Philadelphia! Swarthmore, University of Delaware, Haverford and Lehigh

 We set out Early on a Thursday our sights set on Haverford's 9:30 tour.  Yes, Haverford the classic New England liberal arts college, a concept that I didn't even really knew existed until, well 2020, and even then, in a shady, what can you actually do with a degree from there, kind of way.   And that knowledge was limited to maybe Vassar and Colgate which have pretty big names in the small liberal arts, east schools. I assumed that those students were already hooked up with jobs from wealthy family connections and even now I am not positive that that isn't the truth.  I was told by Matt, who seems to understand their value, that big companies search for these kids. He reminds me that even Steve is learning languages on the job still and that the value in liberal arts schools is their interdisciplinary approach and teaching intellectual problem-solving skill. 

 We make it to the parking lot at an impressive 9:23. Stumble around campus which is beautiful and big for a mere 1400 students. There is absolutely no signs or maps to direct us to admissions, which of course is not called admissions.  We find our way.  There is not information session just a tour.  The student showing us around is Australian, She vibes calm happiness. She is a rising sophomore and the only representative we see so the amount of information is questionable. Another problem is that we are between summer and fall sessions and campus is very quiet. 

It goes without saying that the school is rigorous with a 17% acceptance rate. It seemed quiet and intellectual but of course the empty campus made it very hard to evaluate. 

Next that day was U of D, the school of Joe and Jill Biden. It had a state school feel, meaning big, happy and diverse in academic achievement and goals. Our tour guide was a rising senior and pretty knowledgeable. We ran into "dorm Dad".  From the start he wanted to know when we would see dorms and made it clear he was only there to see the dorms. We arrived at the dorms he immediately accused the tour guide of only showing the best dorm, which turned out to be true. Then he left, I wish I had had the chance to tell him that Haverford has great dorms and 70% are single rooms, but alas he left in a hurry. Michael was a fan; the vibe was laid back and upbeat.  

This is the one I was not looking forward to getting to, our dark horse and a Suprise: Swarthmore.  Rolling in I am thinking well another tiny liberal arts college, I will never understand.  The information session was impressive. The speaker is relatable and smart. She tells a story I repeat frequently about not getting crazy if you are denied, that in fact the school denied Barak Obama.  That it is impossible for strangers reading your apps to truly know you and they surely cannot assess your worth or potential.  The school has a focus on engineering and was the most beautiful place I have seen.  Of course, with a 7% acceptance rate.... well it becomes more like winning the lottery. 

Lehigh was the college that I really thought would be perfect. a mid-size college with a strong engineering program but not a straight up tech school. A better male/female ratio.  The campus is built on a mountain/hill, and it is steep.  The buildings were absolutely beautiful. Like you may imagine Harvard buildings to look like. The information session, well it was disappointing. Not very focused on academics, a lot of time spent on their illustrious alumni.  But pointing to 6 people that have landed in the stratosphere of success is not that compelling to me, I mean the University of Delaware graduated Biden, whether you like the guy's politics or not, he has clearly made his way.  I think that I can accept that you can have successful graduates, I am more concerned about what MOST students will be prepared for.  The presentation is all about "can't wait to get your kid out of the house, hehe" I don't know for a competitive school it seems a bit anti-intellectual. 

The tour oh the tour...I don't know if you have actually been on a campus tour, but they inevitably end with why the student chose this particular school, and our tour guide a rising senior named Morgan was not different.  She told us that she did not want to apply to Lehigh "a school she had never heard of" but her school counselor told her that it was the size and distance that she wanted. She still dragged her feet because "why bother applying to a school you never heard of?"   So, I'm thinking this story must turn around but no, "so I apply ED2 because really, I only want to do one application" She then visits and reports that she doesn't listen to the information session or pay attention on the tour.  However, she does go to the top of campus and view the entire school. She said the snow and the "dead trees" looked so pretty she decided that yea she go the Lehigh.  Ok, what?  Mike and I thought it was the funniest "why this college" story to date.