OT: Visiting Campus

[8893]

The elite schools and some a bit below the elite level offer little or no merit aid. The top schools are also very focused on diversity goals. That leaves a massive number of very smart kids to, for lack of a better term, filter down to the next level private, top liberal arts and top publics. There is lots of merit money being thrown around to get those top students that were not accepted at the elites.

Finding that balance between tuition/aid and prestige/reputation can be difficult. Disagreement between parents and students can get messy.

This is why, after much hemming and hawing, we ultimately hired a college consultant. Especially because she really helped minimize the drama and disagreements. We all made our goals clear to her from the start and she really did a good job of helping us all meet them. Although I initially balked at the price for her services, she was more than worth it in the end (and I'm guessing she costs considerably more now). I don't think we would use her again because we learned a lot in the process, and our other daughters are different, too. But she really helped us all navigate what appeared to be a very confusing landscape to us--frequently made all the more confusing by emotional and irrational reactions by all of us, who needed to learn why those reactions were not productive.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Check out Northeastern while there. Nicer campus environment than BU and in same area. We checked out BC. Thought it was nice, but little chance for merit scholarships. Son did not like that there was no guarantee that you won’t be housed on the law school campus as a freshman and have to shuttle to and from the main campus.

Will hit Northeastern in the spring as well. It's crazy trendy right now for kids in Eastern Mass and as a result has become much harder to get into than it was. I remember when it was known for the Co-op program and not much else. Neighborhood around there kind of stinks in my opinion. But then I went to school in Storrs in the 80s.

I need to look into the merit stuff. She's not going to be elite (Ivy and little Ivy) school caliber unless she crushes her SATs. I generally hate the idea of paying full freight for a private school that is less competitive than say, UConn. I could suck it up and pay that bill for Tufts and probably BC. I'm not up to pay that for Stonehill or Quinnipiac. But if a place like Holy Cross cuts my bill down quite a bit, I can live with that. With zero chance of need based aid it's a challenge.

Edit: meant to quote the post where you said this: "Finding that balance between tuition/aid and prestige/reputation can be difficult. Disagreement between parents and students can get messy. students are told not to have your heart set on a favorite, but the is just not possible "

 

[CL82]

One thing that differentiated the Uconn tour compared to other colleges is the tour guides made an attempt to really get to know the students in the group and got to know what they were looking for in a University, then tailored to the tour based on that. During the walks between stops the guide took each prospective student and personally talked to them for a few minutes. I think that made a difference for my daughter.

Glad to hear it. My daughter's guide was a nice enough kid but a bit... nebbish and didn't seem to connect well with the group. She didn't take UConn off her list but it could have been better with a more enthusiastic guide.

 

[8893]

But if a place like Holy Cross cuts my bill down quite a bit, I can live with that.

Good luck with that. They are less likely to offer merit aid than BC.

But if she doesn't mind Worcester, Clark University is a very interesting, pretty unique school that offers a ton of merit aid. It's one of the schools featured in Colleges that Change Lives; iirc @alexd. 's daughter goes (or went?) there.

Your biggest obstacle will be that she will likely get her heart set on the same school that literally thousands of girls just like her have their hearts set on, and your biggest challenge will be trying to avoid or at least mitigate that.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Good luck with that. They are less likely to offer merit aid than BC.

But if she doesn't mind Worcester, Clark University is a very interesting, pretty unique school that offers a ton of merit aid. It's one of the schools featured in Colleges that Change Lives; iirc @alexd. 's daughter goes (or went?) there.

Your biggest obstacle will be that she will likely get her heart set on the same school that literally thousands of girls just like her have their hearts set on, and your biggest challenge will be trying to avoid or at least mitigate that.

I happen to know someone who has been on Clark’s alumni board for over 20 years. Crappy part of Worcester though. Ugh. Feels like no great options but I’m sure it will sort itself out.

Back on topic of UConn visit, did you guys have a strong sense of concern that your kid wouldn’t like UConn? Whether she goes or not, I want her to view it positively. Like it would hurt me feelings if she doesn’t.

 

[8893]

I happen to know someone who has been on Clark’s alumni board for over 20 years. Crappy part of Worcester though. Ugh. Feels like no great options but I’m sure it will sort itself out.

Back on topic of UConn visit, did you guys have a strong sense of concern that your kid wouldn’t like UConn? Whether she goes or not, I want her to view it positively. Like it would hurt me feelings if she doesn’t.

Yes, it will sort itself out. There are a ton of great options; you--read, she--just have to be open to considering ones that are not at the top of the list for all of her peers--read, competition--if you don't want to pay full freight.

As for UConn, I went into the whole process expecting her not to like it because it wasn't flashy enough. She took it for granted because she's been going there regularly for literally her whole life and she always said she wanted to leave Connecticut for college (something I fully supported). Well, whaddya know it ended up in her final two/three for a variety of reasons. We never did a proper tour before applying because we didn't make it a priority, but when she went to accepted students day there we decided that only my wife (who didn't go to UConn) would go with her, so they could both experience it without my influence. They both came back very impressed and it was in the running until the very end--with me probably being the one who talked her out of it because I didn't think it was the best match for her. So, you never know.

 

[HooperScooper]

But if she doesn't mind Worcester, Clark University is a very interesting, pretty unique school that offers a ton of merit aid. It's one of the schools featured in Colleges that Change Lives; iirc @alexd. 's daughter goes (or went?) there.

She's in her 5th year there. Bachelor's/Master's in 5 years.

It's in a really crappy area of Worcester though. Which is saying something!

 

[Pudge]

My daughter had lots of options. But Grandfather went to UCONN. I went to UCONN. 6 cousins. Lots of Blue

She seriously looked at Drexel - which is amazing story of growth & serious excellence in many ways in Philadelphia. Then a little nod to Cornell & UNH. Decision day ... she’s embraced UCONN with little cheerleading from me. And the experience & relationships were astounding - she graduated last June.

 

[HuskyHawk]

My daughter had lots of options. But Grandfather went to UCONN. I went to UCONN. 6 cousins. Lots of Blue

She seriously looked at Drexel - which is amazing story of growth & serious excellence in many ways in Philadelphia. Then a little nod to Cornell & UNH. Decision day ... she’s embraced UCONN with little cheerleading from me. And the experience & relationships were astounding - she graduated last June.

Unlike you or @8893 my daughter has never ever been to UConn. She's barely ever been in the state of CT. So I am rather curious to see what she thinks. It's both the biggest campus and most rural that she will have visited. So the potential exists for very positive or very negative views. Will find out in about 25 49 hours.

Edit: damn. Working from home today (normally do on Friday) and forgot it was only Thursday.

 

[8893]

Unlike you or @8893 my daughter has never ever been to UConn. She's barely ever been in the state of CT. So I am rather curious to see what she thinks. It's both the biggest campus and most rural that she will have visited. So the potential exists for very positive or very negative views. Will find out in about 25 hours

Dairy Bar pretty much guarantees at least some very positive views.

 

[Guapo]

Unlike you or @8893 my daughter has never ever been to UConn. She's barely ever been in the state of CT. So I am rather curious to see what she thinks. It's both the biggest campus and most rural that she will have visited. So the potential exists for very positive or very negative views. Will find out in about 25 hours

If you just do the UConn chant over and over again during the tour, in front of all her peers, I’m sure that’ll really push her towards UConn.

But seriously, as a recent-ish grad (2013) I loved my time there.

Obviously I’m a bit biased, but UConn is, like, so much better than any of those 30 some odd other dumb schools you listed

 

[Guapo]

Also, not sure if your daughter is a sports fan or not, but even if she isn’t she should know that going to a school like UConn creates a sense of community that isn’t always felt at schools like BU, Northeastern etc

 

[HuskyHawk]

Also, not sure if your daughter is a sports fan or not, but even if she isn’t she should know that going to a school like UConn creates a sense of community that isn’t always felt at schools like BU, Northeastern etc

She's not a sports fan. My fondest recollection of UConn was that sense of community. For a bigger school, you really did see a lot of the same people every day and it felt smaller than it is. Small dorm dining hall experience helped there and that is gone now (and what replaced it is much more convenient). Plus we're all somewhat isolated in Storrs, so half the students aren't out exploring Boston or whatever.

I think I'd have hated BU. Too much like school as your job.

 

[CL82]

Unlike you or @8893 my daughter has never ever been to UConn. She's barely ever been in the state of CT. So I am rather curious to see what she thinks. It's both the biggest campus and most rural that she will have visited. So the potential exists for very positive or very negative views. Will find out in about 25 hours

Lol, and now I suddenly feel like I have a rooting interest in this. I'm curious to hear what her reaction. What's the weather going to be?

it was in the running until the very end--with me probably being the one who talked her out of it because I didn't think it was the best match for her.

Why?

 

[Guapo]

She's not a sports fan. My fondest recollection of UConn was that sense of community. For a bigger school, you really did see a lot of the same people every day and it felt smaller than it is. Small dorm dining hall experience helped there and that is gone now (and what replaced it is much more convenient). Plus we're all somewhat isolated in Storrs, so half the students aren't out exploring Boston or whatever.

I think I'd have hated BU. Too much like school as your job.

Absolutely and obviously that sense of community transcends sports. It was a cool experience basically living in a city of 20k kids your own age out in the woods for 4 years.

 

[Wordbomar]

Northeastern was my number 1 school. Great school but admissions are extremely difficult. I didn't get in, but still enjoy going up to Mathews to watch UConn Hockey games

 

[8893]

Why?

Too big and not particularly distinguished in liberal arts, which is her core as a journalism/communications major (and now a political science minor). I went to a Jesuit high school and really valued that education; she went to a public high school and I thought that she would really benefit from and take to that educational model, which she has. And most importantly, I thought she would be better off at a school with smaller classes, where the teachers know your name and know if you are not in class. For better or worse, I was a great crammer. She had a tough time catching up in high school if she fell behind in a class, and I was worried that she might slip at a place like UConn once she realized that you could skip class and no one would notice.

Also, I wanted to encourage her to make a go at life outside of Connecticut, because I don't think it's a great place for young professionals right now, unfortunately.

 

[the Q]

UConn, Graduate Hotels to Enter Deal For Sale of Nathan Hale Inn - UConn Today

The University plans to sell the Nathan Hale Inn to a professional hotel company that will make much-needed improvements to the property.

today.uconn.edu

Amenities | Graduate Storrs

Learn about our amenities at Graduate Storrs, including in-room amenities, dining, and more.

www.graduatehotels.com

I stayed at the one in Bloomington Indiana. If the dame general crew is running this one, it’ll be a fantastic hotel.

Each one custom tailored to the local area.

The one in Bloomington is very Hoosiers based. Even the characters in the room cards.

 

[Guapo]

I stayed at the one in Bloomington Indiana. If the dame general crew is running this one, it’ll be a fantastic hotel.

Each one custom tailored to the local area.

The one in Bloomington is very Hoosiers based. Even the characters in the room cards.

The one in Athens is great too

 

[HuskyHawk]

Too big and not particularly distinguished in liberal arts, which is her core as a journalism/communications major (and now a political science minor). I went to a Jesuit high school and really valued that education; she went to a public high school and I thought that she would really benefit from and take to that educational model, which she has. And most importantly, I thought she would be better off at a school with smaller classes, where the teachers know your name and know if you are not in class. For better or worse, I was a great crammer. She had a tough time catching up in high school if she fell behind in a class, and I was worried that she might slip at a place like UConn once she realized that you could skip class and no one would notice.

Also, I wanted to encourage her to make a go at life outside of Connecticut, because I don't think it's a great place for young professionals right now, unfortunately.

Oh my God...she's like me. Add to the fact that I suffered all the things you imagined for her, I'm also hearing impaired, which magnifies the issues of those large classes. I loved UConn but I struggled until I got into the business school with small classes. Thank God for my 99+% LSAT score.

Meanwhile my daughter has been in Catholic school since pre-school. She is a much more diligent studier than I ever was. Yet she has had a lacking social life as a result and hasn't had much freedom. In contrast I had open campus at Manchester High and really needed more structure than I got at UConn. So I totally understand your thinking here.

Adding to the difference I absolutely want to avoid any Liberal Arts degree for my daughter. STEM or Business, maybe Economics.

 

[8893]

Oh my God...she's like me. Add to the fact that I suffered all the things you imagined for her, I'm also hearing impaired, which magnifies the issues of those large classes. I loved UConn but I struggled until I got into the business school with small classes. Thank God for my 99+% LSAT score.

Meanwhile my daughter has been in Catholic school since pre-school. She is a much more diligent studier than I ever was. Yet she has had a lacking social life as a result and hasn't had much freedom. In contrast I had open campus at Manchester High and really needed more structure than I got at UConn. So I totally understand your thinking here.

Adding to the difference I absolutely want to avoid any Liberal Arts degree for my daughter. STEM or Business, maybe Economics.

Yeah I would have been much more inclined towards UConn for her if she was at all interested in STEM or Business, but she is not.

 

[Guapo]

Hey I was a history major at UConn and I think I’ve turned out ok

 

[the Q]

Northeastern was my number 1 school. Great school but admissions are extremely difficult. I didn't get in, but still enjoy going up to Mathews to watch UConn Hockey games

I loved northeastern.

I have nothing but good things to say about the school.

It’s a shame (for me) that baseball didn’t workout there.

Funny that I had two coaches later in life that both played there and hated the hc.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Hey I was a history major at UConn and I think I’ve turned out ok

I need to retire in ten years. So I don't want to take the chance that she becomes a Starbucks Barista. My wife was a History major, but 1988 and 2025 are rather different.

 

[TRest]

Oh my God...she's like me. Add to the fact that I suffered all the things you imagined for her, I'm also hearing impaired, which magnifies the issues of those large classes. I loved UConn but I struggled until I got into the business school with small classes. Thank God for my 99+% LSAT score.

Meanwhile my daughter has been in Catholic school since pre-school. She is a much more diligent studier than I ever was. Yet she has had a lacking social life as a result and hasn't had much freedom. In contrast I had open campus at Manchester High and really needed more structure than I got at UConn. So I totally understand your thinking here.

Adding to the difference I absolutely want to avoid any Liberal Arts degree for my daughter. STEM or Business, maybe Economics.

Just my 2 cents, we visited about a dozen schools with our twin girls, one ended up at UConn and the other at one of the 7 sisters. My wife and I are both UConn alums, graduating in the early 80's, and are thrilled one of our kids is there, but it's a very different school now. The dorm life is like living in a morgue, every door is closed and it's pretty dead. Her sister's school is a lot more vibrant, with a student body that seems a lot more engaged in learning and growing.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Unlike you or @8893 my daughter has never ever been to UConn. She's barely ever been in the state of CT. So I am rather curious to see what she thinks. It's both the biggest campus and most rural that she will have visited. So the potential exists for very positive or very negative views. Will find out in about 25 hours

Wishing your daughter, wife, and you a great visit, wherever it leads.

 

[navery12]

I took my tour of UConn in the pouring rain just running from building to building. And somehow still loved it from the second I stepped on campus

 

[Excalibur]

I need to look into the merit stuff. She's not going to be elite (Ivy and little Ivy) school caliber unless she crushes her SATs. I generally hate the idea of paying full freight for a private school that is less competitive than say, UConn. I could suck it up and pay that bill for Tufts and probably BC. I'm not up to pay that for Stonehill or Quinnipiac. But if a place like Holy Cross cuts my bill down quite a bit, I can live with that. With zero chance of need based aid it's a challenge.

Edit: meant to quote the post where you said this: "Finding that balance between tuition/aid and prestige/reputation can be difficult. Disagreement between parents and students can get messy. students are told not to have your heart set on a favorite, but the is just not possible "

If she's not going to get into the elites, the name of the game should be finding the cheapest place where she's comfortable. Once you get past those top 10-15 schools, you're really just buying a commodity.

 

[Sibeerian]

I'd say it's moving in the right direction, though still a ways to go. I moved to Mansfield in '97, out in '07 but parents are still up there so I visit every so often. At that time the only reason to visit was the brew pub, stop and shop and blockbuster.

Since then, a handful of decent establishments have popped up: Corleone's, Harp on Church, A Cupcake for Later, Not Only Juice, Grounded Coffee Co. and the food co-op have lasted and are bringing in some retail foot traffic to the area. Also there could be some relatively big developments on the horizon that can make it much more of a collegish (UConn/ECSU) town.

Willimantic has real potential. Brought some friends/family there and they loved the immediate Willibrew/Cafemantic area. Usually lively there, but parking is easier than many downtowns. The Hop River and Airline trails now intersect, making it a nice bicycling destination. Would be great if they could integrate the river more into the downtown.

 

[CL82]

Hey I was a history major at UConn and I think I’ve turned out ok

Debatable