East Coast College Trip Advice

Parents Forum
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<p>Vegetarian/vegan food in New Haven: Vegetarian isn’t a problem at Pepe’s – it’s pizza, and as long as you don’t ask for meat you’ll be fine – but vegan is. I don’t think they would touch vegan mozzarella with a 15-foot wooden paddle (which is what they use to move pizzas around their ginormous oven). Pepe’s isn’t about trendiness; it’s pretty rigorously classical.</p>

<p>If you want vegan food near Yale, though, there’s a great option at Claire’s Cornercopia, on the corner of Chapel and College right across from the Old Campus. It’s a vegetarian restaurant with lots of vegan offerings. And my wife was employee #1 when it opened 36 years ago (although it didn’t become a full-fledged restaurant until years after she worked there).</p>

<p>“Within an hour of the city”: What city do you think Wesleyan and Amherst are within an hour of? New Haven? Hartford? Springfield? Don’t bother. Amherst and its neighbor Northampton are great college towns in their own right. But high urban culture is not a hop, skip, or jump away from any of these. </p>

<p>On the other hand, Tufts is not within an hour of the city, it is in the city. It’s on the T-line. Don’t get fooled by the address. Unlike lots of big cities, Boston never incorporated lots of the little cities on its borders, like Cambridge and Medford. In most other places, those would be part of the main city, not separate addresses.</p>

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<p>JHS: Thanks for the recommendation of Claire’s. It looks good! Sorry for the misguided info on distance from cities. Even so, I don’t think I’ll mind Amherst or Wesleyan. I guess I’ll find out when I get there whether or not I like the feel of the area. Thanks!</p>

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<p>I have to say that I think you’re really trying to accomplish too much in one trip, trying to see too many schools at once and trying to do college tours and have a family vacation. I realize that from the Midwest, it may seem that you could do the whole east coast school tours in one swoop, but I think it might be better to split things up and just look at your New England schools this trip (along with vacation either in Maine or the Cape/islands) and then come back with perhaps just one parent and see the NY schools (and perhaps also Brown, Yale and even Wesleyan at that time). I just worry that if you try to cram too much into a short period of time, you won’t really get a good sense of any school.</p>

<p>Also, since you’re going to be in Boston, why aren’t you also looking at Harvard (since you’re considering Yale)—if nothing else, Cambridge and Harvard Square are terrific—and also at BU (which is practically right next to Northeastern and could perhaps be another safety). When you look at Amherst, be sure to drive over to Northampton which is very cool and if your family likes art be sure to visit Smith’s art museum which is astounding. When visiting Tufts, you should make sure to see Davis Square (@1/2 mile away) which is the way Harvard Sq was in the good old days and is very much part of the Tufts extended campus and a great alternative when students don’t feel like traveling into Boston or Cambridge—perhaps have lunch there.</p>

<p>Good luck and have fun.</p>

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<p>Bronx Zoo might be crowded on a Wednesday because it’s free, but it IS open. The Botanical Garden is even closer to the Fordham campus and very pretty. Tufts doesn’t feel like a suburb at all. It’s in a residential neighborhood, but within a 10 minute walk of the subway. Brandeis is a bit further out.</p>

<p>I don’t think you should driveby safeties. You should find a safety you really like.</p>

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<p>I agree that “Boston” and “city” tend to absorb areas like Medford and Somerville. But my D who just finished at Tufts felt very much that she was living in a residential area, not IN a city. She had to walk 10-15 minutes and take the T for 15 minutes to get into what she would call “city.” Davis Square is college-y and fun, but not all that different from downtown Northampton. Brandeis is more in the burbs, absolutely, but still has great access. BU and Northeastern are for people who want the city AT their doorstep, which can be great fun. I think with your interest in journalism, etc. those would be excellent match/safeties, providing that cost isn’t an issue.</p>

<p>I agree with the Boston/New England trip and then a NY area trip, honestly. I’m right on board wth momiac, actually. See 5-6 NE colleges and go to the Cape for a couple of days - why not? Flying in and out of Providence is really a snap and often much cheaper from WI.</p>

<p>I’m impressed that a rising HS senior is doing all of the planning - did your parents ask you to take charge (I know they’re both college grads), or are you just like this? Good for you.</p>

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<p>A fun option fairly near Amherst is white water rafting and/or zip line tours. The white water rafting is basically a full day and has different levels for various experience levels. The zip line tours are much shorter in duration (1-2 hours). Both are fun family experiences for parents and kids of all ages. You should make reservations ahead of time to get the times/days you want as things do book up. I think the zip line tours are every half hour or hour.</p>

<p>On another note, it’s really hard to go east/west across New Hampshire to Maine. The major roads all go north/south in each state.</p>

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<p>A couple more comments: agree with EmmyBet that Tufts is really pretty suburban, with easy access to the cities of Boston and Cambridge (D is at Tufts and one of the numerous reasons that she was attracted to it was that it had the campusy feel of a self-contained school without being in a remote setting).</p>

<p>I am also very impressed with the OP’s organization and initiative.</p>

<p>Lastly, completely agree that it is very important to “love thy safety”—if anything, I think those schools should be the most extensively explored.</p>

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<p>As the kids would say OMG Claires. I worked at Yale from 1984 through 1986. My second date with my now DH was at Claires. Jealous…</p>

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<p>I have to agree with this (as someone who toured east coast schools from the midwest). We did one visit to Phila/DC schools and then came back separately for Boston/New England schools. While I certainly think a lot of 2-schools-in-1-day scenarios are doable, it will tire you out. For my kids’ junior year spring break, we did 6 schools in Massachusetts in 3 days, flew back home and drove to Ohio to do 2 Ohio schools - and we were fried. In fact, we cancelled the Minnesota round of schools because we had just had enough. I love your enthusiasm - and I love college tours - but they really do blend together after a while.</p>

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<p>2boysima had it right. Don’t stay east of the city. That’s where the more expensive options are. New Jersey is a good bet if you’re flying into Newark (but do not stay in Newark itself) Also sight seeing in New York city on July 4th is probably the worst idea you have here. Everything else is doable. The only thing worse would be for you to decide to sight see in DC on the 4th or in New York City on New Years Eve.</p>

<p>Exhibit A: <a href=“New York July 4th Independence day 2010 - YouTube”>New York July 4th Independence day 2010 - YouTube;

<p>Correct me if I’m wrong but at about the one minute mark the crowds are actually blocking off Henry Hudson Parkway.</p>

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<p>The Springfield, MA area right near the Basketball Hall of Fame suffered tornado damage on June 1, and the area is still in the process of cleaning up, etc. -39 miles of damage from Westfield, MA to Munson, MA. There are many, many smaller, good quality, small name colleges in and around Springfield that could become an ideal safety if you love the location and small school feel. Do a search, so you will know if there may be one of these schools that offers your intended major that interests you…but I also wouldn’t go out of your way to visit the area if you find a route that will work better. After a few visits, all the colleges start to seem the same. I would almost recommend you check out the ones with the names you didn’t first think of, the ones that could be surprise hidden gems. Pretty much everyone knows what the more well-known schools are like, or you can find plenty of pictures and reviews online. It’s those lesser known schools that I wished we had even heard of before my D started applying. As I have looked into them, I think some would have really been perfect for her, but we didn’t even know they existed, but now, it’s too late!</p>

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<p>Wow ginab591, are you a native New Yorker? I’ve lived there my whole life and have been in Times Square THREE times for New Year’s Eve, watched the July 4th fireworks once on the West Side Highway, once from the Water’s Edge restaurant right off the FDR, and once on the Intrepid. I watched the fireworks celebration of the the Brooklyn Bridge’s 100th birthday from a rooftop in Tribeca. Oh and I’ve done the Thanksgiving Day parade more times than I can count. Highly recommend ALL these activities if you get the chance.</p>

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<p>I am. (By that I mean I was born in Queens, my entire family grew up there, but my address is in the suburbs) But I steer clear of large crowds for days like that. And honestly I’ve never been that entertained by fireworks if I’m not the one setting them off. It is something I’ve wanted to try once, but my point was more in saying that if it’s your first time in New York you don’t want to see the sights on the Fourth of July. Because you won’t see the sights so much as you’ll massive amounts of tourists blocking your view of sights.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the additional responses! The recommendation to see the NYC fireworks and the suggestion to skip NYC altogether have left me torn. It will be a tough decision.</p>

<p>momiac: Thanks for the suggestions about just doing a New England trip! I’ll look into it. Also, I’ll check out Harvard Square, Northampton, Smith’s Art Museum, and Davis Square.</p>

<p>mathmom: I’ll be sure to check out the Botanical Garden if we do visit NYC. Also, I agree with you that I need to find a safety I really like. I think Northeastern is one I really like; however, I’d call that more of a match than a safety.</p>

<p>EmmyBet: Yeah BU and Northeastern are both definitely appealing for journalism being in the city. Especially since Northeastern has the coop program where I could probably do some internships with newspapers on the East Coast. Oh, and thanks for the compliment, I have basically been the sole leader of my college search and everything related to college admissions and I enjoy planning trips for my family. There’s no way I could do as well planning things like this without you guys though! :)</p>

<p>ebeeeee: Your comment makes me even more excited to check out Claires!</p>

<p>Pizzagirl: I usually do a fairly decent job of taking notes for all of the schools I visit; however, I agree with you that even with good note-taking, the schools can blend together some what.</p>

<p>ginab591: The last time my family visited NYC, we stayed in Newark and it was alright. This time, since we’ll be coming into La Guardia or JFK at night, I think it would be preferable to have a hotel nearby the airports. My dad has good points with Marriott Rewards through his work, so hotel costs aren’t as big of an issue.</p>

<p>teachandmom: Thanks for the information about the Springfield area. That’s too bad what happened. I didn’t even hear about that. Also, I’ll see what I can do on finding a few hidden gems on the internet before the trip, although I’ve already scoured the internet searching for colleges for a few years.</p>

<p>amtc: I’ll see what I can do about seeing the fireworks in NYC on the 4th. Out of the places that you viewed them, which one would you say was the best? What would be the best location to view them if we wanted to get to a hotel in the Bronx after watching them?</p>

<p>I appreciate all of the replies! I’m looking forward to more!</p>

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<p>Northeastern does a nice job with info sessions and tour. That could help you decide if you like the idea of co-op (which can be a really great thing).</p>

<p>If you are using the T, they literally have T-stops near campus. If you want to stay nearby and get an early morning tour, I recommend the Midtown Hotel (walking distance) - simple/clean, large rooms. </p>

<p>For being in the city, Northeastern has a surprisingly “campus-y” feel. BU is more integrated into the city. </p>

<p>We mostly did college visits one per day. But with good planning we were able to visit MIT and Tufts on the same July day.</p>

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<p>Hi OP:</p>

<p>I agree with Emmybet:</p>

<p>This is a very ambitious college tour/vacation. My advice would be to reconsider your list and make a new list of your “must see’s”. What colleges on your list are a must see? Can you list them again and really figure out the logistics?</p>

<p>We looked at colleges for our older S Fall 2009, Spring 2010 and Summer 2010. We took several days at a time to look at groups of colleges, but we, personally, wanted to devote one day to each college, so that our S was able to sit in classrooms, eat in the cafeteria, talk to students, tour the surrounding area, etc. None our tours of colleges resulted in looking at more than 4 or 5 in a week, max.</p>

<p>How can you make an educated decision to where you’re going to spend the next 4 years of your life and countless thousands of dollars by giving each college so little amounts of your time? And to incorporate family vacation with it?</p>

<p>Like Emmybet’s D, our S also fell in love with Tufts and applied ED and will be a freshman there this coming Fall. Yes, for us it’s easier, because we are from New England, but our S looked at many schools out of the area, so we did a week or so here & there devoted to touring each school thoroughly.</p>

<p>Can you cut the list short by looking at colleges after applying and acceptance? I am very familiar with Weslayen (a very nice college town, but not a city) and Amherst (a nice college town next to many small colleges in the area), Brunswick where Bowdoin is would be a four hour drive from Amherst. Two hours to Portsmouth, NH and then two more hours to Brunswick…Boston has a ton of colleges…Davis Square near Tufts is nice…Be careful with Brown…they reject way more qualified students then they accept…I agree that Cape Cod and parts of Rhode Island are very, very crowded in the summertime…</p>

<p>My suggestion would be for you to narrow your list to a more manageable size and really know how far it is between schools you’ll be visiting. Sounds like you did some good research though. Good luck.</p>

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<p>If your family likes cities, then you should not skip NYC. The fireworks can be great fun, and the City is comparatively empty on a long summer holiday weekend, tourists notwithstanding.</p>

<p>In planning a trip like this, you need to understand that even though the distances in the East are much less than in the Midwest, the traffic is infinitely worse, and many of the roads are old and narrow and not well signed, and driving often requires nerves of steel. Getting around Manhattan on public transportation is fairly straightforward; getting around Boston on public transportation is another story altogether.</p>

<p>As for Cape Cod, I would personally rather poke my eyes out with a fork than go there during the summer. But that’s just me. The traffic is horrendous, you can’t see anything from the road, and if you do stop, there’s just sand; it’s really a place for a beach vacation, not a sight-seeing tour. Martha’s Vineyard is lovely, but you have to count in the ferry time and and the ferry schedule, so it’s really a very long day trip from Boston. Nantucket is not a day trip. You might consider some place like Cape Ann, which is much closer to Boston and truly lovely, though I’m not sure about public beach access.</p>

<p>But as I and others have tried to suggest, this trip is really more than any family can comfortably do in the time allotted. And many of the schools on your list are huge reaches; far better to visit them after you’ve been accepted, and spend time really looking at safeties to find some you would want to attend.</p>

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<p>I think NYC on July 4th is fun, but then I’ve also spent many, many, many July 4ths in DC. I love the experience of being in a HUGE crowd to watch fireworks. And both DC and NYC have plenty of outside touristy things to do when the museums are closed.</p>

<p>Cape Cod on the weekend is a traffic jam, but during the week it’s not so bad. I love going skating on the canal. There are things you can do besides go to the beach (Cape Cod Potato Chip[Factory</a> Tour](<a href=“http://www.capecodchips.com/visitors/factorytour.aspx]Factory”>http://www.capecodchips.com/visitors/factorytour.aspx), [Sandwich</a> Glass Museum](<a href=“http://www.sandwichglassmuseum.org/]Sandwich”>http://www.sandwichglassmuseum.org/), [Heritage</a> Museums and Gardens Celebrating the American Spirit](<a href=“http://www.heritagemuseumsandgardens.org/]Heritage”>http://www.heritagemuseumsandgardens.org/) or <a href=“http://www.thorntonburgess.org/ThorntonBurgessMuseum.htm[/url]”>http://www.thorntonburgess.org/ThorntonBurgessMuseum.htm&lt;/a&gt;)
I also love the museum and beach near the Salt Pond Visitor Center, but it is a major schlepp from Boston. [Cape</a> Cod National Seashore - Visitor Centers (U.S. National Park Service)](<a href=“http://www.nps.gov/caco/planyourvisit/visitorcenters.htm]Cape”>Visitor Centers - Cape Cod National Seashore (U.S. National Park Service))</p>

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<p>I think you misunderstood me. I never said to skip New York City. I said that the Fourth of July is not a good day to do the tourist-y stuff. Many people who live there head up state or elsewhere for the holiday, so the people in the city are mostly tourists who will want to do the touristy stuff, plus many things are flat out closed. For example let’s say you wanted to go to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. You need to stand on a line of hundreds of people on a good day for tickets. On the fourth of July how many people visiting the city will decide to go to the Statue of Liberty? You will stand in line with all of them. If you take an extra day before or after in the city, it could work.</p>

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<p>The tornado in Springfield did not affect the highway or the Basketball Hall of Fame. Amherst and Northampton were not impacted at all. Stay in that area rather than Springfield proper. Definitely check out Northampton for a fun town full of shops, galleries, and supposedly more restaurants per capita than anyplace else in the country. Big vegan crowd - so every restaurant offers several options. Amherst and Northampton are not on the edge of a big city, but are great college towns. Because it is half way between NY and Boston, a fun place to visit, and has a critical mass of close to 50K college students, many musicians and performers come through on a regulas basis. It is also ony 45 minutes or so from Tanglewood.</p>