<p>We are planning an east coast college visit trip and I'm struggling with the logistics. I wonder if anyone could give some advise? </p>
<p>The colleges that we want to visit are Harvard, Boston U, NYU, and Wagner. We'd like to drive to one destination then use the train to get between NY and Boston. We are coming from Michigan so it doesn't matter where we "base" out of. </p>
<p>We will also have a younger (13) sibling with us, so would like to have a bit of fun as well. It's his spring break too! </p>
<p>If you have your car anyway, you might want to drive the whole way. Do you know someone you can leave the car with near Boston or NY? I think long term parking would be expensive. </p>
<p>I live near NYC and Wagner seems very out of place if you're considering, H, BU and NYU (just my opinion). </p>
<p>I think Amtrak for four of you will be pretty high, but there are some 2 for one college visit specials. </p>
<p>We're planning visits for week of April 21 and realized that was Patriot's Day in Boston (marathon day) so not all colleges are open! But both cities have a million things for you to do.</p>
<p>When my wife took our daughters on D1's visits to Harvard, Brown and Yale two years ago, she flew to Boston, rented a car, and drove round-trip. We can use AirTran, which has cheap flights to Boston and NY. It worked fine, except that the car was a major inconvenience in Cambridge. I'd probably fly to somewhere like LaGuardia, see NY by subway, go back to the airport to rent a car, drive to Boston and stay there (not Cambridge) at a hotel that has its own parking, then drive back to LaGuardia for the return flight. If you're determined to drive, you might try a hotel in NJ, near a ferry or bus stop that will allow you to get into NY for public transportation.</p>
<p>If you fly/drive to either NYC or Boston, you can also check out LimoLiner (LimoLiner</a> - Quality Travel Time Between New York and Boston. Compare to Amtrak Acela and shuttle flights.) or even Greyhound bus lines between the two. Both will be cheaper than the train (at least the Acela) and possibly even faster since both are pretty much non-stop (one stop in Framingham, MA, usually, at least for LimoLiner). In fact, you can park for free at the Framingham Park and Ride lot where LimoLiner picks up passengers; however, overnight parking there is not encouraged.</p>
<p>You won't need your car in Boston and probably not in NYC either. Public transportation will get you to virtually anywhere you want to go in both cities. Plus, the combination of traffic and, definitely in Boston, the array of streets that can easily confuse out-of-towners is disincentive enough.</p>
<p>If you drive to NYC, I would suggest hotels in Secaucus that are near the Harmon Meadows mall. A bus goes directly to Port Authority in NYC from a number of stops in Secaucus, and your NJ parking would be free.</p>
<p>Feel free to PM me for ideas on sights in Boston!</p>
<p>There's a bus line called Vamoose and I remember hearing they were going to start trips between Cambridge and NY but I don't see it on their website now. If you want to travel between the 2 cities, it is worth a call. They are like the Chinatown buses that go between NY and Boston in that they don't have bus stops (they pick you up on the street) and they are cheap. Unlike most Chinatown buses, they have movies, they are <em>very</em> dependable and professional and it's a very nice ride. Vamoose is about $5 more than the cheapest lines but well worth it. </p>
<p>By the way, if you're interested in those buses, you can google "chinatown buses." Many go between NY and Boston. They're ok but the Amtrak would be more comfortable than most of the buses. Vamoose is a bit of an exception. It's a nicer ride.</p>
<p>I live in NYC and getting to Wagner College without a car will be very difficult,it is located on Staten Island .besides Wager is so different from the other schools you are looking at. I would fly into JFK not LGA you will not need a car in Manhattan or in Boston .To get from NYC to BOS try flying Jetblue</p>
<p>If you book a Greyhound ticket online from their website, you can get it for $15.00, $18.00 with tax. The only stipulation is it is non-refundable; non-transferable.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone. I appreciate all the input. Sorry it took so long to get back to this. </p>
<p>In what ways is Wagner different? I must sound like a total dolt, but son wants to go to school in either Boston or NYC, so he choose a couple of schools to see.</p>
<p>My daughter wants to apply to some colleges no one has ever heard of and that's her business, so maybe your son has good reasons for Wagner. It is common for people to apply to H, BU, and NYU together. Wagner is a lot less selective and the neighborhood isn't as fun as the others. I don't know a whole lot about it, so people who do should correct me! If you are coming from Michigan you might want to consider other competitive schools between NY and Boston, like Fordham, Wesleyan, Yale, Brown, Connecticut College, Trinity, Holy Cross, Brandeis, Boston College, Columbia...</p>
<p>Wagner College is a very small school with a 67/33 female to male ratio.The academics do not compare to the other schools on your list. If your son wants a school in NYC Staten Island is not the place for him.Staten Island does not in any way shape or form have that NYC feel and travel to Manhattan is difficult since there are no subways on the island, there is a ferry service connecting to Manhattan,not sure of the operating hours also there is a bus that takes you into Brooklyn from there you can take the subway into Manhattan. I DONT KNOW HOW YOU CAME UP WITH WAGNER WHEN THINKING ABOUT YOUR OTHER SCHOOL CHOICES.</p>
<p>School Wagner College(NY) Harvard University(MA) New York University Boston University<br>
Public/Private Private Private Private Private<br>
Founded 1883 1636 1831 1839<br>
Religious Affiliation Lutheran N/A N/A N/A<br>
Total Undergraduates 1,941 6,715 20,965 18,521<br>
Location<br>
City/State Staten Island, NY Cambridge, MA New York, NY Boston, MA<br>
Setting urban urban urban urban<br>
Distance from home (miles) N/A N/A N/A N/A<br>
Academics<br>
Student-to-faculty ratio 13/1 7/1 11/1 14/1<br>
Full-time faculty 101 1,622 2,088 2,338<br>
Classes with under 20 students 61% 69% 59% 52%<br>
Classes with 50+ students 0% 13% 12% 10%<br>
Graduation rate* 63%6 98% 84% 81%<br>
Cost<br>
Private tuition and fees $29,500 $34,998 $35,283 $35,418<br>
Public in-state tuition and fees N/A N/A N/A N/A<br>
Public out-of-state tuition and fees N/A N/A N/A N/A<br>
Room/Board $8,900 $10,622 $11,780 $10,950<br>
Financial Aid*<br>
Students receiving:
Need-based grants 52% 49% 48% 41%<br>
Need-based self-help aid 40% 42% 48% 39%<br>
Percent of need that was met 78% 100% 66% 89%<br>
Average financial aid package $14,734 $33,635 $20,707 $28,676<br>
Average need-based grant $10,759 $30,803 $14,207 $19,364<br>
Average need-based loan $4,464 $3,922 $5,149 $5,131<br>
Admissions<br>
Selectivity more selective most selective most selective more selective<br>
Acceptance rate 59% 9% 36% 58%<br>
Number of applicants 2,862 22,754 35,448 31,851<br>
Average high school GPA 3.4 N/A 3.6 3.5<br>
SAT/ACT (25/75 percentile)*** 1070-1270 1390-1590 1210-1410 1180-1370<br>
Student Satisfaction<br>
Freshman retention rate 87% 98% 92% 90%<br>
Alumni giving rate 16% 41% 10% 7%<br>
Student Body<br>
Diversity*** no yes yes yes<br>
Fraternity members 8% N/A 1% 5%<br>
Sorority members 11% N/A 1% 5%<br>
Students living off campus 23% N/A 49% 34%</p>
<p>It sounds like OP son is looking to fallbacks for Harvard though...Cooper Union and Fordham definitely...Pace, St. Johns and Hofstra are not that competitive and I think very commuter?..if you have a week to be in NY and Boston and are from OOS maybe see the strongest colleges?</p>
<p>What qualities does OP son want in a college?</p>
<p>I just wanted to say to look at Fordham when you are in NY. It is in the Bronx but a very quick train ride (or their own Ram Van ride) into Manhattan. If you are looking at NYU and not-NYU, I say, NYU and Fordham. Unless you want another highly competitive college - then Columbia, of course.</p>
<p>Honestly? I think that dear son got some mail from Wagner and just added it to our list. I will gently guide him to some of the other choices listed here! </p>
<p>He is looking for a school that is strong in science/psych/pre-med. And NOT in Michigan. (grin). Is anyone else having trouble getting their kid to tell them what exactly they WANT in a college? He's frustrating me lately!</p>
<p>Not Cooper Union then, that's engineering/art/architecture.</p>
<p>Within NYC, I think NYU and Columbia are good for pre-med, and Harvard and BU in Boston, but there are so many other colleges between NY and Boston that he might like that have good med school acceptance rates. </p>
<p>I think once your son has toured several colleges he will be able to fixate on things that he really wants or doesn't want.</p>
<p>I'd like to say a few things in Wagner's favor; it may not have the same stats as H or even Fordham. What it does have is, a very, very cozy and attractive campus with the best views of the Manhattan skyline you are ever likely to get from a college campus. It's a heck of a lot closer to "The City" than Hofstra, or St. Johns. Pace does not even have a campus in the same sense.</p>
<p>I don't know when you are going, but Harvard's spring break is the week after Easter, and they will be doing information sessions, but no tours. I agree with others that if you're going to drive all the way from Michigan, you might as well drive between Boston and New York. You could make brief visits to Brown and Yale along the way, if you wished.</p>
<p>You could look at the Fiske or Yale Insiders Guide to colleges; they'll list the more competitive ones from NYC to Boston and describe programs; find some in your son's gpa/SAT range.</p>