preppy and a little too much like a 5th year of HS. Our tour guide went on and on about academic discipline being managed by the students. </p>
<p>I looked at the essays that Maize&Blue mentioned. Your daughters definately should read these also. If they are appealing - add Conn College to the list. If not - lots of other wonderful schools out there.</p>
<p>My son and I had a wonderful spring tour last year. I hope that you and your merry band do also!</p>
<p>We visited about four years ago. Yes, a lovely campus. But I got the impression, and confirmed it unofficially after speaking with an info session presenter privately, that the admissions bar is lower for guys than gals at this school - not unusual with liberal arts schools that want to keep the male/female ratio in balance. But that turned off my D (might entice my son!). </p>
<p>I also got the impression that older students really appreciate having cars for going places off campus.</p>
<p>We visitied Conn College last fall. Very pretty campus but isolated atop hill ringed by roadways. Nice arboretum adjacent. "Armpit New England" feel to the town nearby; biker bars etc.</p>
<p>My D <em>is</em> artsy type-- and yet did not apply. She really liked the girls she overnighted with but felt there was not enough to do outside of dorm hanging out & keg parties. </p>
<p>These visits can leave unfair impressions, just a snapshot...</p>
<p>I too thought the essays were not the best.</p>
<p>Conn College was a bit of an enigma to us as well. Im glad that others have mentioned the quality of the essays posted as examples great writing (?!). This more than anything made me question the intellectual rigor of the college. Do they still have the one by the girl whose mother is a professional matchmaker? She (the mother) was ecstatic about the nearby Coast Guard Academy. Very funny AND a good essay.</p>
<p>Its a good looking campus with fine facilities. We were there in the summer and didnt get the full treatment of kids on campus, but inauspiciously (and perhaps prophetically) our tour guide when asked what he did on weekends said hed taken to spending them hiking in Berkshires and hanging out in Williamstown! </p>
<p>The information session and interviews were well run and professional, one of the most organized admissions experiences out there. Of all the colleges that we visited (14) Conn was the ONLY one that included the studio art department on the official tour. </p>
<p>They seem to be trying to define themselves through several innovative multidisciplinary programs. Not sure how successful these have been but they sound good. Heres a link as they are too complicated to explain: <a href="http://www.conncoll.edu/academics/centers/%5B/url%5D">http://www.conncoll.edu/academics/centers/</a> </p>
<p>Conn was all girls until 1969. It is still 60% female and yes, I think boys do get a boost in admissions. For my son there were better safety/match choices. The fact that they dont require the SATI (do require 3 SATIIs though) is a plus for poor test takers. They have some great international programs and are one of the few LACs that offers undergraduate architecture degree.</p>
<p>When we visited colleges in the area we based ourselves in Old Saybrook which is within easy driving distance of Conn College, Trinity, Wesleyan, Yale, Brown and several others. It was a lovely place to relax and recharge in between tours and interviews.</p>
<p>My 18 year old D had applied and was accepted to Conn College. It was one of her safety schools. She liked it and we visited in her junior year. It is not like her favorite school but she liked it and could see herself attending. It happens to be smaller than any of the schools she applied to. Also, one thing it does NOT have that she truly did want in a school, is to be in walking distance of other things to do. It's not. The campus itself is pretty. I applied and got in, but did not attend, when I was her age, so this was my second visit! One striking thing was how friendly the kids there are! Just walking around, many times kids came up to us asking US if we needed help (we were obviously visiting). Our tour was just with one other family and coincidentally the family was from a town 30 miles from us and we knew some people in common and they recognized my D from our dance studio. We ate in the cafeteria and asked several kids to see inside several different dorms...quite a variety, some quite nice and most kids get singles after freshman year. Just about everyone lives on campus. If you like the small liberal arts school experience, this is one to look at. It is likely less diverse than some other top schools. My daughter also met with the head of the department she is considering a major, and he spent at least an hour with us and that was great. She also met up with the ski team captains of the club team there and that was a fruitful discussion that went beyond just the team stuff. She had a good feeling of the school on this visit. She also had an interview with an admissions officer here in VT and that also went well. I think the college has a lot going for it if you want New England liberal arts school of a more challenging nature in terms of academics/selectivity, but not quite as selective as the top tier ones, and if you don't mind not being in a location near other things. I would say that last thing is a drawback if you care about that sort of thing but not everyone does. The kids seemed really happy there. They seemed like a "community" where people's social lives revolved around campus life. The honor code is a big thing there too. Friendly place, small, good choice if you are looking for that. For my D, it was a safety school but one she could have been happy at. I think in the end, her current school (Brown) is a better fit but on the other hand, she was interested enough in Conn College to apply and liked it on her visit. I'm glad she found safety schools she liked. Conn College is not easy to get into but could be a safety for a top student but also can be a match for a very good student who is not as strong for the top tier schools. It is a strong school with great internships and abroad opportunities and seemingly really nice kids. Friendly place from what we could tell. </p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>My son looked at Conn College this year, in part because it offered an architecture major. He was turned off for reasons not readily apparent to us, and refused to apply. In part I think he felt that while it is coed, the school felt like a predominantly female school to him. The sports program for male teams in not that strong in some sports, and he was turned off by that (he has played varsity athletics 3 seasons throughout high school but will not play in college); this is something that he quickly picked up on during his visit. I think CC is an excellent school - I'd strongly recommend a visit so each kid can decide for themselves whether it works for them or not.</p>
<p>Jrpar, coincidentally, my daughter was also looking at the architectural studies major and met the head of the department there and that was a positive side of the school for my daughter. Of course, she is a girl, not a boy, so her take may have been different ? Though we seemed to see equal numbers of guys girls around campus and talked to both. My D is also a three varsity sport athlete and cared about that end of things. I'd say the biggest drawback to her would have been location of the campus, compared to her other choices.</p>
<p>Soozie - he liked the architecture option at the school. It was some sort of "vibe" that he got on campus that he didn't feel comfortable with. It might have just been a girl vs. boy thing. On the sports point: unlike the other NESCAC schools, there is no football or baseball team, and the mens soccer, hockey and basketball team all had losing records; the womens sports may be stronger - but this would have just confirmed my son's feeling that the school was more oriented to women. This may not be true at all - just his individual reaction - so I do think students should visit for themselves.</p>
<p>Well, thank you all for your input. As the responses started, I was going to suggest that we cross Conn. College off the list. But the last group of replies suggest we should go ahead and make the visit. The D that Conn. C. is on the radar for does have aspirations for a top tier school Right now Haverford tops wish list. Of course we want both girls to see a variety of schools in the region: reaches, matches and safeties.</p>
<p>My daughter really liked Connecticut College the first time we visited which was during her junior year. It was the first northern school she had visited, and she loved it; didn't hurt that there was a light snow while we toured. I didn't see many students out and about and found that odd. We went back this year for an audition; now she didn't like the feel of the school. She seems to think the school is more for the outdoorsy type; I didn't see that, but she did. My daughter is more preppy, but a dancer; while she is a dancer, I wouldn't call her artsy.</p>
<p>I would love to hear from those that know the school well; is my daughter correct? I found the students I met very down to earth and nice kids. I will say I never saw large groups of students around at any one time. We were there on the second visit from 8:30am-2:00pm. Where do the kids hang out when not in class? I was really surprised not to see them in the student center during the daytime.</p>
<p>Pokey, maybe it is the time of year? When we were there, kids were out and about, there was snow, and they were also in the student center and we met up with some kids there as well. Also, they are pretty good for dance there and when we were in that building, a girl from our dance studio who is a student at Conn College (unbeknownst to us) ran up to us and recognized us, as well as the other family on the tour who coincidentally was from the city where our dance studio is located. I did not get a sense of the kids being an outdoorsy type. They looked like typical kids there to me. Some might have been preppy even but not all. </p>
<p>I think if a kid is interested in Haverford, then Conn College might be a good match or safety (without knowing the stats). Both are small liberal arts schools. Both have that whole honor code thing going. Both seem to have close student bodies. But Haverford has the city and Conn College does not, at least not as close by. It actually has a pretty campus. The ocean too ;-). When I looked at it way back when, as a prospective student, it had the major I was looking for, and that was one criteria that also brought my D to look at it as well.
Susan</p>
<p>Susan, we are taking this trip early (free airlines tickets that have to be used), so hard stats are not in hand. For 1 D, she is in the IB program, 4.0 (our school does not weight grades) and tons of leadreship EC's (student body officer, started a Stand for Child chapter at school, recently spoke at a press conference in state capital lambasting the Gov.'s' budget cuts to education, etc etc.) She is emotionally ready for college NOW, but of course must wait.</p>
<p>concerneddad, are your daughters interested in similar schools?</p>
<p>ConcernedDad, with those kind of stats, similar to my D, also 4.0, school did not weight but was in hardest courses, tons of ECs with achievements in them, Conn College was a safety (not a guarantee I guess but for a kid like that, fairly safe). That is why when I see some very strong students on here have top heavy lists and that are almost all reach schools and then tack on a safety school like their state school (nothing wrong with state schools, mind you) where they do NOT want to go, I think that is not the best plan. I think there are very strong schools out there that could serve as a safety school to top students, where they would truly LIKE to go, and are not slouch schools or way too easy for them. That is how a school like Conn College was for my daughter. It is not a safety school for everyone but it can be for a student like your D or my D and be a school that still has a motivated student body and plenty of challenge and not be a consolation prize by any means. </p>
<p>I hear ya on being ready for college NOW....as you know my second daughter, who is a junior, IS going to college next year....begged to do this path, and it is happening. What can I tell ya...she is NOT waiting. </p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>dstark, yes they are interested in similar schools, although to be honest, D1's match schhols will likley be D2's reach schools. They would both like either an LAC or small to med. size U. Wh have am ambitious list of schools for our trip, which include: ST. MAry's MD, Goucher, Haverford, Swartmore, Bryn Mawr, Drew, Princeton, Barnard, Skidmore, Colgate, Hamilton, Amherst, Smith, Mt. Holyoke, Brandies, Wellseley, Brown, Conn. C. and Wesleyan.</p>
<p>Each D will be exposed to all schools. A Mid-West and West coast will come later on.</p>
<p>Susan, since we live in a collge town, D1 will likely take a fair number of courses at the U in her senior year -- although the IB cir. does not allow for too much of that.</p>
<p>cd,</p>
<p>The description of your D fit my D to a tee last year (4.0, val, not IB, but tons of AP, leadership, etc.). It's tough watching a child get through the senior year when their maturity level (and emotional attachment) has bloomed beyond the usual hs stuff.</p>
<p>Haverford, and to a lesser degree, Swarthmore, was very high (#2 or 3 depending on the day of the week) on my D's list of LAC's (and she only sought out LAC's or LAC-like colleges such as Tufts & Dartmouth). We tossed ConnCol into the mix because we were in the area and we wanted to gauge it as a safety if she decided she had to be on the east coast. We found the atmosphere at both colleges to be entirely different.</p>
<p>D felt that Haverford was cozy and very intellectual. The campus is very woodsy and the buildings fit closely together within the landscape, which was pleasing to us coming from the PacNW. The stone fireplace pit area, which I think was in the dining hall, just oozed thoughts of a winter cabin in the Cascades. Chemistry majors are given a key to the multi $$$ chemisty building, big draw for my science D. The Honor Code for my kid who has always "done the right thing" would not have been an issue. But the TG and Admissions Office were heavy-handed in their discussions about its importance. I guess some applicants need to be told not to cheat, lie, or steal.</p>
<p>For my D, ConnCol just didn't fit the bill. But it took a visit to determine that. We did see Haverford before ConnCol, so it was easy for her to come to her immediate conclusions. The NE school that gave Haverford a run for its money (literally) was Middlebury, which is why she went back and forth. And the back and forth discussion generally centered on her uneasiness with the preppiness factor, which is why I think she would have ultimately put Haverford ahead of Middlebury had she had to make that decision. However, ultimately, neither of the schools knocked Carleton out of the top spot where she was accepted ED. She did ED because she was absolutely sure and wanted the possibility to concentrate on what was important to her during the rest of her senior year. Her financial aid award was quite a suprise to us, because we had never qualified for need with older S with less income and assets. Carleton awards $2000 annually to any NMF and has the largest percentage of NMF of any LAC.</p>
<p>Here's comes my pitch: If your D is agreeable to checking out an superb LAC closer to home, (it's only 3 hour flight instead of 5), I'd encourage her to investigate Carleton. It has a student body very similar to Haverford's: 1.5 times larger, strong in all areas, particular math/science. This year, about 15 frosh attend from Oregon, a record 22 from Washington.</p>
<p>Maize & Blue: we are by no means cutting out the midwest: Carelton, MacAlester, U. Chi., Wash U., Kenyon, Grinnell are all on the radar. As are Whitman and the other West Coast LAC's. It is just that this trip -- forced as it is by free airline tickets that must be used, a stong desire of my Ds to see a few Broadway plays during Spring Break as well, and my STRONG desire to EAT [see The Dad's post re NYC hotels) -- is the first of three.</p>