Would love to hear about any schools you guys looked at over spring break! Here is a brief recap of what we did in Maine (Bates, Bowdoin, Colby) - all 3 experiences being REALLY different.
Saturday, 4/6 - Colby College
Out of the 3 schools we were going to be looking at, this was probably lowest on my list in terms of expectations...but we all actually loved it! Despite the fact that there was 6"+ of snow on the ground AND it was snowing (which I thought for sure would turn Elizabeth off from ever considering a Maine school), she really liked it. Our tour guide was fantastic, which I realize makes or breaks your tour experience. Everyone on campus for the tour gathered in a small lecture hall and the guides (I think there were 8 that morning) all introduced themselves, what they're studying, talked about their extracurriculars. Families could then choose which tour guide they wanted so Elizabeth of course gravitated toward the guy who is in a couple of their theater groups (for fun, he's not studying theater) and he was really great. The campus was VERY quiet, which was kind of disappointing, but I guess to be expected for a cold, snowy Saturday morning. It's a gorgeous campus, though, with some incredible new facilities (the athletic center and arts building). They also have multiple dining halls and it sounds like it would be very easy for Elizabeth to eat safely (gluten-free). Unlimited swipes with their meal plan, as well. They seem to have a very generous financial aid budget and it's free to apply. That is good and bad, as it makes their admissions rate VERY low (like 7%, I think). Our experience really set the bar high for the other schools we'd be seeing.
Monday, 4/8 - Bowdoin College
This is the school I expected Elizabeth to love, and I had high expectations, as well. Unfortunately, it ended up being her (and my) least favorite of the 3. I did like the ~30 min informational session prior to the tour, given by one of the deans of admissions. Really went into detail about the application process, what they require vs. what is optional on the application, etc. They ask for a LOT of information with tons of optional supplemental materials that a student can choose to include. Unfortunately, our tour guide was not fantastic, and we actually didn't go into ANY buildings. It was a gorgeous day, though, and I think the entire student body was on the quad waiting for the eclipse, which was cool. It was great for Elizabeth to see the complete opposite of the campus activity/weather we saw at Colby. The one huge thing that Bowdoin has going for it (in Elizabeth's eyes) is that they offer marine biology as a major and they have an impressive-sounding coastal studies facility right on the coast (this is a huge draw for her). Bowdoin's meal plan does only allow for 3 swipes/day, which surprised us. We do think Bowdoin would be a reach school for her.
Tuesday, 4/9 - Bates College
My alma mater, so I was super-excited to be back on campus (I hadn't been back since my 15th reunion in 2011). Another completely different tour set up. Again, we all met in the admissions building, where an admissions staff member and two students led an hour-long informational session. Tons of good info shared! Then, what we all really liked, was that parents and students went on separate tours. Since I was so excited to be back on campus and kept talking to Paul about what we were seeing, it was great that Elizabeth got to experience it without my excitement and distractions. It also let the kids be more comfortable - she said it was the most fun tour and it was way more social, more questions were asked, more chatting, etc. Lots of things about the campus have stayed the same but there are some amazing new facilities, as well. We were also given passes for a meal in the dining hall (only one) so we could check out the setup/GF offerings and were very pleased with what we saw/tried. Again, they offer unlimited swipes with their meal plan. I would love if Elizabeth went to Bates, but I really just want her to find somewhere she can see herself being happy and able to do the things she wants to do. I did happen to overhear her telling a friend that she had sort of hoped she wouldn't like it, but she really did...LOL Of the 3, they have the lowest amount of financial aid to be offered, so it would definitely have the highest cost for us.
So, we've been busy using the cost calculators that each school has on their Web sites, she's following them all on Insta (oh, she also saw a Bowdoin post about the 'surf culture' at the school and she about died - she LOVES surfing - so another point for Bowdoin) and we're actually talking with a college counselor tonight (Paul's cousin's wife) to make sure we're on the right track (I have no idea how to identify reach, attainable and safety schools). Elizabeth has also reached out to her guidance counselor to have the same discussion. Still left on our list to tour: UConn Storrs, URI, Tufts and probably a swing through NY state (Hamilton, Colgate, Skidmore, Ithaca) this summer. Possibly also Wesleyan, Amherst and Mt. Holyoke. We had been thinking about a Pennsylvania trip, but that's sort of up in the air right now.
Bates isn't great with financial aid but they don't reduce the cost of the aid they offer if you bring in outside scholarships unless it exceeds a certain amount which is nice. Some schools do this. So maybe have her also look at outside scholarships, there are a ton out there that don't get taken advantage of.
My son and I did Amherst College. The town was very nice, we liked that it was not too far from home, nice campus but I still think Conn College was prettier. It was a packed crowd that day, the church they started us in was full-people from all over the country. They gave a one hour overview of admissions and the school by an admissions dean and let the kids pick what group they went on, again based upon sports and study of interest. Our guide was informative but just too extra, that turned my son off, and he was dissing Ultimate Frisbee even though the guide was on the team. That is my sons true love, so I just knew it was downhill from there. The campus was beautiful, we did get to go into some buildings but did not see a dorm room or the dining hall, just heard about them. I did not like that part. On paper it seemed so perfect but it was just a feeling we got. I did not give my feelings at all, but when asked we were both in agreement that it was not the right fit. I was not thrilled they just seemed to be like you are lucky to get in here attitude, it was also very liberal (I am very), but this seemed over the top with some stuff (my opinion not my son), I liked seeing a diverse group of kids and they all seemed to be happy. So I am happy to cross it off the list and go to some other places, we want to hit up some larger schools soon, I think it was nice to see smaller.
We did go to a college night at his school, I loved the lady from Merrimack, I don't think he was into her energy. He was against Marist for some reason (probably because I thought it might be a good fit)? The UofMaine also seemed decent but might be too far out there. Just a few thoughts that stood out to me. I plan to go to North Carolina in Feb for a few visits, starting to plan the logistics shortly.
