<p>my-3-sons~How was your visit to Mizzou???? We are going to be there this weekend!!</p>
<p>Hi all, we just got back. Going in to this visit, S had another school as his first choice and I said to H that someone was going to have to blow his socks off to overtake his #1. Well, Mizzou blew his socks off and he now has a much tougher choice!</p>
<p>We had a great visit. We arrived the afternoon before our scheduled visit day and immediately liked the look of the Columbia. There were lots of stores, restaurants, movie theaters and really anything else you could want. The town was clean and vibrant and made a very good first impression. We stayed at the Courtyard by Marriott which was very nice.</p>
<p>On visit day we parked in the Turner Garage and made our way to Jesse Hall. We asked directions and everyone was very friendly and helpful. The info session was very well done and provided lots of good info. We were the only OOS people in the room and the rep kept referring to my S throughout the presentation which really kept him engaged...coming from NH, S may want to take advantage of our tanning salon in the rec center (everyone laughed).</p>
<p>We then went on a student led campus tour. The campus is beautiful and the freshman OOS student we had was VERY articulate and friendly. One of the questions I asked was what schools he chose Mizzou over; his response was UVA and UMiami, coincidently the school my #2 attends. The library, dorms, bookstore and oh my, that rec center were wonderful facilities. We had lunch (on Mizzou) at the Plaza dining hall-incredible. Lots of kids were wearing Mizzou clothing which I always think is a good sign of pride in their school. We would ask questions of the kids in line near us and they were all more than willing to share their experiences with us.</p>
<p>After lunch S met with the head of the mechanical engineering department who spent a lot of time with S going over the program and answering any questions. He explained the advising program, ec and internship opportunities and the engineering FIGs. We felt that Mizzou really tries to look out for the kids and helps them make a smooth transition. His D is a student there.</p>
<p>We had a nice dinner at the Flat Branch Pub (suggested by the prof) and then attended the Mizzou vs. Iowa State basketball game. We had a lot of fun and the kids at the game all seemed to be having a ball.</p>
<p>All in all, we LOVED our visit at Mizzou. To me, it felt more like a private school than a lot of the other big publics we have visited. I didn't get the impression at all that the kids would feel like just a number. S is still having trouble letting go of the thought of his original #1, but Mizzou made such a great showing that I think it will be hard to turn down. Can you tell which school mom wants? ;)</p>
<p>I'll keep you posted on the decision.</p>
<p>my-3-sons~Thanks so much for the great visit report!! This will be our second visit, but there were no students around (between summer and fall sessions) and we didn't get the official tour of the J-school. Plus S2 would like to go to a class or two. His cousin from St. Louis is going to come down and the two of them are spending the night with a freshman our nephew knows. Glad to know about the Flat Branch Pub as we didn't get a chance to go to a restaurant, and I know that they have all changed since I went to school there! (except for Shakespeare's Pizza!) and Harpo's!</p>
<p>We will then be going to revisit one of his other choices on Sunday, and hopefully after the long weekend he will have a better idea about the decision he has to make!</p>
<p>He got a letter from Admissions awarding him a Mark Twain non-resident scholarship, but several days later he got another letter awarding him the Mizzou Heritage scholarship--that will have priority over the Mark Twain!</p>
<p>Should be an interesting end of March. Maybe we'll all be there for move-in in August!!</p>
<p>Hard to believe this long process will be coming to an end soon. Have fun at your alma mater, Irish!</p>
<p>Thanks, geezermom! I just have no idea which way he will go--he has said he still can't rule out any of the top 3 on his list, so...this weekend will certainly be informative and decisive. To be honest, I'm not sure which I would pick! I loved Mizzou, but I was close to home, so I know that that is weighing in on his decision to some extent. Good to know that other East coasters have sons who are serious about this terrific midwest choice! There are other factors that will make a difference, too. It is good to have choices, but I just wish it was more clear cut!!</p>
<p>I'll have a full report next week!</p>
<p>irish-How was the visit?</p>
<p>Hi all!!</p>
<p>We had a great visit to Mizzou! We arrived in St. Louis on Thursday night, and drove to Columbia in the pouring rain, but it was nice weather for the Black & Gold Day. That was very much like your experience, my-3-sons, but we had lunch at Rollins cafeteria, and did the journalism talk & tour, plus met with the Asst. Dean of the j-school. He was great, and basically let our son know that they really wanted him to be there. We also toured Mark Twain, which would be where the WW j-school FIG would be housed. (and, coincidentally, where I lived when I was a freshman!)</p>
<p>On Saturday my sister and her son arrived from St. Louis. She had gone to Mizzou, and her son is our son's age, plus they are good buddies. He is going to another college (long story), but wanted to get together. We went out to lunch at Flat Branch also!! because that is where my sister's niece (on my brother-in-law's side) and her boyfriend (both go to Mizzou, and he is a senior in j-school) wanted to eat--they LOVE it, and so did we!! </p>
<p>We wanted to go to the baseball game, but it had been postponed (as it was raining again). Instead we drove all around the campus and showed them all the frats and sororities, finally doing dinner (at Willie's--on Broadway--didn't like it nearly as much!!) and dropping our sons to spend the night with a friend of my nephew's.</p>
<p>On Sunday, S2 and I drove back to St. Louis and flew on to Raleigh/Durham. DH picked us up (he had not gone to Mizzou, instead driving down to meet us for our Monday visit to UNC) and we met up with S1 (our Duke student) for dinner. Yesterday we did the "Explore Carolina" day at UNC-Chapel Hill that they have for the Early Action accepted students and...let's just say that that was the one that knocked his socks off. He has decided that the overall feel of Carolina (and a very good journalism school there, too--just no Columbia Missourian--though their student newspaper is a rather large daily) was a better fit, and the proximity to his brother and home were huge factors in the decision. It didn't hurt that the campus was in early spring bloom, or that he ran into a couple of guys that he knew!</p>
<p>As much as I love Mizzou, and am so thrilled for those who have students who will be going there!!!!, I know that this is the right decision for S2 (big sighs!!)
DH thinks so, too, and when it comes right down to it, you just want them to be happy. When we had finished our day at UNC, S2 was practically skipping back to the car--it was as though the huge cloud of uncertainty had been lifted and he was walking on air. Can't argue with that.</p>
<p>Keep in touch about your kids!! And we are going to try to go out to Mizzou for a football game this fall!!!!</p>
<p>Sounds like a great weekend, irishforever. Your S had great choices (he'll just have better basketball than football). But can you believe that the process is really over?</p>
<p>You're right about the football, geezermom! It's nice that Mizzou's team really put the school on the map this year, isn't it!! The East Coast friends won't be asking "Mizzou????"</p>
<p>The process is almost over...we still have all of the paperwork, room choices, orientation, etc. over the next few months (oh--and Prom, Graduation, parties, etc. mixed in!!!!) But the serious anxiety is over--hooray!!</p>
<p>Irish-I'm glad you had an enjoyable and productive weekend. Boy, your S really couldn't make a bad choice and I'm sure it's a great relief to know he is so excited about his choice. UNC and Duke kids are going to make for a mighty interesting basketball season in your house next year!</p>
<p>It already IS interesting, my-3-sons!! S1 is coming home tonight for the games at the Verizon Center. We are all going--we've had these tickets for months, just didn't know who would be in the 1st and 2nd rounds here! S2 will most likely wear one of his Duke t-shirts since UNC isn't playing here. He never had a UNC t-shirt until Christmas, so the choice was not about the basketball. He did want a school that had good D-1 sports, though.</p>
<p>Next year the sibling sports rivalry will begin in earnest--but at least S2 has a great respect for Duke and won't be "hatin'" on his brother's teams!</p>
<p>Mizzou will have a much better football team, though!!!!!!!</p>