Going against every thing in my being, I headed northeast for spring break. I drove 12 hours to a place that has weather very much like Chicago... bipolar. I could have taken a route 12 hours south to much warmer weather. But my goal was singular. I was taking my daughter and her friend to upstate New York to visit three colleges. The upside to all this was I was going to get to spend some quality time with a dear friend and her family. The three colleges we visited were very diverse and all offered something different. Below are my impression as well as Gabby's ranking as to the probability of her attending.
Things that Gabby is looking for in a college: Business program as well as equine studies classes. A good probability of obtaining some merit scholarships, a riding team, not to big, the ability to involved in music at some level.
Colgate University: I consider this a Tier 2 school... not Ivy League but close. So clearly it is academically challenging. The admission standards are high... not necessarily too hard for Gabby to get in but maybe harder to obtain merit money. The classes would be academically challenging. Their riding team is a club sport so riding would be an option. The campus was gorgeous....hilly, stately old buildings, well groomed landscaping. The downside was that the kids got a weird vibe from it. All the students who we talked to had interesting majors that wouldn't really lead to actual jobs. Our tour guide majored in philosophy and Japanese. My guess is that a lot of these students go on to law school or med school. I'm not sure my child is free spirited enough for this school
Gabby's score (out of 10): -3
Syracuse University: For my U of I friends.... this place reminded me a lot of my alma mater. And I am not just talking the orange and blue. It is one of the larger Universities we have looked at... about 15,000. Lots of diversity in majors and clubs. They have a business major but no equine classes (which is not a deal breaker). Their riding team is a club. They have a strong music/performing arts program. Great academics and high admission standards. Not sure on the prospects for academic scholarships. The campus is very pretty and well planned out. They clearly have great sports teams to watch!!!!!! My fear is that the size of the campus will swallow my little introvert up and the urban setting makes me a little concerned for her safety.
Gabby's score :7
Cazenovia College: The real reason we headed to upstate New York. I am sure that most of you have never heard of it. It is a small school.... about 1,000 students. Gabby was able to sit in on a class here.. she took three pages of notes and said that the students in her class were all very nice and that the professor was intelligent and had a great teaching style. This small college is situated in a small town that reminds me a lot of Lake Geneva (on a smaller scale) The locals at the coffee shops and diner were also very friendly. The faculty work hard to involve students, and because of the size, they really get to know their students. There is no dedicated music program but they do run student musicals in their local vintage theater. So cute.... They have business classes as well as equine classes and students can even get a breeding certificate. With Gabby's AP credits that she is accruing, she should be able to bypass some general education classes and take ample electives. There are numerous academic scholarships that are available. We also visited the Equine Education Center where the team practices and they hold classes. They have a gorgeous facility that houses many disciplines. Their horses are all donated; and because they are located in horse country, they have some spectacular horses there. The barn manager gave us a complete tour. The team is considered a varsity sport and fully funded by the university. There was even a locker room to store your stuff so that your roommate wouldn't have to smell your horse laundry. We sat and watched a practice and several of the team members made a point to come over and talk to us and answer our questions. They run the team kind of like a sorority with big sisters and family. Gabby's best friend said she could totally see Gabby there. She was very supportive on this trip, and it was nice to get a perspective from someone who knows Gabby so well. Gabby's main concern is that it is so small. She doesn't want to do high school for a second time. LOL On a side note: world renowned equestrian Beezie Madden lives in Cazenovia. Just saying
Gabby's score: 9
We have also visited: University of Wisconsin, Madison, Murray State, and Xavier. Those details and scores to come later. We have one left on the list that we have yet to visit: Berry College in Rome, GA
I would love to hear from other people and their college visit experiences. I feel more stressed helping my daughter pick the right college for her than I ever did picking a college for me.
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