<p>These are good. :-) My D refused to consider anything in Virginia or NC because there was too much tobacco grown in the state. A diehard Yankees fan son of a friend ruled out a couple of schools in Boston because of the Red Sox. And another friend's D refused to consider a school because of the tour guide's sandals (another shoe bias vicitim) -- what kind of school attracts somebody who would wear such impractical shoes when they're giving a tour of the campus?</p>
<p>S (and most of his friends) won't consider a school in Massachusetts because he is a huge Yankee fan and doesn't want to be anywhere near a Red Sox fan. I finally got him to take take a look at UMASS Amherst, where the tour guide was from Long Island and told the crowd that Yankee fans do exist here, but they all know how to run fast!!</p>
<p>My kids, no schools in Indiana because....ahhhh...it's Indiana. Ball State falls at the bottom of the list of 3,000+ potential colleges for name and location. Oldest, no schools with major roads running through the campus. Second son, dislikes 1960s and 1970s architecture with a passion. Oldest and second, proximity to water a must (parent: 80% of the school year is in winter.) They are silly sometimes, but it does narrow the lists and starts the focus.</p>
<p>A lot of those reasons make sense. I think the OP's son is missing the fact that huge numbers of Wisconsinites go to U of M- reciprocity. Likewise plenty of Vikings fans to rib on game day in Madison. I would pick UW over Marquette any day- quality of academics, campus, etc. Things like accents, ways of life, tobacco do influence culture and norms. My son wouldn't even visit the Harvard campus on his and H's east coast spring break tour when they went to see MIT a few years ago (the two are a tube stop or two from each other, walking distance). They bypassed Yale on the way to Princeton. Sigh- big chance to see famous places. I would have insisted we visit- one reason it was a father-son trip, perhaps. H and I made stops on some of the campuses just to see them on a later vacation.</p>
<p>Well, 1960s and 70s architecture is pretty horrible. On the other hand, it is sometimes done well. Skidmore, in particular, comes to mind. Sort of a mini-SUNY Albany done in brick, and with a nod to good taste.</p>
<p>No absolute refusals but it will be very hard for my D to overcome the "where fun goes to die" reputation of UChicago...especially since our tour guide was not the most ebullient.</p>
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<p>We've only done one, unguided tour so I had not considered what a difference the guide can make. I think the schools should pay more attention to that (except for the shoe thing, can't make everyone happy on that front.)</p>
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<p>I lived for four years in a condo in a three story 1920's brick bldg. directly across the street from a dorm on the U. of C. campus. I NEVER heard a peep out of that dorm. Saw lots of students in the library though!</p>
<p>D didn't want to (but eventually did) apply to Middlebury because it smelled like cows the day we went...</p>
<p>My daughter refused to appply to Bryn Mawr because she didn't want to end up strangled with her roommate's brasier. Absolutely true story. Can anyone guess her favourite movie?</p>
<p>My young cousin wouldn't apply to Georgetown because the weather in DC means frizzy hair for most of the year. Preferred low humidity places. And lest you think she was a bimbo- AP Scholar and NMS.</p>
<p>This thread is hilarious! My D refused to apply to WashU, too many schools with Washington in its name. Her 2 best friends raved about the place so she applied and visited with them, just to be part of the group. The irony of it all, they were waitlisted, she got in with a scholarship and will be matriculating in the fall.</p>
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<p>D2 wants a California school, but does not like "Taco Bell" architecture like Stanford's. I've tried to explain this is called "mission" style, and has a historical basis but am not getting very far.</p>
<p>I've tried to enter the Jesuit campuses on the side not facing the missions whenever possible: Santa Clara, U of San Francisco, and so on. Parenting classes did not prepare me for this.</p>
<p>She is also very picky about shoes. Sigh.</p>
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<p>Riverrunner, how funny, my oldest loved every school with red tile roofs! Oh neither of my boys liked campuses with dorms taller than 4 stories.</p>
<p>River- in the Northeast, you have to enter the Jesuit campuses from the back so as not to be confronted with the gothic cathedral front and center. (some kids don't like gargoyles, stone masonry, arched windows.)</p>
<p>BC has a very impressive pool and ice rink by the way (the things you learn from the back end of a campus! And so much parking when you enter through Beacon St and not Comm Ave!)</p>
<p>My D wouldn't apply to a school cause the tour guide wore high heeled sandals and a sundress. She figured if it was that important to look like that even while doing a tour walking backwards then the school wasn't for her.</p>
<p>Most of the time we will never know the real reason(s) for whatever decisions our kids are making. They can say wahtever pops first, it does not mean that it is a real reason, nor does it mean that we have to pursue / argue with them about it.</p>
<p>My S refused to look at WashU because an older friend who goes there told him that the entire student body has bad music in their I-Pods.</p>
<p>On the flip side...I'm pretty sure my h/s son is planning on applying to Santa Clara University because he found out they have "paint-balling" as an intra-mural/club sport!</p>
<p>Daughter originally disliked Georgetown because the tour guide was dressed in a short skirt and spaghetti-strap top (it was a day that would make hair frizz) and she said that if she were representing her college she would dress more business-like.</p>