katilac Posted June 16, 2019 Share Posted June 16, 2019 6 hours ago, GoodGrief1 said: Agreed. Focus on the program (and the money, if affordability is an issue.) Plenty of all sorts of people at those schools. They seem very focused on the program to me, her OP is quite specific about what they are looking for. This is just an additional factor. That's how you narrow things down: once you have a list of schools that meet your must-have criteria, you look at additional factors. General atmosphere of a school is completely unimportant to some students, very important to others. It was pretty important to both of my kids - they are definitely not the type that can evaluate things on paper and then parachute onto campus the first day, sight unseen. It does make life easier if you can do that! I agree that there is a wide variety of people at schools that are at least mid-sized, but vibe/culture/atmosphere is a separate criterion. My kids didn't want an overbearing football culture, but, just to prove that they are indeed southern, places where people don't say "hi" as you walk across campus or chat in the grocery line also fell to the bottom of the list 😄 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoodGrief Posted June 16, 2019 Share Posted June 16, 2019 49 minutes ago, katilac said: They seem very focused on the program to me, her OP is quite specific about what they are looking for. This is just an additional factor. That's how you narrow things down: once you have a list of schools that meet your must-have criteria, you look at additional factors. General atmosphere of a school is completely unimportant to some students, very important to others. It was pretty important to both of my kids - they are definitely not the type that can evaluate things on paper and then parachute onto campus the first day, sight unseen. It does make life easier if you can do that! I agree that there is a wide variety of people at schools that are at least mid-sized, but vibe/culture/atmosphere is a separate criterion. My kids didn't want an overbearing football culture, but, just to prove that they are indeed southern, places where people don't say "hi" as you walk across campus or chat in the grocery line also fell to the bottom of the list 😄 My brief thought was based on my observation (of her various posts) that this student’s academic needs were fairly specific. In this particular case, I would certainly look at the program first and foremost because I truly believe you can find like-minded people anywhere 🙂 My oldest was pretty certain throughout her college search that she wanted a nerd college (and women’s college at that.) Ended up at a sports school because of the program (her interest was also quite specific.) Definitely the right decision, and she never attended a single sports event. FWIW, I’m married to a UGA grad and grew up in Atlanta. Certainly know football culture, but still hold this opinion 😉 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easypeasy Posted June 16, 2019 Share Posted June 16, 2019 (edited) What about Swarthmore?! (It’s my daughter’s dream school if she wanted to do any degree she’s interested in other than music...) (now off to read the whole thread to see what schools were suggested!) Edited June 16, 2019 by easypeasy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 Of the schools I've toured - GA TECH, MIT. My neice goes to University of Chicago and picked it for the nerdy feel ("They don't tolerate it, they celebrate it here.") Berry College was hippy nerd to me - no Greek; 98% students work; large, pretty campus. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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