<p>Earlham and Warren Wilson both sound very appealing to me now as well.
( and Deep Springs)
I guess looking back what I did was slightly similar to Evergreen, I lived on the water, in a secluded (well it was then) area , amidst evergreens on a huge piece of property, I had intergated curriculum :eek: such as it was, cause I was barely 18 living with two boys and had to learn to do all the stuff young adults need to live on their own. They were only slightly older than me, but on the same piece of property was one of the boys older brother and his wife in a smaller house, they were like mom and dad to us.
It was really one of the best times of my life and I would have easily spent 4 years there, but my boyfriend and I eventually broke up and we both went back to school.( I only lasted a short time, when a good friend that I carpooled with drowned , I couldn't stand to go back and I didn't go again till my oldest was 4)</p>
<p>emeraldkity4, that's pretty heavy.</p>
<p>I only spent about 20 minutes on my college search and lucked out with my choice. </p>
<p>I really can't come up with a single dream school, but today, that school (Macalester College) would still be on my list, along with Brown, Vassar, Carleton, Pomona, UCLA, USC and NYU.</p>
<p>I have had a life full of D.R.A.M.A., but I think I appreciate things in a way that others in my family who have a more structured outlook do not.
I might not have a college degree, and I had kids probably before I was ready, but someone on another thread brought up what Stephen Hawkins said when he was asked how he could be so positive, and( paraphrasing) he said that he expected to die at 21, so anything after that was a fantastic gift.
That is what I feel like, we live where we have a pretty cushy life compared to elsewhere. Even compared to some of my friends I had in high school I have a lot. We have our own house, two healthy kids, in one of the most beautiful areas of the country, ( and it is a "blue" region ;) ) our bills are managable even when we have been living off savings cause we don't have credit cards or a big house, which allows us to take a week off this week to go play in the mountains! The only thing I am not looking forward to is the 6 ( or7) hour drive. But it is beautiful. ( they do need a little more to their economy though besides tourists, perhaps Washington could add another college up there?</p>
<p>To all my detractors, I shall vehemently defend this thread! I love it!</p>
<p>I think it's more interesting for me because my mom didn't go to college, and didn't realize how much was out there. It actually amazes me that so many moms and dads on this forum went to such great schools! I often wondered how a school like Haverford was in existence for so long, after all, I only heard about it a few years ago and I am the resident college expert of Long Island! </p>
<p>I think it is great that you guys had such varied college experiences, and I like hearing about each and every one of them. I think that if a kid is allowed to dream, so should a parent!</p>
<p>I never felt there was a conflict of interests when my mom declared her love for a school. Although I don't think I disliked one school on my tour (maybe Bates), my mom certainly had her ideas of which she thought were best. Though she understood that we needed to pick the school that was the best fit, she wasn't shy about telling me she wanted me IN BOSTON! She's a bit obsessed :). But as we now see, that didn't make me feel like I HAD to go to a school in that city. I told her flat out I would not apply to BC, and she moved on. Now, she is happier than ever that I have chosen the school that is right for me - but still, there was a time when she could dream! I think my mom enjoyed the college tour process immensely. We got to travel the country, stay in hotels, view beautiful colleges, eat at wonderful restaurants, and spend quality time with each other. There were hiccups along the way, but all in all it was a great time. She is convinced she wants to retire in a college town so that she can be surrounded by the youthful energy and often times intellectual offerings of a campus community.</p>
<p>So go ahead parents, dream!</p>
<p>I did find myself exploring this question as I went through the search with my s. last year. Interestingly, many of the things he was looking for in a school were exactly what I was looking for-- ironically, a biggie for both of us was that we both (1) didn't want to have to take a lot of required or core classes and (2) wanted to avoid having to take any more language classes (though for different reasons-- s. disliked them, I was tired of them, after 6 yrs of French and 2 of Russian). Both of us wanted a relatively small school where you could interact with the faculty. Back in my (70's) days, I, as was the sentiment then, was down on the sorority/frat thing, so tended to poo-poo schools with a greek system. I went to school when many colleges were just going co-ed. I chose Vassar over Penn because I wanted to be a biopsychology major and this was available at Vassar. I also preferred the rural to city campus. But, I chickened out of applying to Princeton then, as it was just going co-ed, ans I wasn't sure I wanted to be a female on the predominantly male campus. While there would have been certain obvious advantages, I was also aware that there were still a lot of guys at Princeton who chose it because it was all male and resented the "intrusion" of women on campus. Ironically, I was very supportive, and impressed my the males that were willing to face these same issues as they entered Vassar,which had gone co-ed the year before I got there. Dartmouth wasn't yet co-ed, so couldn't consider it, though I loved it when I visited it in college, ans was a bit dismayed when my son didn't fall in love with it (it had those awful required early morning language classes- though he said that if he really loved a school he'd make do with the less desired requirements). So, in retrospect,while I loved my Vassar experience, and it probably made me the strong person I am today, willing to stand up for my beliefs, etc, I wish I had not been a coward and had at least applied to Princeton. If Dartmouth had been co-ed then I would have probably applied (though I would have probably wanted to spend too much time on the Dartmouth skiway (the slopes) than in class...) Can't remember if language was a requirement then (though I probably could have applied my AP and gotten around it). As we visited schools last year, I also felt very comfortable at Williams and Rice. Hadn't considered either when I was looking. Nice thing-- my s. chose Rice, so I can live vicariously through him :)</p>
<p>In contrast to how things are done today, my own search was pretty unexamined, rooted in ignorance both about myself and about what was available, and limited by short horizons.</p>
<p>If I were 17 and looking at schools today, I'd be considering Georgetown, George Washington, Amherst, Yale, and Swarthmore. I'd also be looking at a Political Science major with a Theater minor instead of Engineering.</p>
<p>One of the things about being an adult of a certain vintage is that you can recognize mistakes that you made and try to help other from making the same class of mistake. Why, half the time you might even succeed and half <em>that</em> time you are correct!</p>
<p>I love the fact that ilcapo wants us to dream! I woulda gone to MIT since I am such a fan of the institution, no ifs, ands and buts about it. I would have fitted right in; always was a nerd and am still a nerd (who can't tie one's shoelaces properly even now). </p>
<p>(Sorry no insult to extremely coordinated MIT kids out there. And don't mean to say MIT kids are all nerds). :)</p>
<p>I went to Wheaton. Because I was in an acapella singing group, I had the opportunity to visit as far north as Dartmouth, as far south as Princeton, and basically every LAC (and some universities) in between. It never occurred to me that I'd be happier anywhere else. I long for the friendships and high calibre of women that I met during my Wheaton years....their spirit of independence, feminism and forward thinking.. I met my husband through a Wheaton friend and wouldn't trade those four years for anything in the world....</p>
<p>CORNELL, CORNELL, CORNELL. (none of my kids would apply)</p>
<p>I only applied to three schools many years ago - Allegheny, Mary Washington and SUNY Oneonta. I ended up at Oneonta for financial reasons then transferred to Syracuse after my sophomore year. The classes and work I loved best in college were small seminar style classes --- didn't get nearly enough of them or get to explore things like anthropology and psychology because I was focused on getting a job. I would have loved to study abroad.</p>
<p>If I was picking now (or could have made different choices back then), I think I would seriously consider Smith. It would be heaven to have access to so many opportunities and be surrounded by strong and intelligent women. I think I would have become a very different person if I had had the type of encouragement in college that Smith seems to provide to its students. All of the Smith alumni that I've met over the years have impressed me with their self-determination.</p>
<p>I will chime in here too. Back in the day.... I was from a single parent household with a family that had no experience with college. My 9th grade English teacher went to Purdue and told us all about the great football (Bob Griese) and the large campus with so much to do. Since she was the only one who even mentioned college to me I thought that was where I would go. I thought about Notre Dame and the Naval Academy but that was a time when women were not allowed. I only applied to Purdue and had the best time there. </p>
<p>If I was apply today as an 18 year old I would apply to the Naval Academy and Boston College.</p>
<p>I had to go to an Illinois school because I had a state scholarship. My parents wouldn't let me even apply to University of Chicago "because there are communists there." I ended up at Northwestern and fell in with communists anyway, at least according to my mother. She was not pleased that I became a sociologist (sociologist = socialist = communist). If I were advising the 17 year old me, I'd probably recommend a LAC, perhaps Pomona. I was very shy, very young, and very timid. I found my place -- with all those commies -- but it took awhile.</p>
<br>
<blockquote> <p>In contrast to how things are done today, my own search was pretty unexamined, rooted in ignorance both about myself and about what was available, and limited by short horizons.<<</p> </blockquote>
<br>
<p>That exactly sums up my college search.</p>
<p>I graduated from high school in the late 60s in rural central Oregon. Back then (and possibly still) >90% of people in the state favored either Oregon or Oregon State, Ducks or Beavers. A California school was exotic and far away. Harvard didn't exist except as a theoretical concept. It might just as well have been in France or on Mars for all it mattered to us.</p>
<p>And in this setting I was a Duck. I wanted to go to the University of Oregon, and my parents winced but allowed me to go through the motions of applying and getting accepted. But when it came crunch-time and I had to choose, they made it clear that they weren't going to pay to send me off to Eugene (then thought of as Berkeley's northern branch office) to become a drug-addled Hippie. It was either go to a very conservative religious school or figure out how to pay for everything myself. I couldn't pay so I went. By time grad school rolled around I was married and living in California -- I went to UC Davis and enjoyed it. I got a good education there that has served me very well.</p>
<p>So knowing what I know now, my dream school for myself would be Princeton. Which, not coincidentally, was my dream school for D, although it was probably no higher than fourth on her list. Luckily, Princeton relieved me of the heartbreak of having D turn it down by wait-listing her. But projecting myself back into a 17-year old living in central Oregon, I'd probably still want to be a Duck.</p>
<p>"She was not pleased that I became a sociologist (sociologist = socialist = communist)." -- </p>
<p>hah! Sandiegomom, that is so funny!</p>
<p>Today, if I had the free time and cash to do it, I would do a graduate degree in psychology with Robert Sternberg at Yale. (I don't think I'd have any trouble getting admitted, but my job now isn't to go to graduate school.) </p>
<p>When I was a kid, I read in Reader's Digest about the Caltech tradition of Ditch Day, and about the prank Caltech achieved at the Rose Bowl of having another team's fans do a card-flipping stunt that said "Go Caltech." I thought Caltech would be a very cool place to go to school--and later in high school I was genuinely intending to be a physics major, so Caltech would have been a good fit. But I had appallingly bad math instruction in high school, from teachers who would rather coach sports than do a good job teaching math, so I got psyched out about studying physics. Meanwhile, I had a high school Russian teacher who did her work well, so I ended up majoring in foreign languages at State U. I didn't see the campus of Caltech the first time until years after I graduated from college, on a business trip as a Chinese-English interpreter.</p>
<p>Achat...
The great thing about MIT is that someone would help you tie your shoes or devise a contraption to do so or invent velcro....and never make you feel the less for it.</p>
<p>You know, I had to edit this. I am referring to the MIT of my youth. I really can't say that I am sure about the "never make you feel the less for it" part now. This is not a negative statement about MIT, just about life in general--</p>
<p>Haha, this is such a great post. Its a nice break from reading about S and Ds all the time (not that that's bad or anything!). I think on the old boards, there was a long post similar to this about which colleges the parents of CC attended, which also was a great read.</p>
<p>Please keep the responses coming!</p>
<p>I can certainly speak for my parents- </p>
<p>Mom- to Smith. With Dad's jokes about Mom's college and how she could've done better... enough said. So... almost living through her dreams except I'm not majoring in what she majored in! (She was actually rejected from Smith when she applied...and her sister went...so...) It's all the academics.</p>
<p>Dad- He would definitely go back to Colgate. Was a city boy growing up, was accepted to BU too. Decided on a different setting and just loved his intellectual years at Colgate.</p>
<p>Tokenadult, funny you mention the old caltech rosebowl prank. Yale recently pulled off a very similar prank, details available at (excuse the url pls) <a href="http://www.harvardsucks.org%5B/url%5D">www.harvardsucks.org</a></p>
<p>I was strolling around the Princeton campus (for the first time!!!) a few weeks ago and I can certainly see the attraction. The buildings and grounds are truly gorgeous. But I kept thinking how much my dog would love to go to school there... they have the biggest fattest squirrels I have ever seen!!! :)</p>