<p>Been touring many, many colleges this summer, including these 3 in the classical Maine LAC swing-through. Weve been focusing more on campus feel, having narrowed the list to colleges that appear to have the academics and athletics requisite for DS. [Please keep in mind that I am writing this totally from DS feel perspective .which, thankfully, has definitely matured during this touring season.] Although feel is more difficult to judge during the summer, here are a few perceptions. Neither of had been to any of these colleges, so we had relatively unbiased starting views, other than reading the college guides & receiving some opinions from friends.</p>
<p>1st stop Bates took just the tour. Woke up after the prior evenings travel at the Raddison on the outskirts of Lewiston, an industrial/commercial town that appears to have past its prime. The stereotypes I had read of the environs seemed pretty accurate to me. The college itself is quite nice. Arrived at the admissions office to sign in New England antiques & Windsor chairs galore .I felt like I was in the Maine version of Williamsburg. The campus has some beautiful spots, open tree-covered quads, a slight amount of relief, and a neat pond with surrounding amphitheater, fully wifid. There is definitely a sense of history here, which was appealing to DS, with buildings of various architectural types and periods, all the way through very modern. I wouldnt call the place immaculate though, as upkeep on the grounds and buildings seemed good in some spots but not as good in others. DS doesnt notice this sort of detail, but I like to assess upkeep as perhaps a clue regarding a schools resource depth. Some parts of campus are surrounded by neighborhood housing, some a by larger roads & a little commercial. Tour guide was a very exuberant native Mainer, very aware of the predominant touring practice of hitting all 3 LACs & trying to figure out what makes each distinct. Her words were that Bates students are just plain nice .everyone has fun in addition to getting a great education, and there is little student-to-student competition relative to the other LACs, where she has friends. She made a good impression, although the fact that she was from Maine led me to suppose that Bates might not attract a very broad demographic. The athletic facilities werent impressive, being 70s/80s cinder block vintage .seemed a bit dark. Bottom line: some nice things, but DS wasnt jumping to submit his application off the list.</p>
<p>2nd stop Bowdoin a mere 30 minute drive to the coast. First impression driving into the town were positive, in that it seemed much more lively, probably because there were more people & tourists there, and the main street (abutting campus in one corner) is populated by nice shops and restaurants, something that seemed absent at Bates. So, good start. Parked on the street next to the main quad & walked through campus to the admissions house. Other parts of the campus are surrounded by fairly nice housing, some of Victorian architecture, including a number of former frat houses now serving as dorms. Seemed like Bowdoin had lots going on at the time, and people were coming through campus & to-&-fro town .this town-campus integration appealed much more to DS. Eclectic assortment of colonial to modern buildings .very historic feel. Campus was very well maintained ..little things like curbs were in good shape, pathways well manicured, fresh painting, etc. We had a bit of time, so we headed over to the gym to track down a coach .as we were studying the campus map & wondering where we were, a gentleman who described himself as class of 63 or so, came to our aid .very nice gesture to help some strangers out, & I was impressed (he must have been waiting for us!) That welcoming attitude typified all the people we met. Had a quick lunch in one of the dining halls .learned later that Bowdoin prides itself on food quality, being highly ranked by the Princeton reports in this category. Lots of construction going on, including a new music hall, with mocked-up model displayed in the admissions building. Took the tour, led by a student from North Carolina, followed by an info session. Our tour guide was very articulate, and forthcoming about the pros and the cons of Bowdoin & why she thought the place was unique to her. [Common good is a big theme for Bowdoin, in part responsible for the strong town relations they hold.] DS doesnt particularly like to sit through info sessions, as weve been to so many now ..and the admissions leader accommodated for this apparently common malady (that is, info session saturation) by a greater emphasis on subjective topics, rather than repeating admissions statistics and the like. It was probably the best info session Ive been to in the dozen plus Ive seen thus far. One lasting piece of advice he gave, which DS & I will remember (and this may seem obvious) .notice who the college chooses to expose you to during campus visits ..its the colleges choice & they represent who the college believes can expose you to the best of the college. We sensed a certain creative confidence from all we heard from and talked with that was very appealing. Bottom line: Bowdoin moves to the top of the list, even though its not that big student body-wise, it feels bigger due to the campus-town interaction, and the people seem very vibrant & open.</p>
<p>3rd stop Colby .made our way through Waterville, a mill town, to the outskirts where Colby now stands. This is a gorgeous campus, well laid out quads & buildings, nice views & skiing very nearby, but very separated from town. Hence, its more of a bubble college where students are less likely to experience the surrounding community at least that was our reaction. Colbys campus was moved to its current location from town to the outskirts in the late 40s and 50s, and all of the buildings, although very gorgeous in numerous ways, have that monotonic 50s brick look going. In one of those rare moments when father & child have identical thoughts, I starting a sentence to my son you know, this campus looks a lot like . And he finished my sentence with Wake Forest ..a campus we had recently visited with the same campus-move history. Wake Forest, now off DS list, was a bit too monotone and Martha Stewart-like groomed, and felt like a planned community rather than the historic growth of an institution .Colby was similar in planned layout & architecture, but perhaps a bit less Martha Stewart. Upkeep and maintenance was great, & the place looked very nice and from what we heard from students, they like being on such a campus & are happy. Only took the tour, guide was a native Mainer. Quite a bit of campus activity as numerous sports camps were in session. Food and on-campus entertainment were big topics ..Lost seems to be very popular among students (DS liked this) and there is quite a bit of rah-rah social activity to get the students integrated come the fall. Sounded fun, but more introspective than Bowdoin. Town relationships didnt sound so great. Bottom line: DS will keep Colby on the list, but its not too high.</p>