College Links and Reviews

Colleges I Visited . . . Other Good Places . . .

I've rated the schools on a 1-7 scale, based on my personal criteria, which includes:
  • Size -- under 3,000
  • Interaction with surrounding community
  • Liberal arts school, with focus on English and education programs
  • Impression from students, after talking to them and watching them.
    Schools with students who weren't wearing billboards got higher scores.
  • Interview (where applicable)
  • Information session (where applicable)
  • Tour (where applicable)

    The ratings do not at all indicate the quality of the school --
    all of them are wonderful. The ratings serve only to show
    how well the schools fit my idea of the college I want to attend.

Use the stars for an over-all rating; click for a more detailed description and a link to the colleges' site:
Connecticut College -- First of all, New London is a wonderful little New-England-seaside community that I fell in love with immediately. So keep that in mind when thinking about Connecticut College.

Campus - rather spread out; very attractive; nice buildings, with a nice view of the ocean; lots of athletic fields between buildings. Arboretum is not integrated into the campus like Swarthmore, but across the street and through a gate. Very lovely, with plants living naturally rather than in organized gardens.

I had a nice chat with the Associate Dean of Admissions, Daniel Parish. You can reach him at dbpar@conncoll.edu. So here's some of what we talked about (it was quite a few days ago so this is mostly paraphrasing. . . . )

Q. Is Connecticut College as sports oriented as the numerous fields lead me to believe?
A. Not at all. Sports do play a part in campus life, but no more or no less than all the other aspects of the college, i.e., arts or sciences.

Q. Do the students intereact with New London very much, and vice versa?
A. We've recently established a center in downtown New London that gives the community the opportunity to take advantage of the numerous activities and classes available to students. Of course, the center also gives the students the chance to work more closely with the members of the community, creating a working relationship between school and city.

Q. What programs set Connecticut College apart from all the other small liberal-arts colleges in New England?
A. Connecticut College offers a few very special programs that aren't found in most colleges. These programs include CISLA, . . .

Cornell University -- Well. Here's a short and mildly interesting story about Cornell: I slept in the car all the way into Ithaca, NY, until my parents woke me up to tell me to look around because we were quickly approaching the campus. The first buildings we encountered, campus-wise, housed science and biology studies. There were sooo many science buildings. We drove around the campus, without ever really knowing where we were, for a good twenty minutes. Those twenty minutes were about fifteen more than I needed to know that Cornell U. is waaay too big for my needs and waaay too car-reliant and waaay too incohesive. We went out to eat then headed to the room to talk about the other colleges.

So -- sorry I can't give a better review for you to help you in your search for a college, but then again, if you're looking for what I'm looking for, you'll know to skip Cornell. And if you're not looking for what I am, then check out Cornell -- you may love it.

Hartwick College -- Another short and probably even less interesting story . . .

As soon as we arrived at Hartwick, I knew it wasn't the place for me. Daniel, who interviewed me at Connecticut College, had warned that Hartwick probably wouldn't offer the breadth or depth (how many times have I heard those two words this week!) of classes I am interested in. I should have taken his words more seriously and skipped Hartwick.

Hartwick ... is a lovely school in a very college town (Oneonta, NY) spanning the entire slope of a steep hill. It's a relatively new college and all the buildings reflect this with their newer architecture and lack of wear.

Despite my overall disinterest in the college, I decided to have an interview with Chris Connolly, a pleasant, attractive admissions counselor. We chatted for quite awhile . . . I don't know if transcribing this particular conversation will do any prospective students much good. We talked at length about why I didn't particularly feel that Hartwick is the college for me, about Mountain View (I probably was a little harsh on my dear little hometown, but I think one of the main reasons I didn't care for Hartwick was that it reminds me of Mountain View in certain ways, so I was more inclined to down Mountain View to make Hartwick appear different and better in my mind. Silly.) In retrospect, I realized the conversation started on a rather unnessecarily icky note: I began by stating that I really didn't think that Hartwick was a college to which I would apply, so of course he asked me why. Then, instead of going into a shallow and unfounded spiel about sports and the stereotypes I'd already given all the students, I should have simply replied that I had no right to be making generalizations so soon and had him explain all the good aspects of Hartwick. Alas, what's done is done. I just hope Chris doesn't think I'm a snotty flake. (My, that makes for an interesting picture now doesn't it?)

Chris did point out a few highlights of Hartwick throughout our conversation, including a great science program (he was a Biology major), and a beautiful swimming pool with huge windows giving a spectacular view of the valley. Upstate New York is incredible country -- definitely a bonus. Hartwick's campus is not for the weak-of-heart, or thigh -- getting from class to class requires quite short but steep trek up and down sidewalks and bike paths. Bring your walking shoes for a tour of this place.

Anyway . . . did I say something about this being short? Sorry I misled you.

Haverford College -- very unified feeling; attractive, simple buildings; friendly students; works closely with Bryn Mawr and Swarthmore, with students taking classes at all three, though Bryn Mawr and Haverford work most closely together; buildings closer together than at Swarth; smaller campus (around 1100 students). Here's a rough reiteration of the conversation we had with Craig, the admissions counselor (he was barefoot and had grass stains on his shorts -- i liked that.)

Q. How many other schools did you look at before choosing Haverford?
A. Over half a dozen. His other choice was Rice University, but he preferred being up east.

Q. How large of a part do sports play in Haverford students' lives?
A. Sports are a fun social event; the team really tries, but they're not that great. The games against Swarthmore have lots of friendly competition, but other than that, they're pretty easy-going. There's no football team. The track team is the most successful of the sports. The school is supportive of the sports, but not fanatical. Athletes are involved in many other activities besides sports; no one attends the school simply to be an athlete.

Q. What do students do on the weekends?
A. Mostly they stay on the campus. Occasionally students will take weekend trips to New York City but the school offers plenty of on campus activities. Students organize movies, speakers, concerts, etc. Parties are held almost every weekend, though he didn't describe them as being binge-frat-boy parties. In fact, Haverford has no fraternities or sororities.

Q. Do you ever feel like the school is too small?
A. The guy we talked to never had a problem with the school's size, though he knew a few people that did. He felt it was fine because students can take classes at Haverford, Swarthmore, and Bryn Mawr. He also told us about a date he had his senior year with a junior who he'd seen around but never gotten to know. So even after four years at Haverford, he was still meeting new people and doing new things.

Q. What are the negative sides of Haverford?
A. Many of the students have a negative outlook, or at least try to adopt one because it's the trendy thing to do. Kids having fun in life are either stupid or out of touch with reality; true intellects cannot enjoy life. But this isn't really an overwhelming sense of despair; students say "Oh, well, there's really nothing to do around here -- I hate it. I'd stay and tell you how bored I am here, but I gotta to stop by the Student Council building on my way to soccer practice...."

Swarthmore College -- a lovely arboretum; very old buildings with a few newer scattered among them; beautiful outdoor amphitheatre; large open spaces between buildings; cafeteria is reminiscent of a ski-lodge; theatre building very open on the inside, all white and smooth; students seemed artsy and mostly liberal looking; young republicans and young democrats clubs -- in fact, most clubs had liberal and conservative sects, i.e., pro-life club and pro-choice club. beautiful but slightly intimidating because it was almost surreal.

My very informal interview with a very nice guy, Ilmi Granoff (who can be reached at admissions@swarthmore.edu ) ...

Q. Are cars encouraged/necessary on campus?
A. Not at all, though it may make taking classes at Haverford and Bryn Mawr a little easier, but the schools provide a shuttle service between campuses as well. For students wanting to go to Philadelphia or NYC, Amtrak has a train station very close to the campus. Parking is hard to come by (legally) but can be managed with a little effort and a little bravery.

Q. What do students to on weekends? What about drinking?
A. Even though Philadelphia is less than a half hour away, and NYC is about an hour and forty-five minutes, many students find themselves spending all the weekends on campus because of the range and quantity of activities available. Parties (which are almost every weekend) are all funded by the school (though students are not allowed to spend any of the school's money on alcohol) through the Student Activities Committee. "Two 21-year-old hosts must both sign an application for a permit to throw a party, and both must stay in attendance throughout the entire party. All hosts are required to provide nonalcoholic beverages, and are made aware of the laws that prohibit underage drinking. Also, two or more trained Party Associates attend every party to check IDs to assure that only Swarthmore students and their guests are in attendance. They also montior the alcohol consumption, and watch to prevent underage drinking. Frat parties are rarely knock-down-drag-out because the fraternities are concerned about care for their houses. Swarthmore also holds alcohol education workshops for all first-year students (won't your parents be happy to hear that?)

Q. Are the dorms co-ed?
A. Most are, with the exception being one all women's dorm.

Q. Does the school have any Greek life?
A. Technically, yes, but the two fraternities are very atypical. The parties are open to the whole campus, the members are not your usual frat-boys, and both fraternities are rather small. But for those interested, they are there for the taking.

Q. What study-abroad programs are offered for the students?
A. There are ample opportunities for students to travel while enrolled in Swarthmore College. Imli (if my memory serves me correctly) spent a semester of his junior year in Costa Rica, and spent the summer before his senior year in Italy on a grant. There are extensive lists of countries and academic programs; almost every need and want can be met.

Just a note: I've decided not to apply to Swarthmore for two reasons. One, I don't want to take all those SAT II's, and two, I'm just not as interested in attending as I was earlier.

Vassar College -- Vassar is a beautiful, beautiful place. The buildings are (almost) all old cut-stone structures that make for a fabulous campus environment. If you do get a chance to visit Vassar, be sure to give yourself plenty of time to explore the library, an amazing gothic castle/church creation. The campus is filled with great trees and lovely grassy areas where students are scattered, studying or sleeping. Vassar is also home to a lovely Shakespeare Garden which is believed to have every plant mentioned in all of Shakespeare's plays, as well as a marshy area with a nice wooden walkway weaving through it, surrounded by interesting and beautiful flora on both sides. At the edge of the campus, near the observatory, lies a small pond which is also home to a sizable flock of geese, who happened to be returning from some adventure when we were at the pond, so we were fortunate enough to see them landing in the water, feet first with a great splash.

Interviews at Vassar are done by alumnus near your hometown. I filled out a card requesting an application and should be hearing from someone within the next two weeks. I'll upload that conversation as soon as it takes place.

8 December 98

I had my interview for Vassar about two weeks ago, but feel that including it in this page would be pointless. Mostly we simply talked about my credentials and history, rather than what Vassar could offer me. As I have already decided to apply, more information about the school is both unnecessary and in most cases redundant. So. There you have it. One note, however -- the woman who did the interview was very nice and enjoyable to talk to. My thanks to her.

Wesleyan College -- Another great school. There are two distinct areas at Wesleyan: the old area and the new area. The old includes all that you'd expect at a New England college -- old beautiful buildings, etc. The new is a group of art buildings that are solid gray, smooth structures, with most of the rooms underground. The man who funded the construction of these buildings made the school promise not to cut down any trees, which led to building underground to give the necessary space without cutting down trees. I was especially impressed with one auditorium that had bright grass-green carpet and seats. At first glance, it's not very appealing, but then when you look out the huge windows on the sides of the room, you see how the grass is the exact same color. So the room just bridges the gap between the two areas of grass, creating a sense of working with nature, not against it. Very nice. The dorms are quite nice; they have cute little double rooms that are two tiny singles joined by a door. I liked that arrangement a lot because it gives you the privacy you want, but still lets you get the companionship of a roommate.

Wesleyan also does alumni interviews, so I'll let you know how that goes when it has gone.

8 December 98

I had my interview for Wesleyan about last Monday, but feel that including it in this page would be pointless. Mostly we simply talked about my credentials and history, rather than what Wesleyan could offer me. As I have already decided to apply, more information about the school is both unnecessary and in most cases redundant. So. There you have it. Oh yes --My thanks to Veda McClain for interviewing me. She was lovely to talk to and very pleasant.

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