College Visit in Northeast

Parents Forum
1

<p>Hello everyone. My family and I are currently planning at northeast college visit trip for this summer. I have never been to the northeast and I was hoping for some suggestions. </p>

<p>I have checked out mapquest and an atlas, but I was wondering if this trip sounds plausible. </p>

<p>We arrive in Boston on a Friday and spend the weekend sightseeing.
Monday morning I have a tour at Boston College.
After the Boston College tour, I am free to visit as many colleges as possible, as long as I am back in Boston by Friday night, because I am attending a summer program that starts on Saturday morning. </p>

<p>These are the colleges that I am hoping to visit:
Providence College- Providence RI
Connecticut College-New London CT
Quinnipiac University-Hamden CT
Fairfield University-Fairfield CT
Vassar College-Poughkeepsie NY
Colgate University-Hamilton NY
Skidmore College-Saratoga Springs NY</p>

<p>I know that this is a long list, so I was wondering if I would be stretching myself too thin by trying to visit all of them.
I am also afraid that I have too many reach schools up there, and I should visit colleges that are more in my match range.</p>

<p>My Stats:
GPA: Around 3.6
SATs: 1810
ECs: They are decent...Editor of school paper, varsity tennis, various clubs, part time job, and I will start volunteering at the YMCA soon. </p>

<p>Do you think that I am visiting too many reach schools?</p>

<p>Also, I am very interesting in English/Writing. I have tried to research these schools as best as I can, but does anyone know if any of these schools are either very bad or good in writing? The only one that I know of is Vassar, which is supposed to have an excellent writing program. </p>

<p>I know I asked a lot of questions, but I have just recently started the college process and I am absolutely clueless when it comes to the Northeast (I am from little ol' Hawaii!) so I might be a little naieve when it comes to these things. </p>

<p>All suggestions are welcome. Thanks a lot!!!</p>

2

<p>You have a very nice list of schools, however, one school that does not seem to fit is Quinnipiac. I think it's more know for business and computer science than writing. </p>

<p>You might want to look at Wheaton College in Norton, MA instead. It's not far from BC and it would be on your way to Providence and New London.</p>

3

<p>I think that Vassar is pretty big reach. While there you might also think about Marist (very close to Vassar). I don't know about their English department, but it is more in line with your stats. Also, you might consider Fordham in NY (1.5 hour train ride from Vassar/Marist). It is in NYC (has 2 campuses-Rose Hill and Lincoln Center). Again, I don't know that it has a good English dept.. I suggested Fordham b/c it is a Jesuit school, and I see you have some of these on your list.</p>

4

<p>And while you are in the Fairfield area ... you might want to see Sacred Heart in Bridgeport fairly close by. Quinnipiac is not out of your way ... I think of Quinn as one of those schools that have lots of catchy programs like <em>broadcast journalism</em> rather than journalism-journalism. It's also big on the allied health fields.</p>

<p>I think this is a very doable trip ... depending on how much time you spend at each school and just what you want to accomplish.</p>

<p>Wheaton -- maybe 1 hr from Boston.
Providence, 45 minutes down the road.
Conn College, another under an hour trip.
Quinnipiac -- maybe 90 minutes from New London, depending on traffic.
Sacred Heart -- maybe 30 minutes, then Fairfield practically around the corner.</p>

<p>Vassar ... I'm thinking 2hrs, but maybe not that far from Fairfield.
Skidmore ... maybe 2 more hours from VAssar, straight up the NY Thruway. </p>

<p>I sort of blank on just where in New York Colgate is ... there's a whole slew of schools in New York State ... but it's a <em>big</em> state.</p>

<p>If you dropped Colgate from the list ... you'd head back I-90 to Boston in maybe 3.5 hrs. There are plenty of schools in Boston to visit.</p>

5

<p>i agree that you have a good list of schools with varying admissions selectivity. the one thing that stood out is that colgate is kind of in by itself in the middle of nowhere, and if you are planning to do all of those schools in that one week, you would waste an awful lot of time for that one school.</p>

6

<p>I second the suggestions of Marist and Sacred Heart. They're easy to visit if you're going to Vassar and Fairfield and would seem to be good matches. We visited both recently and they were about 1.5-2 hrs apart. Good luck and enjoy your visits.</p>

7

<p>Depends on the purpose of the trip and how serious you are about the schools. Are you planning at some other point in seeing other parts of the country? Or just coming up to the Northeast for the first time and want to sight see at schools? Maybe in that case it's okay.</p>

<p>But otherwise I think that is really pushing it, unless you literally just want to see what some of those schools look like. If you want to really get an idea about a school, get a feeling for it, then considering touring the school, driving, eating etc., you should limit it as much as possible, to one school a day, with the ability to change if (as surprisingly happens) you decide just driving on to the campus, that you don't like it.</p>

<p>We react to things differently at different times of day or after a long day of driving. To compare schools you are seriously considering you need to have some "controls". Getting to a place with enough time to also see the surrounding area, to have a meal or two, to hang out at the student center and observe and/or listen, to have flexibility to spend more time if something interests or concerns you requires more time. Also, are you planning just the standard tour, or are you setting up interviews? Interview times can make it more difficult to see that many places.</p>

8

<p>If you are visiting Colgate, why not try Hamilton Colleg?. It is close by, in Clinton, NY (while Colgate is in Hamilton, NY!)</p>

9

<p>Your list seems somewhat do-able to me. I did around 14 visits last summer and I was goe from Sunday morning to the following Saturday night. Usually we got 2 visits done each day, we would go from the earliets tour at one school to the last tour at the next and then drive to the town of the school we were doing the next morning. You also can figure that you might drive by one school and not really like the looks of it so you might skip one or two. Well, Good Luck!</p>

10

<p>vassar is a reach?</p>

11

<p>Do you need merit scholarship money or can you pay full tuition or are you expecting to get financial aid? I just ask because some of those schools are known to be particularly stingy on merit money. </p>

<p>If you don't need merit money, you might consider Holy Cross in Worcester MA. Great school, lovely campus.</p>

<p>Just so you know - check the stats at college board. These schools should probably be considered reaches. Check your others.</p>

<p>Vassar stats: SAT for girls (higher than the boys) median Verb 705, Math 676
48% GPA 3.75 and higher
31% GPA 3.5 - 3.74</p>

<p>Colgate stats: middle 50% had 630-710 Verb, 650-710 Math (girls need to be on high end)
32% GPA 3.75 and higher
29% GPA 3.5-3.74</p>

12

<p>I honestly cannot imagine doing more than one school a day, and even that is a lot. It really takes time to process the visit, to meet with people. A campur tour is a superficial look. I don't think one can get a sense of a school unless one meets with other students, sees a class, meets a professor in an intended major...that type of thing. And that takes HOURS.</p>

13

<p>Colgate and Hamilton are pretty close to each other, less than 30 miles apart. At the same time, it will take you over 5 hours to drive from Boston to Hamilton College, about 275 miles.</p>

<p>Those two are the outliers in any trip. It would take 2-3 days minimum to visit them. And it would be a shame to rush through upstate NY, as it is quite pretty. </p>

<p>The problem with the trip is that you'd need to spend days visiting colleges and evenings driving to the next town for the next days visits on too many days. </p>

<p>There is sooo much to see in the northeast, it would be a shame to rush through it all.</p>

14

<p>This will be a summer trip, so there won't be talking to profs and students. If there is summer school, the students, and very likely the profs as well, won't be the same ones as during the academic year.</p>

15

<p>We made a similar, but smaller, loop last summer (no New York schools). Our stops included some formal tours/info sessions, and some self-guided walkabouts. </p>

<p>By comparing personal impressions with school stats, S. eliminated more than half from application consideration. However, he made second trips during the academic year to the three he applied to so he could spend more time on campus, sit in on classes and meet with current students. </p>

<p>I am glad he made the second trips, as it gave me more confidence that he could make an informed choice by May 1. We could have waited for the Admitted Student Days, but I thought it would be more valuable to see the schools on normal weekdays.</p>

<p>If this will be your only opportunity to visit the Northeast, your schedule may be ambitious, but if you're doing preliminary research, it seems about right to me. Good luck!</p>

16

<p>Wow, thanks for all of the responses so far. </p>

<p>First of all, this is a very serious college visiting trip. The only reason that we are not doing any tours on that weekend that we arrive, is because we will be recovering for jetlag, and most colleges don't offer tours on Sundays. I thought that this trip might be a bit too ambitious so I am thinking of cutting out Colgate. Although I love it, it is a major reach. Vassar is also a reach, but at least visiting it isn't so out of the way. </p>

<p>I will probably be able to go back and visit again once I find out where I am accepted, but until then, this will be my first and last trip. </p>

<p>I definitely need some financial aid. My parents make a combined salary of around 60,000 a year, so I think I could qualify, but I am an only child, so it might be difficult. </p>

<p>Thanks for all of the suggestions. Please keep them coming! I will look into all of the schools that you guys have suggested so far.</p>

17

<p>I think if nothing else, you should take a few minutes to look at the surrounding communities, too. And this you can do well even in the summer.</p>

<p>The colleges on your list are in very different environments. I suspect you'll love the location of some and be put off by the location of others, but will make no prediction of which will be what. </p>

<p>Just remember to enjoy, and see some of the sights. The area of your tour is loaded with history. You might even see if a local library has any guidebooks - the history part doesn't change too fast, so an older guidebook is no limitation.</p>

18

<p>Surfette: As a general statement - Catholic Colleges give limited Merit aid scholarships and the Financial Aid is more loans than grants.</p>

<p>So BC, Providence and Fairfield could be difficult to attend based on $$$$.</p>

<p>Anyhow: Here goes></p>

<p>BC on Monday AM leave by noon get to Providence around
2 PM or so (forget lunch grab a sandwich), visit Providence College on Monday pm.</p>

<p>(NOte : It is the Summer, all you will get is a tour, interview if you want and a brief personal look see. Forget the students around in the summer, most will not be there in the fall as they are a mixed group many not undergraduates at ths college. So two to three hours max for college viewing in the summer. By the way, pick up all and any catalogs, hand outs, newspapers etc.</p>

<p>Leave Providence drive to New London for motel.</p>

<p>Tuesday morning - Visit Connecticut, leave by 11 drive to Fairfield - (it is now about 12:30) Visit Fairfield, leave by 2:30 and drive to Hamden (will take less than an hour - I used to live in Hamden - so believe me these times are valid) visit Quinnipiac. Leave by 5 or 6 drive to Vassar stay overnight.</p>

<p>Wednesday: Visit Vassar and go over to see Marist (same town only a few minutes away. Leave area around noon. Drive to Saratoga Springs (two hours) stay overnight.</p>

<p>Thursday - visit Skidmore in morning, drive to Union College (just past Albany) about an hour away. VIsit Union and drive west about 40 minutes. Stay overnight</p>

<p>Friday morning visit Colgate and Hamilton (they are 20 miles apart if that much - My D and I visited them in one afternoon lst summer). Finish with both schools by 1 PM. Drive back to boston - take your time - it is a four or five hour trip tops. </p>

<p>Saturday - begin your course.</p>

<p>Suggestions: While visiting colleges - Lunch is a luxury, eat a decent Bfast before 8 am - get to college by 8:30 - drive in the late afternoon and early evening to or close to the next college and after you stop, gas up the car and eat a decent meal, since you are a teenager, find a buffet, relax and refuel. </p>

<p>Keep your eye on the schedule, get information, tour, interview and go to the next place.</p>

<p>PS Vassar and Colgate both give group information meetings - no interviews, so be sure to sit in before or after the tour.</p>

<p>Oh and enjoy yourself.</p>

19

<p>Wow, thanks a lot. That will be incredibly helpful! I will print out that schedule and show it to my parents so we can start planning :D</p>

20

<p>surfette,
Go to the financial aid calculator and have your parents run some numbers. Some of the schools on your list may turn out to be wildly unaffordable. You might want to try to identify a couple of schools on your trip that are clear safeties and where you will definitely qualify for adequate money. </p>

<p>Good luck and have a great time.</p>