The Morning Blend
Welcome
Complete Media Kit
Between a summer job at a kennel, taking an English class at Cochise College, attending family reunions and hangin’ with friends, Anna Schneider, who returns to Buena High as a senior, and her parents hit the road for two weeks this month to visit college campuses in the Midwest.
They were in search of “the right match” for the “A” student who wants to attend a “good liberal arts” school — preferably in or near an urban area.
“I’m looking for a change,” said the young woman who is involved in Buena’s Key Club, National Honor Society, peer support group and Students Against Genocide. “It’s the small-town thing. After Sierra Vista, I’d like the experience of a big city.”
The phenomenon of taking to the road to preview college choices has become increasingly common as the competition for admission into top schools — and the high cost of a four-year education — weigh ever more heavily on students and parents.
 During a tour, a group hears about meal plans in the meal hall at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., from a campus tour guide. Campus tours are a common part of previewing what a school is about. Courtesy of the Schneider family |
For the past year, the Schneiders have used family vacations to work in visits to schools as far-flung as California and Minnesota.
“It seems pretty common,” Anna said. “I have lots of friends who’ve gone on similar trips with their parents. It usually starts in the junior year.”
Anna said she and her friends explore all the magazines that rate colleges, read college catalogues and research those of interest on the Internet.
“It’s a whole lot different than when I was a kid,” said Anna’s mom, Cathy, who attended the University of Wisconsin at Madison. “It’s definitely interesting.”
Last fall, the Schneiders visited the Los Angeles area to investigate Pomona College, Claremont-McKenna and the University of Southern California, and north to check out Stanford and the University of California at Berkeley. Last spring, they traveled to Phoenix to attend a program featuring presentations from eight of the country’s top, small liberal arts colleges including Sarah Lawrence in New York and Kenyon College in Ohio.
Anna, however, seems less concerned with an institution’s elite status than she is with finding a compatible campus — a place where her wide-ranging intellectual interests can be satisfied as well as offering a personal sense of belonging.
“It’s hard to describe,” said Anna when asked what she looks for when previewing a college or university in person. “It’s kind of a feeling you get, or not, that you’d be at home there.”
She liked all the schools in California, appreciating that it would be “a great state to be in because it’s close to home.”
The Schneiders’ itinerary for June and July involved flying to Chicago, renting a car, and splitting their time between family celebrations and events with tours of four prospective schools for Anna: The University of Chicago, Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., the University of Wisconsin at Madison (Cathy’s alma mater), and Macalester College in St. Paul, Minn.
Anna, who expects to ultimately apply to eight to 10 schools, agreed to share her impressions and experiences along the way with the Herald/Review. She provides an insight into what thoughts and concerns come into play as a well-rounded young person explores the possibilities for her future.
Reflections
from the road
July 2: University of Chicago
“Upon arriving in Chicago I loved the feel of this city and I was excited by the idea of an urban campus. The campus itself was beautiful and had lots of great Gothic architecture and old growth. (It) was gorgeous, the people seemed interesting and I couldn’t wait to hear more about the school.”
Anna and her family were given a tour by a student in his junior year, giving them “a lot of comments and observations that we never would have been able to hear from an admissions officer or read on a brochure.” He told them that, “U of C was the first place where nuclear fission was ever achieved. After the experiment was complete, they left all the equipment there as a testament to their discovery, only to discover years later that it was still radioactive.”
The Schneiders had the opportunity to visit campus facilities (modeled after Oxford and Cambridge) such as the library, dorms, landmark artworks, athletic facilities and classrooms. They met with a representative from the admission office, who provided information on test scores, early admission and financial aid.
“Finally, after the tour and presentation, I had an interview … (It) gave them an opportunity to get to know me beyond what they will read in my application and hear about the things I’m doing at Buena. I think the interview went pretty well and I enjoyed it, as he was a U of C alumnus as well.
“Overall, I REALLY liked U of C. I’d love to go to school in an urban area, and Chicago seems like a great city … I can really see myself there. I’m definitely planning on applying to U of C!”
July 3: Northwestern University
“My first impression of Northwestern was very different from that of U of C. It felt larger, was more suburban and … right off the bat I could tell that it wouldn’t be a good match for me. I’m looking for a small liberal arts college that focuses on undergrads and doesn’t place much emphasis on Greek life or sports … With 16,000 students, many sports teams and a 36 percent involvement in fraternities and sororities, it definitely deviated from the schools that I have been impressed by in the past.”
The Schneiders attended an admission presentation and toured the campus with a current student to see “the usual fare of sample dorm rooms, the cafeteria, classrooms and historic landmarks such as a rock that students paint as a school tradition.”
While Anna liked the amazing views of Lake Michigan and believes Northwestern is a good school, she felt the campus was very large, spread out and that going from class to class could be quite the challenge — especially in winter. She wrote that such an environment might be okay for graduate school, “but for my first four years of college I would rather go to a smaller school that breaks away from traditions … and go to school in a large city rather than just a suburb.”
July 10: Macalester College
“Upon arriving, I could tell that Macalester had a very small and intimate campus. At about 1,900 students, it still has the diversity and opportunity of a large school. Among the students are representatives from all 50 states and 90 other countries. This focus on diversity and internationalism has been cited by Macalester graduate Kofi Annan — former secretary general of the United Nations — as a shaping force in his life, which really appeals to my interest in politics and world affairs.”
Anna liked the school’s location in St. Paul and proximity to Minneapolis, as well as the neighborhood surrounding the school and its walking distance to the Mississippi River. The Schneiders enjoyed a tour of the school and learned about its study-abroad program, variety of clubs, and its politically and socially active student body.
“Macalester also has a vegetarian/vegan co-op where 20 students can live and cook together, which is a great opportunity for a lifelong vegetarian like myself … After the tour I interviewed with a woman from the admissions office … I enjoyed talking to her quite a bit … She definitely added to my positive impressions of Macalester!”
July 12: University of Wisconsin, Madison
“The atmosphere was very different from all the schools I’ve toured so far … The campus was huge and seemed very lively even though most students were gone for the summer. There seemed to be lots going on — I was aware of everything from political protesters to frat boys playing beer pong on their front lawns … While the size seems like a huge drawback to me, it still seemed like an exciting environment.”
Anna shared that she hadn’t seriously considered UW-Madison, and that the primary reason they traveled there was to see family friends and for her mom to revisit her old stomping grounds. But despite the school’s huge (41,000 students) size, Anna found herself impressed with its healthy intellectual and cultural community — divided into “sub-schools,” making it less likely to “get lost in the crowd.”
“The school has produced just as many Fortune 500 CEO’s as Harvard and has also been the source of the most Peace Corps participants per capita … We saw an experiment taking place in the physics lab and the College of Agriculture and life sciences area where they do everything from study the science behind agriculture to raise cows and supply the student union with their own ice cream!”
Surprised at how much the school appealed to her, Anna wrote: “Madison seems like a great town … and while UW-M is not one of my first choices right now, I’ll still keep it in mind. After all, tons could change in the next year and I might decide that a big school would be better for me after all.”
Back in Sierra Vista, Anna has resumed her duties at the kennel and is taking guitar lessons while parents Cathy and George put life back to normal after the time away seeing family and processing their own feelings regarding their daughter’s upcoming life away from home.
“After seeing those four colleges on this trip, my four top choices for college (in no particular order) are Pomona, Stanford, University of Chicago and Macalester,” Anna wrote. “It’s exciting having so many options, and I can’t wait to see what happens in the future!”
Others, no doubt, will be interested as well.
REPORTER Cindy Skalsky can be reached at 515-4611 or by e-mail at cindy.skalsky@svherald.com.
