- Part 2

Drew University First Impressions

Oct 042011

Drew University in Madison, NJ offers a personalized liberal arts experience to about 1,500 undergraduate students, 95% of who live on the wooded campus. Known as the “University in the Forest” for its 186 acre wooded campus, Drew attracts an eclectic mix of students interested in political science, economics, business, lanugages, art, theater and the sciences. It was one of the first colleges to include a personal computer for each student in the tuition. It’s approach to the liberal arts features a strong core curriculum that requires students to take a broad range of courses including foreign languages. Drew University is known as the “University in the Forest” due to its location on 186 wooded acres #1 Son took an interest in Drew because it offers small classes, a classic campus experience and [...]

Babson College Tour: First Impressions

College Visits No Responses »

Sep 252011

Our college visit process started almost a year ago with tours and information sessions at a few nearby State Universities. As the year went on, #1 Son (then a high school junior) began to identify the types of schools and studies he was most interested in pursuing during his college years. What he discovered was that small classes emphasizing discussion and interaction are a priority. But, he was still debating business studies vs. more traditional liberal arts colleges. Now that he a senior, it is getting time to narrow his search. Our recent visit to Babson College, a leading business college, in Wellesley MA, helped to sharpen his thinking. Founded in 1919, Babson has always had a tight focus on promoting business education. Known for its programs in entrepreneurship, Babson is home to about 1,950 undergraduate and 1,300 graduate students, [...]

Clark University: First Impressions

College Visits No Responses »

Apr 242011

After a winter of thinking deep thoughts and researching academic options, we are starting again to visit possible colleges for #1 Son. Clark University, in Worcester, MA caught our eye on a recent early Spring visit. Although the school’s location in Worcester’s gritty Main South area is less than perfect, the obvious enthusiasm that “Clarkies” have for their school is noticeable. With 2,200 undergrads and about 800 graduate students, Clark bills itself as the country’s smallest liberal arts research university. The school is particularly well known for its programs in psychology and geography. It has also made a name for itself by offering students who maintain a B+/A- average the opportunity to complete one of serveral fifth year Master’s programs tuition free! Mom and Dad like this option. Everywhere we [...]

The College Search Continues ….

College Visits, Resources No Responses »

Apr 132011

Our regular readers know that we undertook a small flurry of college tours last fall as #1 Son entered his junior year of high school. The colleges were selected mostly because they were potential schools for him and were only an hour or two from home. Our goal was to give him a little insight into the range of college and university experiences available, in an effort to help formulate priorities and target the search — even as our house and his email account were being flooded with direct mail generated by last October’s PSATs. Parents, tutors and advisors added more possibilities to the pile. At one point, more than 30 schools were on the list – although we knew we would never visit them all. We have been thrilled to find that the process of visiting a [...]

Bryant University: First Impressions Review

College Visits 1 Response »

Nov 092010

Bryant University: First Impressions Review

Our college visits recently took us to Bryant University in Smithfield, RI. Unlike some of the larger, public institutions we have visited, Bryant is a small (3,500 student) private university that emphasizes business and liberal arts. Most classes contain approximately 25 students and professors are highly accessible. We were impressed by the quality of the facilities, the school’s commitment to its mission and the friendliness of every student we encountered. From the get go, admissions personnel emphasized the school’s focus on student character and explained that their priority is to admit students who will value their education and contribute to both the academic and social quality of the campus community. We liked the fact that business majors are required to take a minor in liberal arts while liberal arts [...]

Ten Tips for Teriffic College Visits

College Visits, Resources 2 Responses »

Nov 042010

For high school juniors and seniors, visiting college campuses is a rite of passage. For parents who are just starting to explore the college application process with their kids – be forewarned – things have changed significantly since you applied. For starters, college has gotten a lot more expensive with the list price for tuition, room and board topping over $50,000 annually at selective private schools and well over $20,000 for students attending their state’s flagship university campus. Beyond the cost, the number of tests taken and applications filed has also increased exponentially. While most high schoolers applied to three colleges in the past, today the typical number is more like 8 or 9 or 10. In addition to the SAT or ACT, many competitive high schools and colleges push [...]

Northeastern University: First Impressions

College Visits 1 Response »

Oct 182010

Northeastern University: First Impressions

We recently visited Northeastern University in Boston. With over 15,000 undergraduates and average SAT scores of admitted freshman totaling between 1850 and 2050, Northeastern is a selective, cosmopolitan school with international representation from 125 countries, as well as students from all parts of the United States. The school is best known for its experiential learning and co-op work programs. All students are required to complete one or more 6-month paid work experiences, study abroad or service learning engagements during the course of their education. The typical student participates in 2 or 3 paid co-ops over the course of a 5 year program although 4 year options are also available. Northeastern students typically do very well in finding full time employment after graduation and are also well positioned for graduate [...]

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