Emily, OU is a "safety" school for DD but frankly it scares the Heck out of me. From older DD's friends (graduated in 2006) at least 6 have dropped out of there due to failing grades or too much partying. You need to know your kid, you obviously had restraint and were not a follower. As much as I love my younger DD, she is not going to sit in her room studying while others are partying nearby. Also would like small classes for ADHD supervision and focus. Thanks for the suggestion!

I hear ya... it bugs me that OU gets a bum rap, so I'm going to elaborate a bit. I was in a sorority, had tons of friends, went out plenty- am definitely a follower rather than a leader :) The structure was there to get studying done, and outside of the 100 level classes that were big, most of my classes were fairly small, around 20-30 people. Had a couple of classes less than 10 when I got to the upper levels. I graduated 2000, and it had the bad partying rap then too.

For the partying reason, I didn't want to go to Miami. It was 85% Greek back then, and that was too much for me. Not that OU is diverse in terms of race, but I found it to be more diverse than Miami as far as people, personalities, background, etc. And I thought that Miami, BGSU, OSU had just as crazy parties. Stick a bunch of kids in the middle of cornfields and guess what happens? My cousin goes to ONU now and the stuff he posts on facebook just make me cringe...

All right, off of soapbox now :) I'm sure it can't be an easy choice- in fact, I ended up at OU by default when a scholarship fell through. Go figure..

I'll also speak up for OU. I grew up less than half an hour away, did my share of partying there as well as took some Summer classes there while in HS. (My Wife is also an alumni)It is a great little school. Here in Charlotte they have a huge alumni association as well. As far as a 'party atmosphere', you'll find that is everywhere & that will depend on your child, not the school (+, it IS college). My BIL is there now & he has learning disabilities, they do have people there to help. As far as Wright St., it is a school built for kids w/disabilities of all kinds. The campus is connected underground by tunnel & you will see more people w/'apparent' disabilities (probably not PC) there, than most any other school in the Midwest. The first floor of the primary dorm is also all 'set-up' for kids w/varying types of challenges. WSU is unique as it still very much a commuter campus. But, of the 16-18,000 student base, only about 3-5000 reside on, or adjacent to, campus.

Another possiblity is Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, OH. DD is currently a sophmore. You have the small town feel with the big city [Cleveland] only minutes away. It is well-known for its liberal arts curriculum and music & theater programs.

I loved OU - and we're from New York State! My son #2 (not the one at Denison) got almost a full ride there and turned it down for an expensive engineering school. (And he got into honors housing!)

I still second guess that decision though, as his social life is truly dismal where he is now - no girls, really geeky/weird kids, and very little in the way of interesting campus visitors (musicians, politicians, comedians - that sort of thing). Plus there is the same drinking and partying there is at every school and he isn't a drinker so he really has nothing to do.

My other kid has loved Denison - he's had a paid research experience, and internship and a semester abroad. And what's there not to like about a school who has had Yo You Ma, Wynton Marsalis, Renee Fleming, Emanuel Ax, etc. all come and do music master classes?!

But I know exactly how you feel if she's already been around there a lot - same way my kids feel about University of Rochester. LOL

Okay - so my mother sent me a link to this forum so i could provide some insight. I am a senior at the College of Wooster right now, and i must admit that i love this school. Wooster IS a small town, and in all honesty there is not much to do here, however, that brings the college students closer together. The college does a very good job at providing things to do on campus. A few examples of the last weekends.. two weekends ago we had "party on the green" where several bands came and played on our quad. Last week we had Joe Biden come and speak at our campus. If you are concerned about nightlife, we have a dance club on campus that is open every friday night, with a bar and dance floor, as well as two pool tables and a lounge area. It is usually packed, and a great time. We also have a bowling alley on campus, among other things. People generally spend there weekends here at the house parties on campus, and we eat at the dining halls, which provide good food. If you are interested in restaurants off campus, there are some very good ones. I particularly like Coccia House and Broken Rocks. We also have Chipotle, Panera, Matsos (small greek restaurant), Applebees, Longhorn, Wild Ginger.. and many others. Wooster may be a small town, but it has more than everything each student needs, and i would highly recommend it to any prospective students. Good luck with the process!

Kara, you da bomb. There is no way to tell ANYone whether your school, or my school, or someone else's school is where they should go. You have told LOTS about why you love Wooster, and I am so glad.
Mothers and fathers--and students--need to know that going away to college is an affair of the heart. They need to let daughters and sons fall "in love". THEN they need to step back and let them succeed in their new milieu as you are doing--making friends, doing their school work, taking the big STEP from HOME. It's the last chance to be "independent" yet a little (VERY HOPEfully--let them GO) tied to home. Set boundaries, limits (financial, probably).
GOOd JOB and good luck.

Kara, thanks for your information! As mentioned, each child is different and even though Wooster would be a wonderful opportunity for my DD, we will have to see what she thinks of the college. A good friend of ours has a son who is a junior there and he has really blossomed and thrived in this atmosphere. He is spending his junior year at Oxford Univ. in England, so needless to say there are wonderful opportunities available. We are visiting the campus, taking the tour and meeting with a faculty member in late October. I am keeping my fingers crossed this will appeal to her. However, I am stoic, in that she has to attend college for 4 years. Part of growing up is making choices. Thanks!