The college that is ranked #1 in DS23 major just so happens to be in a place with very expensive, non-direct flights that require about 17 hours of travel. Expense can be overlooked as I think he would pay very little to go there, but the flight times and availability are moving me to just cross it off the list. It’s too bad as I think the program is probably great, but he does have other good options. (This is also the case with 2 other schools on his list, but they aren’t ranked as #1)
Does anyone send their student “somewhere you can’t get to from here”? What’s your experience been like. Do you wish you had given more weight to travel time and expense?
There are many airlines now using alternative airports. Or kids can catch rides to major cities. Perhaps we can make suggestions.
It is an issue and there is a # 2-10.
That said if the price is right it might be worth a little discomfort a few times a year. That’s a personal choice.
But what if there’s the common first year jitters and they need to come home, etc.
Whatever the major, I’m sure there’s lots of fine schools.
But a cheap price is something that can be worth the extra travel. They’re young. And will get over it. But it might cause an issue at shorter breaks such as thanksgiving if they have nowhere to go.
I wouldn’t do this. First year is tough. College is tough. It is possible he may need/want to come home occasionally or you may find yourself needing to make an emergency trip. Long distance is one thing if you are talking a long flight. But over a day to get there wouldn’t be in my comfort zone.
We live in New England. Major is Wildlife Bio and he specifically wants to study wolves, bears and wolverines. A chance to get involved in research early is important to him. University of Montana and Michigan Tech are both really hard to get to even with alternative airports. University of Northern Michigan is only slightly better, but we think he has a good chance to go for free. None of the schools on his list are a deal breaker in terms of price. Schools that he can get to fairly easily are University of Minnesota and Colorado State (both of which he really likes). He’s already been accepted to and visited Iowa state, which he liked, and while isn’t a direct flight, it’s doable.
We’re not too worried about jitters as he’s been in boarding school since he’s been a freshman. I do worry about getting to him quickly if he ever were in an accident or got extremely ill.
I think maybe I’m just looking for validation to “let it go” and drop the schools that are hard to get to. I know kids can do well wherever they land, but I also don’t want to overlook some great opportunity. I was also thinking that if a place is that hard to get to, it’s probably hard for recruiters to get there as well, until I found out that Michigan Tech has one of the biggest recruiting fairs and recruiters will stay up to three hours away to attend.
“That said if the price is right it might be worth a little discomfort a few times a year. That’s a personal choice.”
That’s one of my fears. He did put in applications at the places that were too far to visit (with the understanding that we’ll visit if they are still in the top three after acceptances come in). Some of those schools are likely to come back with such low COA that it will be an even harder decision to let them go as those closer to us are likely to have a higher COA (but still affordable to us).
Note: S23 is flexible to the point of he’s already told us “I’m going to be happy anywhere” and every school we’ve been to (we’ve gone to some that didn’t even have his major just to see what they looked like while traveling) he’s said, “I can picture myself here”. His main concern is the academic program and research opportunities. He’s attended boarding school since freshman year, so he has a good sense of what is important to him in a school and realizes that he can adapt to just about any environment.
We actually are removing schools from S24s list that are too complex to get to from our home. We agree that he should be able to come home for a long weekend if needed. When S21 had COVID exposure and needed to get home quickly we were very happy he was at a place that was close to an airport and there were multiple direct flights home.
Someone who wants to study wolves, bears and wolverines is likely to find themselves in a college that isn’t convenient to airports.
I’d totally let “getting there” go. As for recruiting, I’m sure that they are used to going to out of the way spots. And probably enjoy it.
New England is broad so no idea where from but I see flights 7-9 hrs from Boston to Missoula. Spokane is a few hours away. Southwest goes there.
I see 5 and 6 hrs from Bos to Marquette Michigan.
And yes, especially given the major, he can do well from wherever. We we’re just in Ketchikan AK. Or maybe Juneau…on a cruise. Met 4 summer interns or co OPs for the national park svc. There was a Saint Louis U, UCSB, and another …can’t remember the school but not a big name.
If you find the right school, you’ll likely figure it out. And cheap in that major is good.
But if others give you more comfort then that’s ok. Doesn’t have to be #1.
I went to school in rural Virginia but lived in Toronto. It was a pain but because it was the only thing I knew I never really thought about it as a student. I didn’t have a car my first two years either so I would have to find a ride to the Roanoke airport (45min from college) and fly to Pittsburgh and then home to Toronto, on the way back I would hang around the Roanoke airport until I found someone from my college, times have changed, I’d never let my daughter do that now. Eventually, I just started driving home.
I do have a friend now whose daughter is at Cornell and we live in Southwest Washington, she said she wouldn’t do it again, especially since COVID.
Have you asked the school how students get there? Some of these out in the middle of nowhere schools run buses to more populated airports during major student travel times. Other places have ride sharing lists to get to transportation. Your student isn’t likely to be the only one needed to go further to get home.
Don’t know about his specific interest (bears) but when I search his major I see U Maine, UNH and UVM a lot. I don’t see the schools you list. I see Col St but not Boulder. None of the close publics would work ?
My kid went to college in Maine with many out of state kids and international students. Very few didn’t get home, mostly all stayed for all four years. We lived a five hour drive away, but there were more than a couple of occasions when bad weather meant she didn’t get home until the next day. It was fine. Believe me, if she had had a means to come home in the beginning, when she found it tough, she would have. I am super glad there was no way to do that, or she might have wanted to drive home every weekend. That’s in no one’s best interest.
A friend’s kid drove home six hours every single weekend for his last two years of college. I think I’m not a very soft parent, but I wouldn’t have allowed that. Frankly, if they can’t handle being on their own and stuck somewhere for 24 hours or even longer, maybe they shouldn’t be going to college more than a couple of hours distance.
My current college senior never comes home for the weekend and he’s only three hours away. We also rarely go to his college town. In fact, we never saw his last apartment. They are supposed to go away and become independent adults
I have to wonder if Covid has made us (oldies) too cautious. I’d let my kid go to Montana if that’s where he wants to be. 17 hours could be a pain sometimes, but that’s usually all it is— a pain, not a devastating reality.
@vwlizard what does your son say about this? Is he worried about travel time? Is he okay with you striking a college off his list because of travel time?
P.S. Montana has food and hospitals. He will survive. Montana is becoming an increasingly trendy place to visit and I wouldn’t be surprised if more flights are headed there in the near future.
Fair enough. Was just asking as the schools mentioned come up on no list I found. Maine is the Black Bears. Not sure the wildlife there. It could just be a name
Agreed on asking the school. For example there are likely to be students from both Minneapolis (~6 hours by car) and Chicago (~6.5 hours) who attend Michigan Tech. That said, it’s also fine to strike remote schools off the list if there are other good options, and there are in this case.
You mention CSU being relative easy, there are quite a few direct flights from DEN to Missoula, so not sure how you’re getting to 17 hours. I understand wanting to protect anonymity, but you might get some guidance on options if you post your home airport.
My son goes to school in upstate NY where the small airport has no direct flights to our home airport, so he’s always looking at connecting flights and definitely more limited and expensive than if he was near a major city. Thanksgiving is by far the biggest pain as his school only gives a long weekend off and the flights are crazy expensive. The school is a fit otherwise, so we’ve made it work. He did catch a ride with a friend traveling home an hour away to a larger airport with a direct flight at Christmas that was pretty helpful as connections in December the week of Christmas are never fun.
Same with ours. They often went to be with local students and their families - or profs who invited them to dinner. Only one was close enough to join the family for Thanksgiving and that’s because our family got together near him due to where others live, not because he came back to our house.
I’m torn about this. D goes to school about 1200 miles from us. Her freshman year there were direct flights but after covid the schedule changed and now we drive 2 hours to another airport in order for her to fly direct. It’s a drag but as she gets older she comes home less and less. She has never come home for a regular weekend but was able to get home for a very quick trip for her uncle’s funeral and once for a 4 day weekend. This year I suspect she’ll only be home for winter break. Her school has a lot of out of state kids and many international students so many kids rarely go home. Most of her friends stay for Thanksgiving. But we usually try to go down to see her once each semester. She likes the break and she likes us to feed her good food.
This summer though she’s 2200 miles from home and I can “feel” the distance. I just told someone the other day that is she ended up living that far from home I would probably move a little closer. It’s really too far for a weekend visit and I do get concerned about emergencies.
I’m not sure how the flights would work out from your home, but here is a list of schools (and nearest airport) that I think of when you describe your son’s interests. These are all far away from home, but the flights might not be too bad. Even if the airport is a drive, students will constantly be going back and forth:
University of Alaska Fairbanks: Fairbanks
University of Washington (Laura Prugh is a big wolf researcher there): Seattle
Washington State University: Pullman-Moscow or Spokane
University of Idaho: Pullman-Moscow or Spokane
University of Utah: Salt Lake City
Utah State University: Salt Lake City
Northern Arizona University: Flagstaff
They would definitely work, but he’s not interested. He’s already done the New England thing and wants to experience somewhere else. We’re okay with distance as long as it’s someplace you can actually get to.
He’s already been involved with some research, so he has a good idea who he wants to work with.
