<p>gulp, my son’s 1st choice is totally urban … but at least it’s Boston and not (insert city here)</p>
<p>My daughter rejected Wright State University (after being accepted) because one of her least favorite high school teachers graduated from there. </p>
<p>One of the PROS I wrote down for a school I was deciding on was that they had a sticker in the bookstore that would look really nice on the back of my car. After realizing I was placing too much importance on this, the other school became a clear winner.</p>
<p>I have to admit that I have always disliked Princeton because I dislike orange. 
The fact that both of my classmates who went there strongly disliked it only confirms my prejudice. </p>
<p>My daughter was really turned off by Rowan’s Brown and Yellow school colors.</p>
<p>I don’t blame her. :-)</p>
<p>Transylvania University sounds like a vampire college. </p>
<p>A few years ago that might have been a recommendation . . . I guess times change :)) </p>
<p>This is a great thread for a good laugh!</p>
<p>My daughter refused to look at colleges with Georgian or modern architecture. She’s all about Collegiate Gothic! </p>
<p>Many schools were eliminated by their brochures and websites - "too uptight ", “too boring”, “too dry,” “no cute guys in photos”, “too many hot girls,” “ugly shoes”, “too pretentious” “too serious”, “too much of a party school”, etc. Apparently, to make the grade the marketing materials had to exhibit well-dressed, intellectualism with a sense of humor. </p>
<p>School colors were also important. </p>
<p>Today I read through all 73 pages of this thread. Loved it. Keep it going.</p>
<p>My friend applied to Stanford just so she could reject the school if she got accepted. She thought it was too pretentious and that students only pretended to be happy. Didn’t get in.</p>
<p>D said she will not apply to any schools in the south - apparently, managing the hair in humid conditions will be a huge problem – ironically, she is going to Rice this fall :)</p>
<p>^ That’s hysterical about Rice!</p>
<p>On the irony front, S refused to consider Cornell because when we visited he saw a fraternity house near the campus. Three years later he went to Dartmouth and joined a fraternity. </p>
<p>This thread is so great! I’m a junior, and it’s actually my mom who’s been pickiest (for weird reasons) so far – and all about names. Loyola Marymount and Pitzer sounded “stupid,” Occidental was “accidental,” and Pomona was “moaning.” She’s eased up on Occidental and Pomona since then, but still, yeesh! My own stupid reason for not looking at Chapman, a school that I’d probably really like otherwise, is that a family friend’s nice but attention-seeking daughter has just decided on it. Grr.</p>
<p>I couldn’t look at Tulane because the most pretentious Connecticut boarding school girl I have ever met told me she was attending “with a merit scholarship for leadership and community service” - because they ignored her convictions for sniffing cocaine and underage drinking. </p>
<p>figgycat, I understand your mom’s issues. :)</p>
<p>I have issues with a few college names myself (especially Tufts, which sounds like toilet paper). My 84-year-old dad read something about Harvey Mudd the other day and thought the name was hilarious. I also have (admittedly stupid) issues with certain college logos and colors. I can’t stand the “M” of University of Minnesota–the serifs are huge and it looks like an upside-down “W” to me. Of course, if one of my kids wanted to go to any of these schools (all of which are great) I would get over my silly biases. :)</p>
<p>A detour into prep school territory, but my S almost rejected a school because its name sounded like our family’s private baby word for flatulence. Thank god he reconsidered because it turned out to be a great match, even if he did have to put up with his sister calling it the “fart school.”</p>
<p>One prep school had such a problem with its name (Governor Dummer Academy) that it changed it to “The Governor’s Academy.” Apparently they were losing prospective students who didn’t want to attend the Dumber School!</p>
<p>Ha! When I was in HS guys who were moneyed but not too bright were likely to be pulled out of the HS and sent off to Governor Dummer for the last couple of years. :)</p>
<p>Refused to even consider applying to UT Knoxville because of the hideous orange school colors. Orange is just not my color. </p>
<p>Orange was my son’s UG college color. My friend had an orange zip sweatshirt, and I would wear that to basketball games. I doubt my son ever wore bright orange. T-shirts could be bought in white with orange or black letters. I wish I had kept that sweatshirt; I got to like it.</p>