My father was quite detailed and organized when it came to life. Soon before he passed away, he gave me this notebook where he had about 30 pages of notes on the various colleges he and I (sometimes, Mom and Laura) visited. I decided to type up a few highlights from the journal so I could stop holding on to it and yet capture his intentionality when it came time to helping us figure out where to go to college. What you read below is verbatum from his notes unless I say otherwise.
Trip to Check Colleges
Total driving – 1,204 miles, $88.18 in gas, $125 in food, total trip cost – $250. He even drew out a map of where we were going and where we would stay.
7/21/87
William & Mary – 7/21/87, 10:10 a.m.
5,000 students, 1 in 4 outside VA, if a minority student, not required to meet standard 1200 in SAT
No cars until junior year, 30% receive financial aid, ½ dorms have air conditioning, 35% in Greek Life
Declare major by end of 2nd year
U. of Richmond – 7/21/87, 1:45 p.m.
No one declares a major in freshmen year – explore interests
Computers are readily available for use!
Jeff’s Top 10 Colleges
Davidson, Dickinson, Duke, Franklin & Marshall, Johns Hopkins, U. of Maryland, U. of North Carolina, U. of Virginia, Wake Forest, William & Mary
(Below – My notes on the colleges we visited inside this notebook of Dad’s)
7/22/87
8:30 a.m. – drove by to look at N.C. State – Jeff likes zoology major but not Raleigh
Duke, 7/22/87, 10:30 a.m.
Must have recommendation from a teacher and extra recommendations from outside school are also important.
Document what you did in your spare time. Send copies of the best article you have written.
Two essays – 1) Greatest challenge you have faced, and 2) Idea/invention most important to civilization
Essays should be clear, well-written, neat and critiqued by everyone you have met.
UNC, 7/22/87, 3:15 p.m.
15,000 undergraduates, 7,000 graduate students, Duke was ~10,000 students and N.C. State was 24,000
Only 18% admitted from out of state. In state SAT average – 1080. Out of state SAT average – 1330.
Spring of 2nd year is when major is declared. 75% graduate within 5 years.
7/23/87
Wake Forest, 7/23/87, morning
Over 60% out of state. 3,500 undergraduates, 17 National Greek Organizations
Guide speaks but I sense a reservation or hesitation. Tour led by day student, why not a residential student?
Davidson, 7/23/87, 2:30 p.m.
Eating houses – students pick the one they want. Moving from trimester to semester system in fall 1988
Honor code strong, take home tests, no library monitors, self-scheduled exams, 80% involved in intramurals
7/24/87
Washington & Lee
1400 students, tuition $7,600 and room & board $3,216 – total $10,816
30% of graduates go on to graduate school, 90% admittance rate to medical schools
Trimester system, wide geographical range of students, but racial make up quite homogenous, 1235 average SAT
40% of freshmen rooms are singles, fancy dress dates
U. of Virginia
Parke Muth – Assistant Dean of Admissions was speaker, 11,000 undergraduates
Stress not to declare major until 2nd year. Don’t use Dr. titles, Seek out independent studies,
18,000 apply, 2,600 enroll, 5% from outside U.S., 1st to 2nd year retention – 93%, 1st to 4th graduation – 87%
35% are in state, 9 short answers questions on application, cost $9,950/year, stranger dance in 1st year
95% of student essays are boring, don’t play it safe but be honest and sincere
(I ultimately ended up attending the U. of Virginia, for not just one degree, but 3 different degrees)
2nd trip included Jo and Laura
8/18 – $32 for food, $19 in gas, $57.24 for room
8/19 – $13 for food, $18 in gas, $59.36 for room
8/20 – $70 for food, $48.65 in gas, $195 for room
8/21 – $78 for food, $63.65 in gas
8/18/87
Swarthmore
Apple MacIntosh’s available. First semester freshman year is all pass/fail.
Note written by Laura – “this is boring, How long will this last? (the tour?) Where will we go afterwards?”
Small size is strength but can’t always get the courses you want. Politically very liberal.
8/19/87
Franklin & Marshall – 50% in Greek Life. 24 hour visitation in the dorms. 75% involved in intramurals.
Muhlenberg College – 8 National Greek organizations
8/20/87
Lafayette College – 11:20 a.m. – 20 National Greek organizations
Lehigh College
(On our first college tours trip, before both of these, we visited Gettysburg College, Dickinson College, Haverford College, & Villanova University.
We also visited U. of Maryland. & UMBC before my senior year.)
Total campuses visited – 20. Total colleges applied to – 8.
Duke ($16K), Johns Hopkins ($17K), & Swarthmore ($16.8K) would have cost $16K-$17K/year
Davidson ($13.5), Virginia ($10K), Wake Forest ($10K), William & Mary ($11K)would have cost $10K-$14K/year
Maryland would have cost $7K/year
Notes for Laura’s College Trips also included
3/20/89 – James Madison 3/21/89 – Richmond & William & Mary
Laura ended up attending James Madison University
Deep Thoughts on Higher Ed 