On what basis do most people choose a college? I’ve heard more than a few students admit to being strongly influenced by the person who gave them a tour of the campus. I can still remember what the cute tour guide at Columbia was wearing the day I visited, and that he was a vegetarian Рlike me. What do I remember about Stanford, my first choice, and what visions danced in my head when I slaved away at my application? Well, the walkways of course Рso wide! Рwith bicyclists in flip-flops cruising by, and the mild weather, and the arches lining the pavilion next to the English building. As with my search for the right prep school, I was trying to get a “sense” of the place, awaiting a feeling that would guide my decision. Just how I arrived at that “sense” did not, at the time, seem as superficial to me as it does now. I wasn’t alone in my evaluative practices. A friend who graduated from Harvard admits to having had a deterministic crush on his tour guide. Perhaps we arrive with a crush on an entire school, ready to use anything as evidence in its favor. Do students really explore the areas of the college experience that will directly affect them Рthe social groups and extracurricular settings into which they are most likely to settle?

The Washington Post features an online group discussion on the topic. Apparently, I’m not the only student who’s proved susceptible to the touring experience.

But who’s to say that deciding this way is wrong? If a college clearly has a lot to offer any student who manages to meet its admissions criteria and be accepted, then what’s wrong with picking a place that just “feels” right? Most of us don’t choose a city in which to live according to the amenities or institutes based there. If the city wants us Рif we’ve been offered a job there Рand if it offers the advantages and excitement of any metropolis, then we’ll probably choose it based on “feel,” which may include the weather, the pace of life, and the people we bump into during a visit. If a studly urbanite happens to step into our subway car, well, we can’t help but be charmed and mark it down as a plus for the experience. Maybe intuition is something to be trusted when choosing a college.

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