<p>We have just came back from our own Ohio trip and I thought I’d put in two cents.</p>
<p>Xavier- I was concerned about the neighborhood and honestly it is not great. But it is not even close to being as scary as Fordham’s neighborhood, but is lacking a commercial area near campus . Since most upper classmen live off campus, this would be problematic without a car.
The campus itself is a mixed bag. The dorms and some of the classroom buildings are generic looking. The new Learning Commons, Williams College of Business, and Dorm/Dining facility are nothing less than impressive. They have all opened within the last 3 years and represent a significant investment in Xavier’s future. DS was dazzled by the Cintas Center where Xaviers’s basketball games are held. An older classroom building is scheduled to be demolished and some hardscaping is underway, creating a new entry.
Our tour guide was great and passionate about Xavier. He emphasized the Jesuits commitment to educating the entire person and a life for others. Perhaps about 30-40% of the students were wearing something with Xavier emblazoned on it. DS wore the free t shirt he was given on the tour on our flight back home. A man about 60 came up to him at O’Hare and told DS that his time at Xavier shaped him for the rest of his life and it would be a good decision to go there.</p>
<p>Dayton- There are certainly more commercial areas around UD. The campus seems to be in a vibrant section of Dayton.<br>
The first thing we noticed about the campus was that the athletic complex was separate from the main campus, though not by too far, perhaps 1-2 miles down the road. The rest of the campus was fine. It was not impressive like Xavier, but there was nothing glaringly wrong. The dorms were ridiculously similar to the one we saw at Xavier, though at UD it had a cafeteria. Apparently one of the dorms just reopened after an extensive remodel, but we did not see it. The student rec center was a positive, with a pool, sports courts and a track. And the collection of university owned, single family homes for upperclassmen, inexplicably called the ghetto, seemed like a huge plus. The only new facilities that were discussed was the upcoming renovation of the chapel.
There was a lot of emphasis on Flyer Enterprises, the student run businesses on campus and the university’s commitment to service. I liked the idea of a program they have for undecided majors that lets them explore various disciplines before committing to it. I could not get a straight answer about the party culture.
Amusingly, I only saw two people in UD gear. Everyone else we saw was wearing OSU!</p>
<p>Both schools seem similar as far as alumni connections, access to professors and type of student. Unfortunately, they both have Ohio weather, and that turned out to be a huge negative.</p>