Thanks Notre Dame of Maryland University, Loyola Maryland, and Stevenson University!

Notre Dame of Maryland University

• Women's college with a small, safe, tight knit community-- small as in under 1,000 students.
• Test Optional since last year, though test score submission is required for the Honors program.
• I say it in junior meetings all the time, but it is so exciting to see in person: Women's colleges carry the torch for college access and enrollment diversity. This school was full of dynamic young women of color and first generation college students (referred to at ND as Trailblazers). Their energy was palpable. 
• This campus is adjacent to Loyola's and the schools even share a library. A great way to still have a co-ed community at a single sex college. 

Overall Impression: If you seek a supportive community and a place where you and your peers can be transformed, this might be the right fit for you. Seeking a party school? Ultra intense admission/academics? Large lectures where you can be anonymous? This isn't the place for those things.

Loyola University Maryland

• 4,000 undergraduate students make up this Jesuit school. 
• Mostly comprised of stone buildings with modern and updated interiors, Loyola's campus is desirable in quite a few ways. It has a defined space without being cramped or exceedingly sprawling. 
• Offers majors in Arts & Sciences, Business, and Education. 
• About 70% of students self identify on an enrollment survey as Catholic, but levels of practice vary widely. 
• Two thirds of students study abroad and there is a core curriculum to give all students a solid foundation in all major disciplines, including Religion. 
• Payscale.com rates them as the #2 school in all of Maryland, behind the Naval Academy, for mid-career salary rates. 
• Fun fact: the Starbucks on campus sells more coffee than any other Baltimore location, including BWI airport.  

Overall Impression: This school probably would be the school, so far, to be the best fit for the largest number of Eleanor Roosevelt students. The vibe was happy without being fluffy. The facilities were clean and bright and proximity to the city with an enclosed suburban campus is the best of both worlds. 

Stevenson University 

• Formerly Villa Julie until 2008, Stevenson University has literally been reborn from the ground up over the past ten years. They are in the process of transitioning to their new Owings Mills campus, a place where all buildings and spaces are less than 10 years old. This new iteration is a school that is focused on connecting higher education to career, so students all leave with a clear set of goals and a pathway to a job. 
• They prioritize student success and launched a new program last year where every student has a Student Success Coach -- a guide to help students stay on track and progress toward their degree and beyond. 
• A large number of professors are adjuncts, but as a result they are a wonderful resource for internships since many of them work in the real world and can connect students to jobs opportunities and colleagues.   
• It is clear that a lot has been invested in creating an athletic department to give on-campus life a new dimension. The transition from commuter school to residential college is obvious.
• This is the first campus of the tour to proactively discuss Disability Services with us in a meaningful way. I see this as a wonderful sign as a counselor because it means they are eager to work with all students and unafraid to continue (if not enhance) services provided at the high school level. They say they want to remove the stigma of having a learning difference and they are walking the walk. Bravo!
• International students are eligible for financial aid.

Overall Impression: For a student who would thrive with a little scaffolding, Stevenson seems like a place that won't let you fell through the cracks very easily. With their brand new campus, they are also a good fit for students who care a lot about the physical plant of the school and who crave modern amenities and architecture.