<p>I strongly recommend doing some visits to different types of schools EARLY.
I'll be doing that with my #2. My #1 didn't visit his early action match/safety schools until after all of the acceptances were in. That meant scheduling three serious visits in the first two weeks of April once the reach rejections came in. These visits definitely determined the decision.</p>
<p>Even if they don't visit every school they apply to, it is a good starting point for deciding what type of school (size, location, etc.). I think it wouldn't be bad even to visit schools they aren't interested in, just so they can compare the environments to figure out what they would like.</p>
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<p>Son spent a week at UNC-Asheville last summer. The campus seemed isolated to me--way off on the edge of town. A good school to have a car at. Lovely area--I wouldn't mind retiring in Asheville.</p>
<p>Daughter spent a week at McDaniel College a couple of years ago, but I didn't see much of the campus beyond the dorm at drop-off/pick-up. This is quite a distance from Baltimore, though, and not easy to get into downtown.</p>
<p>Goucher has a nice campus, a very short walk to a good-sized mall, easy to catch a bus to downtown Baltimore or other colleges (JHU, Loyola). </p>
<p>UMBC is quickly shaking their former reputation as a commuter school. I haven't been on campus, but I hear they have new dorms and facilities. I believe it would be relatively easy to get to downtown by bus, but it would probably be a good place to have a car, too.</p>