Many Virginia colleges and universities have been mentioned but not my alma mater, Roanoke College in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley.

Weighing in from the West:

University of Washington-Seattle always reminds me of the Emerald City.

UC Santa Cruz

UC San Diego-you can bring your surf board to class and be hitting the waves 5 minutes after you get out of lecture.

Stanford is also lovely.

I love UC Berkeley for its character but may be biased as I'm a graduate.

This is a VERY relevant thread.

Why is it that my surfer senior son wants to go to Williams above all other choices? It's his ED first option - And soooo far away. He's been won over by Williams' reputation and amazing environment.

I'd prefer one of the West Coast options, see Alisa post above. He'd be so much closer. But I have my fingers crossed for what he'd most like to do. Williams seems fabulous.

Isn't Williams the college with co-ed bathrooms. Ew!

Sorry to go a bit off topic here, but I have to defend my school - Williams does have co-ed bathrooms, but they are purely a choice - you can request to have a single-sex bathroom if you are bothered by it. 99.99999% of the students are not - I had a co-ed bathroom for all of my four years there, and never once was I weired out by it in the slighest, nor was anyone I knew. There is no reason to let that dissuade anyone from applying to the best liberal arts college in the country (not to mention the one with the most beautiful campus!)

How has this post gone on so long without mentioning Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA? My first thought upon getting on to campus was "This is what a college is supposed to look like!"
Beautiful limestone Gothic buildings, lots of green space and the mountains in the distance. On a Saturday in the fall it is my FAVORITE place to be (helps if the Hokies are winning!)

I'm back and am very interested in all the responses. I have spent most of my life here and there on many many campuses, but what strikes me is the huge range of types of school mentioned here. You've got apples, oranges, pumpkins, and beans all mixed in together.

As you said yourself, "Ducks," beauty is not the main draw, but if your daughter is not narrowing down her choices according to a)size and b) academic profile of applicants, this is all a very theoretical discussion that won't be much more helpful than an article in a style magazine for young adolescents.

You talk about "strong" academics -- are you talking about schools that are very selective and comparatively hard to get into or are you talking about schools that don't allow their non-academic programs to run the show? Is it a matter of being on a campus where your daughters friends will be thinking of themselves above all as students or first as socializing young adults? To put it another way, is your daughter looking PRIMARILY for an undergraduate "experience" that will be a good grounding for life in general or is she looking for a place that will get her into graduate schools?

None of these have to be either-or situations, of course, fo course. Don't mean to imply that you can't be a social being if you aren't a student or v.v. -- it's a matter of emphasis.

If we knew what your daughter's priorities (other than beauty) are going to be, we could probably be more specific about which among some likely schools are the prettiest ones.

Last comment: most campuses are in some way pretty, I've found, with only a few exceptions. It's just different kinds of pretty: architecture, setting, lay-out, etc.

This reply is largely to Cassandra.
My daughter is not overly concerned with the beauty of a campus. I just asked this out of curiousity and because it is of interest to me. She is far more scholarly and less superficial than I am. She would like to be with fairly serious students and certainly would love to attend one of the top ivies if she could get in (her weakness is in extracurricular area).
She is not interested in sports, would like a school that has small classes and excellent professors with whom she can form personal relationships. She prefers warmer weather than northern new england which is quite limiting and
prefers, slightly, coed schools but has not ruled out some of the top womens schools. She also likes cities which is another tough one since larger schools tend to be in cities.
Hope that helps! Glad you are back from wherever you went.

Shaya,

Remember...friends don't let their friends go to Virginia Tech...;^)

Yet another vote for UC Santa Cruz. Beautiful redwoods and beautiful ocean views. In the summer the Santa Cruz Shakespeare festivale is held there in the festivale glen, which is a natural ampitheater surrounded by redwoods. It's not to be missed.

Ducks -- gotta' encourage you again to check out Rhodes. Not just for the beauty (although it is a beautiful campus) but it sounds like it meets your daughter's criteria. It is a small school, approx. 1200 students. There is a board-mandated 12-1 student-faculty ratio. Many classes are small, discussion-type groups and there are plenty of "independent study" opportunities for one-on-one interaction with a prof. An overwhelming percentage of the profs hold the terminal degree in their field. And, because it's a college and not a university, she will be taught by these wonderful profs, not by grad students. It's not a big sports school. It's located in Memphis, TN, a city of approx. 1 mill people -- enough to do to keep you interested, but not so much to be distracted.

Check it out.

Someone mentioned St. Anselm College in Manchester NH. I AGREE!! In fact, I graduated from there in the late 80's and loved being on that beautiful campus. I live nearby and drove past there today, actually. It's truly beautiful. The colors are gorgeous this time of year.

I am suprised no one has mentioned the University of Notre Dame and St. Marys (since you mentioned an all women's school). There is just something magical abou the area...

Have to reply to Kwoo that Middlebury is
in the "middle of nowhere". In my opinion,
Lewiston, Maine (home of Bowdoin) is
a decaying industrial pit. Middlebury
is a gorgeous town, with roots to Robert
Frost (whose papers are housed at Middlebury) and near Lake Champlain
(a beautiful natural entity) and whose
roots go back to its founding in 1800. The granite buildings are magnificent, and dramatic acreage has been preserved as open space. The college's sports complex
is unbelievable (far superior to Bowdoin's)
and they even have their own ski bowl - the
college is not named "Club Midd" for nothing. Further, as to reputation, Midd always rates above Bowdoin in US News & World Report and most other reputable college guides. It is certainly more rigorous
academically, and much harder to get into. IMO, being closer to the outlet store for LL Bean (e.g. Bowdoin) is not necessarily a plus!

Message to Boonie,
You are talking about Bates College, which is located in Lewiston, Me. Bowdoin is located in Brunswick, Maine. I agree that Lewiston is not very nice. And you are also thinking of Bates when you mention that Middlebury is always ranked higher than Bowdoin in U.S. News and World Report. Middlebury is always ranked higher than Bates but not Bowdoin. Middlebury and Bowdoin are always ranked quite close to each other. Sometimes Bowdoin is higher, sometimes Middlebury, sometimes they are tied. The home of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, Civil War Hero, graduate of Bowdoin College, former President of Bowdoin College and Governnor of Maine, is right across the street from the Bowdoin campus. Hawthorne and Longfellow are also noteworthy graduates of Bowdoin, as is one of our Presidents, whose name escapes me at the moment. And Peary and MacMillan, the arctic explorers. (The Arctic Museum is a part of the Bowdoin campus.) I certainly didn't mean this to be a competition about schools. I realize everyone is proud of where they or their children attend. I was merely giving my opinion, which is based on experience visiting and researching colleges for a number of years, and also my and my family's own personal preference.

Came across this list & thought you might be interested.

http://www.epodunk.com/top10/colleges/index.html

Thanks, Ducks -- In one of my 7 or 8 other lives, I do some admissions counseling and college fairs. Your daughter should probably be looking at the Bryn Mawr/Haverford/Swarthmore group, plus some of the other mid-Atlantic liberal arts colleges. About her strength as an applicant: There are a lot of people/parents/high school counselors who think you have to have at least 4 extracurriculars from each of 3 or 4 types: sports, student govt., arts, letters, drama, etc. etc. etc. -- in other words be really well-rounded and also be an officer in as many clubs as possible.

Let me mention that small schools are more likely to be receptive to exceptional strength in one or two, or even in something that isn't part of school but something a student does on his/her own -- some community or research project, a really interesting job, a creative artistic life, etc. What will make the biggest difference, however, is how "turned on" your daughter is by whatever she does. When I interview, I look for the thing that makes a student's eyes glow, which is often not being class president or captain of field hockey but might be something as odd as Latin or teaching kindergarteners. Remember that small colleges are building classes, much as an orchestra is built -- they need a certain number of violins, drums, etc. as well as people who know how to archive music and what the biography of the composers might be.

Sure, it would be good to have her involved in things that show she is a leader (Ivies look for leaders) or popular or responsible, but the very most important thing is that she get enthusiastic and excited about something enough to be able to take it beyond the dabbling level and enough to be able to write an essay about it that sounds genuinely involved -- not just writing the essay she/you/counselors think that the admissions board people want to read.

I don't think you are superficial, btw, just a mother ;-)

Pepperdine is pretty awesome if you are into ocean views! Duke have a lovely campus. Bates in Maine isn't too shabby either.

As Emerson said "for there are many beauties" three very different ones in GA are

for beauty of size,Berry College probably has largest campus in the world. Somewhere between 25,000 and 30,000 acres I think.

for beauty of art (as well as trees), as the name implies The Savannah College of Art in Savannah is in the heart of the largest historic landmark district in the country. Many of those landmarks are now school buildings.

and of course

for the beauty of the perfect overall college experience Athens U of GA beautiful women, worlds greatest mascot Uga,classic stadium the hedges, the music scene including the most awesome hometown band REM, plus you get all that Atlanta has to offer without actually having to live there

gc - sorry I missed your reply. I hate to point out your spelling error - you meant UVA right?
;-)
Looking forward to the game next week (yes, I am eternally optomistic about the Hokies!)

Many people mention their school in response, so I will have to also--Cornell's campus is beautiful--the hills, gorges, ivy covered buildings.
For spectacular setting, also must mention Pepperdine, right on the cliffs of Malibu--amazing. If I had gone there, may still be in college!

UVA or Ohio University.

This is hard to answer since I have visited so few campuses (campi?). My choices:

For setting: Pepperdine on the ocean bluffs at Malibu.

For beauty of campus: Univ of Virginia at Charlottesville.

My favorite campus: Utah State Univ at Logan (since I could be out my front door and on a trout stream in Logan Canyon in five minutes flat!).

BTW: My alma mater: Chapman University in Orange County, Calif - a good school but UU (Urban Ugly).

Out of the 30+ campuses I've visted, Miami University (Ohio) and Washington & Lee had the best-looking campuses. Ball State U. was the worst.

Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Even though the campus is in the city it is very beautiful with trees, courtyards, and old buildings. It used to calm me before class to walk across the campus, looking at the beauty around me.

The college has an outstanding reputation for medicine. If your daughter is looking into medical school, I highly recommend Emory. The CDC is next door which is an outstanding resource. In addition, there is a nice museum on campus (we had Ramses but we just had to send him back). There are some very interesting communities/villages in the area which add so much life and culture to the college.

I appreciated the comment that scaryrooster made about liking his brother pre-Emory. My sister went to Georgia Tech and I liked her much better pre-tech! Anyway, college there changed my life. It was tough, I don't deny but the culture and outstanding acedemics have definately enriched my life.

Only one major problem about the college.........it's VERY EXPENSIVE!!!

Point Loma Nazarene College in San Diego, on the cliffs overlooking the ocean. It's so beautiful they host weddings there!

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA-CHAPEL HILL
The campus is spectacular and Franklin Street on the edge is part of the entire experience. Ask those Duke Devils and NCStaters who can't seem to stay away.

In New York State- NO contest- Oswego State on the shores of Lake Ontario. Sunsets are the best. The winters will "mold" ones character- And Oswego is the Harvard of the SUNY schools.

Furman University in the upstate of South Carolina is like a dream.

If you're looking for small schools and academically challenging, where the seasons change (none of the harsh NE weather), I would suggest my alma maters: Mary Washington College (in Fredericksburg, VA) and the College of William & Mary (in Williamsburg, VA).

Both have excellent reputations. Mary Washington is smaller by comparison with about 3300 students. William and Mary, I believe, has about 6000 students. I visited Mary Washington in the fall and was sold. I had to go there. William & Mary also has a very pretty campus and is directly adjacent to all the colonial stuff downtown.

I'm a transplanted midwesterner who went to a big, sprawling, ugly red brick big 10 school. Wouldn't have changed a minute of my experience. BUT if I wanted to go somewhere "pretty" my husband's alma mater, UNC Chapel Hill is hard to beat, and UVA in Charlottesville is also lovely (I enjoy the whole surrounding area, too.) When my son was looking at smaller schools, we thought Elon's campus was really gorgeous. St Mary's College (a Maryland State school) is a gem in historic St Mary's city in St Mary's county. It is noted as one of the best "public ivies."

Ducks, reading what you say about your daughter--that she's academically strong, more scholarly than extracurricular; wants a smaller school with close student-faculty relationships, but likes cities; and prefers a climate less frigid than the Northeast or Midwest in winter--I think she might want to consider the "Swarthmore of the West," Reed College in Portland, Oregon. Not a middle of the road sort of place, not for everyone, but from your description, possibly excellent for her. She should visit, and read both administration and student publications. In terms of beauty: a campus centered on century-old Gothic buildings behind a huge lawn; a small densely wooded canyon and lake that's a nature reserve; and the opportunity to see both a postmodern city skyline and snow-capped mountains from campus.

Washington University in St. Louis is another one to check out. Academically challenging, beautiful campus, change of seasons, and plenty of people from all over the country (lots of Northerners too so your daughter won't be in culture shock). Has a similar reputation to Emory with a prettier campus but in a less active city center.

The University of Oklahoma campus in Norman. I'm convinced it's part of the reason National Merit Scholars choose OU. Full of foliage, with red and white flower beds on the elegant ovals. Nicely placed art (check out the view from the intersection of University and Boyd; you'll see what I mean) give nooks special meaning. Redbrick and stone arches and buildings are in what Frank Lloyd Wright called Cherokee Gothic architecture. Better than most, OU's campus has this prevailing motif and sticks to it.

Make one visit during the summer, fall, or spring, and you'll find yourself immediately attached.

UC Santa Barbara

I just want to add a few thoughts to the college location debate. Although my husband and I both attended a city college in Boston with virtually no campus atmosphere, we are appreciative of beautiful campuses that we have visited during our travels. We especially like Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The town itself is small, but fairly sophisticated. The buildings are brick and typical of the early 1900's, but gorgeous. It has an excellent academic reputation and is close enough to the beautiful Berkshire Mountains, as well
as being right on the Vermont border, making the Green Mountains, Woodstock, and Manchester, VT within an easy drive.
It is also close enough to Amherst College, U. Of Massachusetts, Mt. Holyoke, etc.
for socialization and recreation. The Fall is, of course, spectacular. It is probably a two-hour drive to the Boston area, as well. If I could redo my undergraduate experience, I would most certainly consider Williams.

There are so many wonderful colleges and universities in America - we are blessed.

I'd suggested two for your consideration - the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Florida in Gainesville.

Yup, I'm biased; graduated from WI in 1974 and received a graduate degree from Florida in 1976.

Good luck in your search!

Furham University - Greenville, SC
William & Mary - Willamsburg, VA
University of FL - Gainesville, FL

designmr, when we were kids in the 60's, my parents would drive us from OKC to Norman just to go to the campus. He loved the flower gardens in what I believe at the time was the South Oval. I remember the snapdragons specifically--all pink and white. OU is a beautiful campus. LSU (near where I live now) is beautiful in terms of the old oaks and lakes, but OU does have striking architecture. I'm glad you pointed it out.

colonial homes did a great photo spread on washington and lee a few years ago. the photos were stunning