We’re in the building phase. Probably not long enough 
. I imagine something will get axed although I just added Philadelphia and Bryn Mawr to the list which is working in the opposite direction…
I think at most of the LACs with theater, the access is going to be much better. Probably a school by school situation. Per my D21 at BMC, she has access to be in multiple shows in multiple troupes. It’s all very mellow. Housing is guaranteed all 4 years, but some do live off campus. No idea about finaid, except lots of kids are on it. My D2 is happy to talk off-line with yours if they are interested. lmk
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While you could get from Philadelphia to NYC on to Boston by train, I assume you plan on renting a car? Paying for one car is likely cheaper than three train tickets plus local transportation times three.
Also are you flying in/out, or is your “home port” somewhere along the way. For flights, ideally you’d make this an “open fork” itinerary, and your trip will take you from the arrival airport to the departure airport?
We were planning to rent a car at some point but haven’t priced it out yet. I was worried about the parking expense (and hassle) in NYC. I’m losely thinking: start in Philadelphia,train to and from Bryn Mawr for a day, Amtrak Philly to NYC, using the subway in NYC, getting a rental car on Long Island (or before in NYC?) for the remainder of the trip to MA. Does that make sense? I honestly don’t know.
I think we’re look at a 12/13 day trip.
The current plan is to fly into Philadelphia and fly home from Boston.
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I think it makes sense to fly into Philadelphia, tour colleges in Philly area, then train to NYC to see colleges/tourist sites there. Rent car in NYC to drive to LI. What are you planning on LI? I lived there through age 18, and the beaches are the only thing maybe worth visiting (at least in my opinion). After a few days on LI, drive to Boston and tour schools there. Fly out of Boston.
Absolutely - so that’s a detail to ponder/price out, whether to rent a car earlier, but then park it at the hotel in/near NYC while relying on the subway for local travel, or whether it’s more advantageous to delay the rental until the trip to Long Island.
Depending on how far out you have to go on Long Island (e.g., Stony Brook) vs. just the “city” part of Long Island, (LIU, per example), it might make sense to do L.I. on the day leaving the NYC area and after your L.I. visit cross the sound with the ferry directly to Bridgeport, CT. This can save you 100 miles of possibly dense traffic by not having to backtrack from L.I. west and to the Bronx, and from there back east again on the mainland.
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A lot depends what’s on the list - Connecticut College could work on this one, up the 95. I forget if that’s on the list.
This is what I would do. Ferry from Port Jefferson to Bridgeport is much more pleasant than driving across LI, up through the Bronx and Westchester County into CT.
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Yale, Connecticut College, Wesleyan, Hartford - and essentially Massachusetts… are all east of Bridgeport, where the ferry would save them from having to drive that 100 mile U from Stony Brook across the Throggs-Neck.
But again, it all depends on what they mean by L.I.
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Pretty much did that trip last spring, flying into Philly and out of Boston. Would have done more via train, but we visited 13 colleges (and met with 10 coaches) in 7 days, so it was very compressed!
Order of visits:
- Haverford
- Bryn Mawr
- Swarthmore
- Sarah Lawrence
- Vassar
- Trinity
- Connecticut College
- Wesleyan
- Mount Holyoke
- Smith
- Brandeis
- Tufts
- Wellesley
Happy to provide details on any/all places.
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You can use spothero.com for parking. You will find reasonable pricing. prebook.
I would also recommend public transportation for as long as possible. The traffic on LI is terrible too.
Another vote to take the ferry to CT!
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Adding that traffic on Long Island can be very congested during the summer. And the ferry has the potential to be very crowded. If you plan to take a car on the ferry, I think you might need a reservation. But agree…this is the best way to get from LI to CT.
It sounds like the LI portion of this trip is a vacation time. Is that correct? If you need lodging during the summer, it could be hard to come by now. So check that.
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I believe you need a reservation for the ferry (if you are bringing a car) and I would make it now.
Is your trip to Long Island a vacation? What part of Long Island are you planning to visit? I would plan that now as well- the beaches are very popular.
Long Island has an airport. You might be able to fly from Philadelphia to Islip and rent a car there. If you use that general area as your base, you can easily get to the beaches (and Fire Island!) and Port Jefferson. That would bypass NYC, but you can always take the LIRR into the city for the day (or drive). How much time were you planning to spend in NYC?
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With respect to theater participation at BMC–my kid is a BMC graduate (2011) and non-theater majors at that time were definitely able to participate in theater productions. There is an amazing theater facility. FWIW Katherine Hepburn was a BMC grad.
My D had a great experience at BMC. She created her own major–which wasn’t easy. She had to jump through hoops to get it accepted. My impression was that if one could justify a particular course of study that the curriculum was flexible.
I also thought there was a very nurturing environment at BMC. My D had two impacted wisdom teeth when she was a junior and the college health service found a dentist for her and made an appointment even before I was able to get to campus (I live in MA.)
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