<p>I went on a tour of High Point University with my daughter last week (she is about to begin her senior year of high school) and I was so impressed with the tour. Our student guide was so friendly and bubbly and seemed so happy and excited to meet prospective students and families. I have been on other tours where the tour guides didn't seem interested in talking about their school. This was definitely not the case at High Point! She knew all about the buildings, was able to answer questions about majors and what students should do if they were undecided coming into college. The dorms were very clean and close to the academic buildings and dining locations on campus. I think the best part of the tour was running into the president himself. He was giving a group of students a tour of campus and stopped to introduce himself to us. He was very impressive and helped us understand why the school is extraordinary. We had a few other small colleges in North Carolina on our "to visit" list but I think my daughter has already found herself at home on High Point's campus.</p>
<p>Of all the schools we’ve visited, HPU is by far the most polarizing. Either visitors drink the koolaid and love what they see and hear OR they are totally turned off by the dog and pony show. I have heard very little in between. My D summed it up very well. She said the school felt more like a caricature of a college than an actual college. </p>
<p>Glad you found a good match for your D.</p>
<p>It is definitely not a dog and pony show. My D is in her 3rd year and is challenged academically. Just because it’s a nice place to live doesn’t mean it’s not a real college. What you see and hear is real. Experiential learning at its best.</p>
<p>I was referring to the tour and info session. I’m sure the school is awesome. I have done a ton of reading and researching schools. We have made around 15 visits. Given all that research and time with boots on the ground, I still say that no other school has such strong feelings one way or the other than HPU. It seems to be a place that you either buy into Dr. Q’s message or you don’t. Not much middle ground. That can be a good thing for those who attend.</p>
<p>I agree Bigdaddy, it’s either all in or all out…</p>