Ivy League College Tour
Mar 19th, 2012, 01:39 PM
#42
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Dear Moo
Maybe I can save you some driving.
Harvard is the one that is not Yale and is located in Cambridge on this side of the Atlantic.
Yale is the one that is not Harvard and does not have a coop. (I once asked for a Yale sweatshirt at the Harvard Coop and they called security.) And New Haven claims fame to the first hamburger.
Dartmouth is in the woods.
Princeton has the nicest campus of all and you must root for the football team. (My oldest friend is a coach there.)
Penn is in a terrible neighborhood but if you major in cheesesteaks it will be a worthwhile four years.
Brown is near the water.
Maybe I can save you some driving.
Harvard is the one that is not Yale and is located in Cambridge on this side of the Atlantic.
Yale is the one that is not Harvard and does not have a coop. (I once asked for a Yale sweatshirt at the Harvard Coop and they called security.) And New Haven claims fame to the first hamburger.
Dartmouth is in the woods.
Princeton has the nicest campus of all and you must root for the football team. (My oldest friend is a coach there.)
Penn is in a terrible neighborhood but if you major in cheesesteaks it will be a worthwhile four years.
Brown is near the water.
Mar 21st, 2012, 01:00 PM
#43
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(Sorry not to reply sooner, I was ... traveling, natch.) Have your route questions been answered?
The Merritt Parkway does indeed turn into the Wilbur Cross Parkway, going southbound. It is restricted-no big trucks, and very pleasant, except when bad weather or a crash bolloxes things up. (Hence the need for radio alerts).
On your northbound return, just after crossing the Tappan Zee bridge look for signs saying W. Cross -- they can be hard to find if you don't know what to look for.
The Merritt Parkway does indeed turn into the Wilbur Cross Parkway, going southbound. It is restricted-no big trucks, and very pleasant, except when bad weather or a crash bolloxes things up. (Hence the need for radio alerts).
On your northbound return, just after crossing the Tappan Zee bridge look for signs saying W. Cross -- they can be hard to find if you don't know what to look for.
Mar 30th, 2012, 05:55 AM
#47
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This is funny because I just got an e-mail from a girlfriend: Her daughter got into "Princeton, Yale, Dartmouth, U. of Pennsylvania, Brown, Cornell, Duke, Vanderbilt, U. of Miami, Wellesley, NYU-Stern Business School, and Johns Hopkins.
She was waitlisted at Harvard & Columbia!
Still waiting to hear from Stanford…this Sunday"
I could ask her how their college tour was; what an extensive list of schools! Hope your tour and outcomes are just as good, moo!
She was waitlisted at Harvard & Columbia!
Still waiting to hear from Stanford…this Sunday"
I could ask her how their college tour was; what an extensive list of schools! Hope your tour and outcomes are just as good, moo!
Mar 30th, 2012, 06:25 AM
#48
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ncounty, your friend must indeed have a superdaughter! Far too many choices, far too much "prestige college" ideology in my opinion. Wondering how one would choose. Important point remains what can you or want to afford? Another important matter is what school/faculty is strong in a particular area of study? Some kids want to be closer to home and some want to be far away. But how many decisions are made for other reasons like a pretty campus? Another factor is often where are my friends going?
Auduchamp1...thanks for a chuckle.
Bill in Boston
Auduchamp1...thanks for a chuckle.
Bill in Boston
Mar 30th, 2012, 03:32 PM
#51
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I think when you are shooting for schools of that caliber, it is rational to aim for a higher number because the odds are so low of getting into one of them. I think she did refine the list down as much as she could; she did not apply to MIT or Cal Tech, for instance. I assume she is not an engineering type. I don't know what her interests are.
I don't think it is obvious at all that she is unable to make decisions just because she applied to 15 top schools, lcuy. I am very surprised at that comment from you. No one expected she would get into practically all of them. They were probably hoping for 3 and then get to choose from those 3.
I don't think it is obvious at all that she is unable to make decisions just because she applied to 15 top schools, lcuy. I am very surprised at that comment from you. No one expected she would get into practically all of them. They were probably hoping for 3 and then get to choose from those 3.
Mar 30th, 2012, 04:24 PM
#52
I probably shouldn't say anything, but I think what surprises people about this scattergun approach to picking a school is that most of the schools have little in common other than being prestigious. For example, it is hard to imagine the same person enjoying Brown, a liberal, urban school, and Dartmouth, a conservative rural school. Many people decide on location, and here you have two crummy towns, New Haven and Baltimore, some suburban, some larger city, some good for skiing, some for water skiing. There is also the real ringer, a business school alone among the strong liberal arts programs! (Although I know Sterns requires a core studies program, much to the disgust of the Sternies.) Makes the head spin! However, I'm sure the students in question are very talented and hope they make the right choice.
Mar 30th, 2012, 07:25 PM
#54
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No problem, lcuy.... a smiley would have helped. I was stunned to read that from you, goes to show the high esteem I hold you in, eh? 
I personally only applied to one school so it is not like I have been in the same boat but most of the kids I know of are applying to this same group of schools....and about the same number.
Fra_diavalo- her parents went to a normal school undergrad and a very prestige school for grad school and I think they feel the product they purchased with the prestige school was worth it. Some kids don't really care where the school is, what the architecture is like, or where their friends are going. The thing these schools have in common may be top level academic talent and being amongst a very high level peer group.
Johns Hopkins, for being in Baltimore, is in a lovely part of town near Roland Park. I have a feeling she is holding out for Stanford though.
I personally only applied to one school so it is not like I have been in the same boat but most of the kids I know of are applying to this same group of schools....and about the same number.
Fra_diavalo- her parents went to a normal school undergrad and a very prestige school for grad school and I think they feel the product they purchased with the prestige school was worth it. Some kids don't really care where the school is, what the architecture is like, or where their friends are going. The thing these schools have in common may be top level academic talent and being amongst a very high level peer group.
Johns Hopkins, for being in Baltimore, is in a lovely part of town near Roland Park. I have a feeling she is holding out for Stanford though.
Mar 31st, 2012, 08:42 AM
#57
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I wasn't gonna comment on the non-travel part of the discussion, but really ....
I don't understand why so many posters assume that ``I want to visit several Ivy League schools'' implies ``so I can decide which to attend when they all accept me.'' It just doesn't follow from the question that the student has been blinded by prestige and has decided that the Ivy League is the only option.
Maybe OP's offspring has gotten as far as ``maybe some kind of Ivy League school'' in addition to several that don't require a plane flight. Maybe they are already familiar with New England colleges and universities, but not the Ivy League. Maybe this is about finding one or two ``long shot'' schools to apply to, as suggested by many guidance counselors.
It is perfectly reasonable to visit schools during spring of junior year, when the thinking is still pretty scatter-shot. Such visits make it `real' to the student and kick-start the discussion about what kind of campus (big/small, urban/rural, east coast/west coast, etc) would be a good match. To that end, it is useful to visit a variety of schools that have nothing in common.
Also, many schools consider the fact that you have visited the place before applying to be a point in your favor at decision time. It suggests you are not taking a shotgun approach to your applications.
Given that they are traveling from far away, it makes sense to pack in a lot of school visits into one trip.
And the trip itself a good excuse for bonding during those tricky high school years, whether or not any applications result, let alone acceptances.
Scheduling such trips after acceptance letters have arrived but before replies are due, may not be an option for busy seniors.
;-) Still smilin.
I don't understand why so many posters assume that ``I want to visit several Ivy League schools'' implies ``so I can decide which to attend when they all accept me.'' It just doesn't follow from the question that the student has been blinded by prestige and has decided that the Ivy League is the only option.
Maybe OP's offspring has gotten as far as ``maybe some kind of Ivy League school'' in addition to several that don't require a plane flight. Maybe they are already familiar with New England colleges and universities, but not the Ivy League. Maybe this is about finding one or two ``long shot'' schools to apply to, as suggested by many guidance counselors.
It is perfectly reasonable to visit schools during spring of junior year, when the thinking is still pretty scatter-shot. Such visits make it `real' to the student and kick-start the discussion about what kind of campus (big/small, urban/rural, east coast/west coast, etc) would be a good match. To that end, it is useful to visit a variety of schools that have nothing in common.
Also, many schools consider the fact that you have visited the place before applying to be a point in your favor at decision time. It suggests you are not taking a shotgun approach to your applications.
Given that they are traveling from far away, it makes sense to pack in a lot of school visits into one trip.
And the trip itself a good excuse for bonding during those tricky high school years, whether or not any applications result, let alone acceptances.
Scheduling such trips after acceptance letters have arrived but before replies are due, may not be an option for busy seniors.
;-) Still smilin.
Mar 31st, 2012, 09:07 AM
#58
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I must admit I was surprised since all these schools have in common is prestige. If that's all the student is looking for - that's fine. And this early in the process the kid may not really know if they want big city or small town - or have a clue as to major or even general area of interst. (At least no MIT.)
But every kid is advised to apply to one or two safe schools - and it would seem to make sense to look at one or two schools that can provide an excelent education but aren't Ivy. (There are many of these if the student is serious - I went to a state university at the same time a cousin went to Yale - both history majors - and my education was at least as good as his. Althought I did not make all the same connections. Perhaps that is what the student is looking for.)
It's just that there doesn't seem to be a lot of thought behind the list - and I would be surprised if the student gets a real feel for any of the schools on this schedule. When we took our daughters we spent a full day at each school, including attending class (them - not us) - but did fewer schools for each - only ones they were really interested in based on major, location etc.
But every kid is advised to apply to one or two safe schools - and it would seem to make sense to look at one or two schools that can provide an excelent education but aren't Ivy. (There are many of these if the student is serious - I went to a state university at the same time a cousin went to Yale - both history majors - and my education was at least as good as his. Althought I did not make all the same connections. Perhaps that is what the student is looking for.)
It's just that there doesn't seem to be a lot of thought behind the list - and I would be surprised if the student gets a real feel for any of the schools on this schedule. When we took our daughters we spent a full day at each school, including attending class (them - not us) - but did fewer schools for each - only ones they were really interested in based on major, location etc.
Apr 3rd, 2012, 02:53 PM
#59
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"Thursday: Princeton info at 10 a.m. and tour at 11:15 a.m. I am assuming tour will last one hour. Need to drive to Philadelphia to Penn info session that starts at 1:00. Will I make it on time? This Penn day ends at 4:30. Will overnight in Philadelphia. **"
You are not going to be able to learn anything useful by visiting these two schools in a span of 6 hours (including transfer time!). Two hours for Princeton! You might as well stay home and watch videos of campus tours. I hope you will submit a trip report for the edification of future scholars, as this is truly an odd assortment of schools, joined only by playing football together decades ago.
You are not going to be able to learn anything useful by visiting these two schools in a span of 6 hours (including transfer time!). Two hours for Princeton! You might as well stay home and watch videos of campus tours. I hope you will submit a trip report for the edification of future scholars, as this is truly an odd assortment of schools, joined only by playing football together decades ago.
Apr 18th, 2012, 01:50 PM
#60
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Hello Moo:
On my daily browsing trip I came across this rather amusing and informative thread. Thought I'd toss in my two-cents worth.
I'm sure you are all aware that there are some very "good" opportunities for college studies at some of the smaller and less vaunted institutions. I'm the West Coast emissary for my alma mater...Emerson College, Boston.
This is one of hundreds of answers for the potential attendee who rather likes smaller schools (4,000 students) in a downtown city environment (campus is THE Boston Commons). Some of the "newer" buildings are the grande dame Majestic Theater and the historic old Paramount (my cousin dragged me there when I was 16 to see one of her idols...a skinny kid named Sinatra... perform to the screams of the bobby-sox crowd).
Both my California born granddaughter and her Vermont-born husband are Emersonians ('05 and '04)..so there are three of us in our family. When I returned from an overseas hitch, it was difficult finding a school that had room because of all of us returning G.I.s...(waiting periods were up to two years)that's how I discovered little Emerson...and have been closely connected now for over 60 years. I appear at all "College Days" at Southern California high schools and private prep schools, etc. Look for me...I'm the oldest dude in the gym!
Stuart Tower, L.A. (formerly, Quincy, MA)
http://www.emerson.edu/
On my daily browsing trip I came across this rather amusing and informative thread. Thought I'd toss in my two-cents worth.
I'm sure you are all aware that there are some very "good" opportunities for college studies at some of the smaller and less vaunted institutions. I'm the West Coast emissary for my alma mater...Emerson College, Boston.
This is one of hundreds of answers for the potential attendee who rather likes smaller schools (4,000 students) in a downtown city environment (campus is THE Boston Commons). Some of the "newer" buildings are the grande dame Majestic Theater and the historic old Paramount (my cousin dragged me there when I was 16 to see one of her idols...a skinny kid named Sinatra... perform to the screams of the bobby-sox crowd).
Both my California born granddaughter and her Vermont-born husband are Emersonians ('05 and '04)..so there are three of us in our family. When I returned from an overseas hitch, it was difficult finding a school that had room because of all of us returning G.I.s...(waiting periods were up to two years)that's how I discovered little Emerson...and have been closely connected now for over 60 years. I appear at all "College Days" at Southern California high schools and private prep schools, etc. Look for me...I'm the oldest dude in the gym!
Stuart Tower, L.A. (formerly, Quincy, MA)
http://www.emerson.edu/
