Best campuses
Just did a 21-college tour of the NE with my daughter and have to say, I came away convinced Michigan has one of the best campuses in America. The diag is an ideal centerpiece, the buildings are distinctive and the campus blends into the town. Cornell might be more picturesque, but campustown is like a mile down a steep hill.
Haven't been everywhere, but I haven't seen a better campus when it comes to character and functionality. What do people think?
Side note -- Rutgers is much nicer than I expected.
I second this! Went to Duke for grad school. West Campus is beautiful! They have their own rock quarry for the buildings. They call the look "Duke stone." African American Julian Abele was the chief architect... in 1925! He specifically designed the chapel and Cameron Indoor Stadium. Duke Forest and the Sarah P. Duke Gardens are both stunning as well. That said, I would say Duke is not very well integrated into the rest of Durham, and there's a palpable shift that occurs when you walk onto a campus full of rich New Jersey kids in the middle of an otherwise charming southern surrounding. Durham is awesome! Food is incredible!
Ann Arbor #1 for this side of the country. Bloomington a few said - yes. Beautiful in the fall. West coast - Southern Cal.
USC? You have to be kidding. Despite the billions recently invested, USC isn't even the best in LA-UCLA is by far a prettier campus.
Agreed. I can't believe anyone would go to USC after being on that campus. Well, except if you're a red-blooded American male...
I have a good buddy from business school who went to USC and when I asked him what the campus was like two words he used to describe it were 'shitty ghetto' .. Not what I was expecting but many others have corroborated since.
Is that the campus or the neighborhood?
Because the campus itself is nice. Step one foot across the street though and you're in the shitiest of shitty ghettos. Even more so than U. of Detroit for example.
Yeah, the USC campus itself is pretty nice. Just not integrated at all with the surrounding area. That’s what I most love about our campus.
I almost went to dental school at USC. The best decision I ever made was NOT going. I love southern California. Lived in San Diego for 10 years. Good looking girls abound but the school is devoid of any character. If I was a high school kid deciding between Michigan and USC I would select Michigan every time. WAY cheaper, WAY better education, better campus life. Yeah, there is no comparison in the winter time but this is a life decision that is a no brainer.
For west coast I have to say UC Santa Barbara.
UC Boulder, UW Madison, UVA, North Carolina and Iowa are universities situated in comparable college towns. There are tons of beautiful campuses (e.g. Duke) surrounded by less-desirable environs.
Having said that, Michigan is really among the top five.
Definitely agree with Boulder and UNC. I would add Washington University as another top campus
The MgoBlog Daily Circle Jerk/Humbebrag Thread!
Your typo made me read this comment as "Harambebrag thread" and I immediately thought "no politics!"
Hamilton College is really nice.
Comrade, I was sure you would push for Trump University!!!
/no politics
Dude, he's being sarcastic. I know, because Hamilton is in CLINTON, New York!
I've been to dozens and Ann Arbor certainly deserves to be in the top group. Madison is great. Chapel Hill deserves a shout out. Stanford is gorgeous. CU Boulder is interesting and I like UCLA and USC campuses as well. Arizona/Arizona State are meh. Most SEC campuses are pretty lame, that said I'll finally get to see Ole Miss this fall.
The thing that separates Ann Arbor apart from most is the blend of campus and town/city. Most are basically isolated from their surroundings.
Pepperdine University is ok
Dorm rooms that have ocean views, which UCSD offers, too. Useless knowledge fact: USC was offered to purchase Pepperdine’s campus in the 50s but turned it down since SC wanted to be a part of LA
Pepperdine is the first and last name that should be mentioned on beautiful campuses. I get we all like different things (rural, city, suburban/4 seasons, warm all the time/unique architecture, blend with the town), but Pepperdine is just one of a kind in terms of its setting.
Hoboken's Stevens Institute of Technology has maybe the best view of Manhattan I've ever seen.
Pepperdine is in a beautiful setting but the campus has the culture of a commuter school. Having LA's abundant cultural and living options is a liability in this particular case.
Why is she so set on going to college in Nebraska?
As much as I hate to admit it, ND is the prettiest campus I ever saw. Michigan is a close 2nd. Walking by Notre Dame Stadium, you can feel the history oozing out it. The rest of the campus looks like a Norman Rockwell painting.
To hell with Notre Dame's campus!
ND's campus is so isolated, though, and South Bend has very little going for it.
I felt the exact opposite. ND is the most disappointing campus I've sen.
Notre Dame is the most grey campus I've ever seen. Can't even imagine how miserable it would look in the winter
It sucks year round
ND is a beautiful campus but south bend is such a shit hole
I feel like you must also be one of those people who would like Chapel Hill. I always heard how beautiful Chapel Hill was, and then I got there, and it's like... meh. A campus. No idea what people see in it to make it beautiful.
Love Ann Arbor. Not just campus, but entire town.
That said, Berkeley is beautiful. Stanford, too.
The first time I visited the Stanford campus I was quite knocked out by it. But I have to say that there is something about the way that the Diag fits so squarely inside Ann Arbor itself, and retains a little bit of grit. . .
Agree re Stanford, but I was not impressed with Berkeley when I saw it some years ago.
Berkeley campus is okay, but the town is disgusting.
UVA's campus is as good as it gets. U of C is nice, except it's on the South Side.
I like McGill campus in Montreal. It has right mix of urban and college feel.
UVA is fairly nice. Been there a few times. The downsides are that the campus feels a bit more spread out than I'd like, and the city itself doesn't have as much to offer as Ann Arbor. Hot and sticky in the summer. It does share the historic campus aesthetic of Michigan though.
I was in Laramie, Wyoming just this AM. I've seen a football game there before but never walked the campus.
So I did that. It was a sleepy Sunday morning and barely anyone was around, but I thought it was very very nice, one of the better ones I've seen. Huge quad, sandstone buildings, a lot of green.
Of course - this is in July. Laramie in January during a blizzard might be a whole different animal.
I'd like it in winter more than most. Sounds like a delight!
Almost every Big Ten college town is dreamy - each a little midwestern mecca. I do disprefer the ones with fast traffic adjacent to campus, however. Main highways are kind of a blight and bring a less relaxed vibe. That disqualifies Minn-St Paul, Columbus, and East Lansing from the top of my list. My favorites have been Madison, Ann Arbor, Bloomington, and State College, though full disclosure requires I admit Michigan, PSU, and IU are all alma maters of mine.
21 college tour?! Good God man.
The colleges roll up on you fast out East
I sort of have to agree. How can you get any sense of a place when you're visiting 21 of them? Did you go to 3 a day? I lived in Michigan and only applied to one school and I had never been there before my orientation. Kids are high maintenance these days.
I've already told my daughter she can only apply to one school. If she aims high and doesn't get it, cheaper for me. If she aims low, also cheaper!
University of Washington. The University district is similar to Ann Arbor, though grittier. Then it’s attached to Seattle. They have boating tailgates, incredible views of Mt. Rainier from campus, a diag of their own with incredible cherry blossoms. Amazing biking and running trails. It really is top class.
It's very different. So urban
The shots of the stadium on the water always look great.