(Or you could just watch the movie Liberal Arts and pretend.)
In PA it is usually mid October for fall foliage peak.
Final College Road Trip is planned, confirmed, mapped, revised and done done done. I have all the suggestions for great eats, speed traps, hotels to avoid, and everything in between. List of the colleges below but first one big question… We need to stay close to either College of Wooster or Baldwin Wallace. They are a mere half hour apart with our CoW visit later in the day and the BW the next late morning. I want to give dear daughter some feel of the community vibe since both are of serious interest to her. Any thoughts on which has a more interesting college town feel?
Fly into DC, drive towards Columbus with stops to visit with USA friends. Columbus by Sunday early.
Day 1 Wittenberg and Ohio State
Day 2 Ohio Wesleyan
Day 3 Denison and staying the night in town bc high on interest list
Day 4 Kenyon and College of Wooster. K might be a self guided or short visit as it is not high on her list
Night of Day 4 - need to decide to stay near College of Wooster or Baldwin Wallace - thoughts?
Day 5 Baldwin Wallace
Weekend in Cleveland and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and secret surprise meet up with great friend.
Day 8 - Allegheny College
Day 9 Dickinson
Day 10-11-12 White House Tour and Meet up with Senator with Capital Tour.
Day13 Back to Europe
I don’t know anything about Baldwin Wallace, but we really liked College of Wooster, so I was sorry we didn’t allow more time to check out the town.
Excellent information @porcupine98. We could easily head to Cleveland after College of Wooster as it is only a short drive to Baldwin Wallace but I really want her to experience the town. Trying to find some “things” to do in town by C of W. She thinks she will like both colleges too!
My vote would be to focus more on Wooster than Baldwin-Wallace. For what it’s worth, Baldwin-Wallace looks to be a very regional school (>75% of students are from Ohio, with just 1.5% from abroad), whereas College of Wooster has more geographic reach (about 1/3 from Ohio, 12% or more from other countries). Wittenberg is similarly regional.
If that matters to you and your kid, that is. To me it seems a significant stat.
I had the same feel for Wooster. They also toss in a $4,000 not from Ohio award along with $3,500 Diversity scholarship. She also is eligible for $2.000-8,000 music award even if not majoring in music ( which she isn’t). Daughter 1 is feeling the weight of a larger than realized number of students from Florida at her college. Wildly apparent as they evacuated for Hurricane Matthew and most students could drive home. Geographical reach is more important to younger daughter so I will add that to our Reflection Sheet.
Consider maybe an Airbnb in Wooster? We loved ABB for giving us a good feel for college areas.
If it fits the budget, St Paul Hotel in Wooster is a wonderful, European-feel, small hotel. I left the hotel with serious bathroom envy – heated floors etc., and hotel is located in the “hip” part of town, with wonderful restaurants, from upscale steak place to homey place with comfort food.
So, I’d suggest staying in Wooster after the Wooster visit, and then driving to BW the next morning.
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Daughter 1 is feeling the weight of a larger than realized number of students from Florida at her college. Wildly apparent as they evacuated for Hurricane Matthew and most students could drive home.{/quote]
But didn’t they take their OOS friends with them? My daughter is at a Florida private school that is about 35% Florida residents. The problem was that most of them are from the Atlantic coast areas so there was really no place to run to. She, her boyfriend and his brother (from NJ) went to a hotel in Orlando as their other invitations were to Ft. Lauderdale, Palm Coast, and Jacksonville, and at the time no one knew where the storm would hit. Turns out the northern coast was hit harder than her town, and while she could have just stayed put, she followed the recommendation to leave. The school evacuated any students who had no where to go to the shelters (high schools and other safe places). Her school is 30% international, so there are plenty from far away.
SIL is a graduate of Baldwin Wallace - she loved it. I’d be more inclined to stay near BW than closer to Wooster. Ther are plenty of motels and restaurants in Middleburg Heights.
We have visited many schools on your list. I would would also suggest CoW over BW, especially since Denison is high on her list. For OWU in Delaware, be sure to check out Amatos for wood fired pizza, Hamburger Inn for burgers, omelets and cinnamon rolls, Whits Frozen custard (also at Denison), 12 West for Mexican, and several really good coffee shops (Homeslices, Fresh Start, Choffeys, and Coffeology.)
Hello, DoDEAMom18 - I hope your trip through Ohio has gone well so far!
As you can see from my username, I am a Wooster alum and proud of it! I flourished at the College because I had faculty focused on my education. They are dedicated and demanding but also compassionate and involved. Something you’ll see right off the bat at Wooster is the emphasis on the required senior thesis, known as Independent Study (I.S.). As seniors, you bond with your fellow classmates because everyone is going through the same process of discovery - albeit in different majors. Through the I.S. process, I improved my time management skills and became a better communicator. I also gained confidence in myself and what I can do in my career field. If your daughter plans on majoring in the arts, she will have a gallery show (and her own studio space!) or a recital in our music hall. I.S. is the last part of a really well-rounded Wooster education, but your daughter will take many wonderful classes and will have the chance to apply for paid summer internships and research fellowships. The College is also committed to improving its diversity - just last week the Board of Trustees announced a $1 million investment towards hiring faculty and staff from diverse backgrounds. We also have a new president who shows great promise in this regard and many others.
Greek life exists at Wooster, but does not dominate. The College does not have national fraternities or sororities but instead has local clubs and sections. I’d say 20% of the student body are in Greek life, give or take. While there are groups of friends at Wooster, they overlap. We have a solid newspaper, radio station, and literary magazine. Getting a student job isn’t that hard, which may alleviate some expenses. Music is a big part of the Wooster experience - we even have a bagpipe band because we are the Scots. The marching band performs with the pipers and is a true point of pride for the College. I’m sorry you won’t be in town for a football game, because watching the band march down the hill, followed by our football team, brings tears to my eyes. It is an amazing sight. Our men’s basketball team is excellent and receives tremendous support. They made the Elite Eight last year and the whole town showed up to send the players off to the regionals. Our Wooster Volunteer Network (WVN) was named as a “Point of Light” by President George H.W. Bush. I went on a volunteer trip to West Virginia where we helped flood victims - the trip was supported by WVN and Interfaith Ministries. In short, no one group dominates and you have a high level of autonomy to build friend groups, make connections, and give back.
As you’ll see, the City of Wooster is not Cleveland or Columbus. It is a small city in a rural area and seems boring at first. But, you’d be mistaken. Wayne County has one of the best fairs I’ve ever been to in the early fall, and downtown Wooster is on the move. The newly renovated courthouse is a must see. The Wayne Center for the Arts is doing great things, and there’s an ice arena not far from campus. Wooster is not as posh as Gambier or Granville - it is a marriage of farm country and the Rust Belt. Plus, if your daughter seeks a major in sociology or anthropology - the world’s largest Amish community (yes, bigger than Pa.) is due south of Wooster. For restaurants, I’d recommend trying Spoon for lunch if you want a gourmet sandwich, or checking out Broken Rocks or Muddy’s. City Square is a good bet if you are seeking fine dining. If you want a rah-rah Wooster person, Spiro Matsos is your man. He has a Greek restaurant downtown where you can get spaghetti pizza. For ice cream, it’s Hartzler’s.
The College celebrates its 150th this year, and the sesquicentennial slogan is “Celebrate the Promise.” That is totally true. Through Wooster, I got a world-class education although I was from a lower middle class background. I had incredible experiences where I received a greater appreciation of culture, of learning, and of disparities prevalent throughout our society. Campus pride is strong but not boastful or pretentious. I would never change my decision to go to Wooster - it was the best decision I will ever make!
I hope you are welcomed warmly on campus. Please reach out should you have questions.
I would not rule out Case Western especially if she likes a larger town. Our tour was given by a theater major and campus near city arts facilities. If you are in Cleveland anyhow, just check out campus when you go out to eat
(Italian village is walkable from campus). Wooster campus looked great but wow in middle of nowhere. I would stay in near Cleveland as the college town vibe can be gotten during day/dinnertime visit.
Wooster, definitely. BW is very much a regional college, and to be honest, there’s not much around there. It is very much a suburb-based school, surrounded by chain eaterys, gas stations, and hotel chains. I don’t find the campus particularly attractive. I would stay in Wooster. If you head to Case, the Cleveland Art Museum of world class (and free), and there are many wonderful restaurants in town.
I’m another fan of Wooster. Nice facilities, positive vibe, generous merit. And while you are there don’t miss the Tulipan Hungarian Pastry Shop. Soooooo good! http://www.tulipanhungarianpastry.com/ We also had a very, very good dinner at Broken Rocks Cafe. http://www.brokenrockscafe.com/iweb/Broken_Rocks/HOME.html Yes, for me college visiting was all about the food. 
For an unusual shopping experience, check out the Rubbermaid store. Apparently Wooster is the home of Rubbermaid and there is a HUGE store there. It appeared to be a destination for quite a few folks. Who knew?
Enjoy your trip!!
I am anxiously awaiting your reviews! This thread has been so great. Hope your travels are going well.
Here’s hoping your trip is going well. I’m very interested in your thoughts on Denison.
@DoDEAMom18 …when you have a chance to put your feet up, I’d love to hear a detailed report (or at least the highlights!) I’m sure a bunch of us are waiting with baited breath 