<p>Curmudgeon, you're beginning to sound a bit punchy from your trip!</p>
<p>(And you lived through Camille? That was scary.)</p>
<p>Don't think less about Harvey Mudd because of the appearance of the buildings. Think rather that California beaches have exceptionally beautiful restrooms. Our friends' son really loves it there. If my daughter was a little more mathematically inclined she would have applied, regardless of what her sister said.
The high school teacher whose character I most admired went on to teach at Rose-Hulman. He recently retired. If he is typical of the faculty there, it must be a great institution.</p>
<p>Going back to the Original thread....as always we do get sidetracked on CC .... UPenn - too claustraphobic, the students seemed very smug and somewhat jaded. Even the student guide seemed a bit like an "apple polisher" (as in "I did all the right things, pulled all the right strings and look where it got me! Here!") Agree with Carolyn about Dickinson trying too hard/overeager with their campus tour "marketing" though I liked the campus very much. Also agree about Haverford - the Vivtorian houses by the pond at twilight with nary a soul in sight gave my S the creeps. Hit Swathmore on a warm, wet spring day with everything blooming and it was like wandering through a mid-Atlantic botanical jungle...just too much of every plant. On the other hand, Bryn Mawr up the road was beautiful - almost dreamlike in it's loveliness. Muhlenberg was a disappointment (esp. the dorms) and neither child wanted to even get out of the car to see Franklin and Marshall. But we all liked Trinity, Kenyon, St. John's (Annapolis) very much.</p>
<p>mardad great line.
[quote]
Don't think less about Harvey Mudd because of the appearance of the buildings. Think rather that California beaches have exceptionally beautiful restrooms.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>To All, If I had a point in posting (and that is always in question) it would be that we don't need to start self-censoring to the point everything becomes pablum. If you have an opinion be ready to defend it and be ready to have your observational skills or deductive or inductive abilities challenged. It's O.K. to not like what someone says negative about a school you like or admire. Challenge their ability to draw their conclusions from their limited observation time or skewed vision or regional prejudice.</p>
<p>My God, we can't become afraid to post "I don't like UT Austin because it is WAAAY too big to be educationally efficient." If so, this forum will and should die.</p>
<p>Or maybe my point was that the Cold Case lady is really hot. It's one or the other, I'm pretty sure.</p>
<p>curmudgeon, I hesitate to say this, but lol. I may hate myself in the morning for saying this but right now I find your post hilarious, because we have thought the same thing at times at S's (tech heavy) school. Maybe not the entire student body but certain groups have been downright am I allowed to say scary. The ****fires can come and get me now...sorry for being immature (and I'm tired).</p>
<p>Aparent, anent the California brashness, I confess that there were times that instead of attempting to subdue it I just went with it. I have this teeny dramatic streak and just tonight, after seeing a collection of brief plays staged by a conservatory high school program, decided that I'm going to start taking some stage acting classes either this Summer or Fall. Will get me more out of my comfort zone than Chinese or Latin would. Taking some of the advice that I've given my D over the years.</p>
<p>The Cold Case blonde? The one with the surgically enhanced Meg Ryan chin/nose? The one who gazes into the camera and brings ghosts to life? That lady?</p>
<p>I don't mind the one-off opinions. That is the essence of this board. The timing for this bashing thread could be better, though. </p>
<p>When they are anxious, 17 year old kids can be bent into shape like pipecleaners, especially by powerful adults.</p>
<p>Crash - oh, no, first Skidmore and now Muhlenberg? Aaagghh! I haven't seen either but they are on the visiting list! What was wrong with Muhlenberg? </p>
<p>As you can see, I am extremely easily swayed! Why, a single slightly negative fourth-hand comment could cause me to completely disavow everything I've ever known - so fortunately this thread isn't about first impressions about Voronwe's DH or kids! :D</p>
<p>PS And by Trinity, did you mean the one in Connecticut?
PPS -And Lafayette is back on the list because of your comment, Jmmom! Thanks!</p>
<p>
Yeppers. That's the one. LOL. I'm going to have to get HD TV or at least new glasses. Seems I'm missing some detail.</p>
<p>(D and W both yell at her on screen-"Wash your hair". So....I dunno. What can I say? Apropos to my earlier comments- there is no accounting for taste or lack thereof it seems.)</p>
<p>University of Washington. </p>
<p>Very beautiful campus. Fantastic opportunities for undergrads to engage in research and it has strong departments that I'm interested in. Also, some things that Emeraldkity4 mentioned in post #10. However, I don't like the idea of commuting to campus and living at home. Too bad for my parents. :o</p>
<p>Go for it, TheDad! Sounds like fun.</p>
<p>" decided that I'm going to start taking some stage acting classes either this Summer or Fall."</p>
<p>I did that about 14 years ago. My kids were 3, 7. I used to embarass them by practicing my soliloquies in the park while they were playing.</p>
<p>It did get me out of my comfort zone. Lots of fun in those classes. Cool, diverse, fascinating people of all ages.</p>
<p>I still can't act worth a darn, but I appreciate plays and movies more. :)</p>
<p>Oh my gosh, someone else watches Court TV. My daughter cannot stand my addiction to it or to CC. I knew I had found my people.</p>
<p>
In California, it's always turn left. Oh... wait, maybe that's only in the Republic of Berkeley. :D</p>
<p>
You're quite welcome and just to flesh it out: I remember feeling that this school would "wrap its arms around you". They commented that if a student failed to show up for class, prof could be expected to email/call to check that all is well. Not policing, but just caring and wanting to be available. If that sounds right for your D, it really is worth a visit. Not too far off the beaten track, either, as near Muhlenberg, Lehigh, fairly close to Phila. etc.</p>
<p>
[quote]
start taking some stage acting classes
[/quote]
Good idea. Going to add that to my "to do in retirement" list along with[ul][<em>]take a writing class[</em>]take a drawing class[<em>]join a singing group/chorus[</em>]teach reading (already do that)[li]cure my science-ignorant, science-challenged status by taking Science for Dummies or some such[/ul][/li]PS Is there a new thread here?^^^^
PPS cc is becoming a quality replacement for my previous Sunday am habit, namely CBS Sunday Morning with Charles Kuralt (now Osgood)</p>
<p>Back to original topic...
As a student visiting schools last year, I found Tufts, NYU, and Harvard to be especially disappointing. Tufts just had an "alright" feel about the campus. The buidings, dorms, and programs all just seemed "alright," but nothing really stood out and made me want to pursue going there. I had high expectations for Tufts, since I knew many kids (including pistolpete from the old boards) who were going there or about to attend and loving it. I also knew it had increased in popularity over the past few years, but I couldn't see why. Everything about Tufts seemed mediocre, and the campus wasn't very lively; it felt like a good school for students who wanted to be near Boston, but not necessarily an exciting campus.</p>
<p>NYU was right in the middle of NYC, and being a country bumpkin myself, I really didn't think I could handle the transition from rural VT straight into Greenwich Village. The "campus," if you could call it that, was a bunch of buildings clustered together with "NYU" flags on the outside. I'm sure the programs especially the arts are great, but I personally wanted more of a campus feel at college. I deifnitely want to live in NYC at some point in my life, but in the heart of the Village for college was just too overwhelming.</p>
<p>Finally, Harvard was quite possibly the biggest disappointment. The main part of the campus is gorgeous, with the greens and crimson-colored buildings. But the school just seemed so... unwelcoming. Huge buildings stared at you in the face, seeming to say that they were too good for you. I definitely felt a strong whiff of elitism at Harvard, something I did not even feel at Yale! As an undergrad, it seemed like you could get just as good of an education at other top colleges, but it would be a much more pleasant experience. I ended up not applying to any of these 3 schools, which although I'm sure are good, just weren't the right fit for me.</p>
<p>:p haha.</p>
<p>Not HDTV, cur, you need UK TV. Non-surgically enhanced, clever, sexy blondes like Keely Hawes won't incur the wrath of The Hair Patrol.</p>
<p>University of florida in Gainesville. (And I wish my daughter had loved it, too - with its free-ride for NMS...) DD was turned off by the alligators in the ponds on campus... gave her the creeps. And the "honors" class she attended had a wandering professor and half-asleep students reading the newspaper, chewing gum and vegging out. Our budget wishes we had all liked it better. (And I'm sure there are lots of great classes at UF - DD just didn't happen into one of them.)</p>
<p>Anxiousmom, interesting what you said about the UF honors class......that's all anyone talks about around here....!</p>