Ryan’s college search …

Ryan and I have been on the road looking at schools. She really enjoyed our trip to Charleston and found the school and the city really charming. The College of Charleston is as rich in history and southern traditions as the city. The cobblestone sidewalks, old victorian homes and wisteria dropping through the trees was a beautiful back drop to a real contrast - a school that is historical on the outside with all the necessities of a 21st century education on the inside! And, with Bobby Crimmons as the basketball coach, Brian says it stays on the list!

 

Our trip to North Carolina was interesting. While the area is beautiful and the schools great, Ryan didn’t get the same feel as she did at some other schools. A tour guide really can make or break a student’s perception of a school. Our trip to Wake Forest wasn’t as impressive as I was hoping – for that reason. When even the swings didn’t win her over, I discovered I’ll have to wait for Patrick!

 

Our visit to High Point University was the exact opposite! We had a wonderful experience from start to finish. The personalized parking space and the impeccable grounds were only trumped by the tour via golf cart! No need to walk around in 90 degree heat when you can tour a school in a golf cart! While the campus is beautiful and clearly there is an enormous investment in the facilities, we were left wondering what kind of investment was being made in the academic programs. In the end, we decided it was worth keeping on the list and we will return for a fall open house.

 

 

On the way out of town, we decided to take a drive through Elon University. Elon is another incredibly beautiful campus in North Carolina. After some internet research, we discovered that Elon has made a substantial investment in its academic programs in addition to the facilities and we will be back for a fall open house here as well.

As of now, the top contenders remain Virginia Tech (much to the delight of many family members), Clemson, College of Charleston, Elon and High Point University. Stay tuned …