<p>My Junior D is interested in visiting Emory, Wake Forest, William and Mary, U Richmond. Any suggestions for order, time of year, insights or comparisons on schools, etc. We are from New England and I just don't know much about the "personalities" of these southern schools. Thanks.</p>
<p>Hi Movinmom -- With respect to time of year for all of these schools, I think April is the best month (if she wants to visit this year) or late September/early October (if you are planning way ahead). Beautiful time of the year -- visiting in Summer will have the downside of being hot and less activity on campus. I'm not a big fan of May visiting, because many schools will be heading into finals.</p>
<p>With respect to order, these are all pretty much in a continous line, so there's no "loop". I would suggest driving all the way down to Emory and working your way back up, Atlanta-Winston-Salem-Richmond-Williamsburg. You could go from Winston-Salem to Williamsburg and then to Richmond, but I think the Winston-Salem to Williamsburg would be a long day. </p>
<p>I don't have any in-depth knowledge of these schools, and others on this board should be able to give you more insight (check out the forums for individual schools), but my general impressions are:</p>
<p>Wake: Nice campus, fairly conservative student body. Active fraternity/sorority scene. The city has attractions, but I really wouldn't classify it as a typical "college" city. </p>
<p>Emory: Interesting location in an "eclectic" part of Atlanta. Campus is just okay, but the surrounding area has a lot of fun things to do. More diverse campus environment than Wake or Richmond (don't know about W&M).</p>
<p>Richmond: An attractive campus in a suburban area. Pretty far from the "real" Richmond (a great city). Supposedly still has some of their old stereotype "University of Rich Men" feel. </p>
<p>William & Mary: Don't know much about the school, except that everyone I've met who went there absolutely loved it. Williamsburg is very nice, but it's really got to be a little weird living in a place that is mainly a historical re-enactment. </p>
<p>That's about all I know, I'm sure others will be much more helpful.</p>
<p>MovinMom: I agree with Iderochi that April is probably the best time, and definitely not the summer. And if you're driving, my suggestion would be to stop at each school on the drive down. And on your return drive back to NE--since you will have already seen every campus--if you want to re-visit any for a second look, it would be easy to do so. That way, you get to see the campuses twice if you want.</p>
<p>Jack, that is actually a very good idea, and is better than my idea of driving all the way down and then heading north.</p>
<p>Also, for anybody that's interested, there's a nice (free) online trip planning tool at the Rand Mcnally website. It's not as widely used, but I've found it to be better than Mapquest or Yahoo! Maps or MSN.</p>
<p>Ooh, let me think. I agree with lderochi on time of year. There is no loop, and the problem is that drive from Atl through Charlotte to Wake is a killer drive (not distance, traffic, lots of big trucks, a stretch of very overloaded interstate), then on to Richmond is only slightly better - I drove it twice last year, and when I got to Durham, I wanted to get out and kiss the concrete.
Where in NE are you coming from? My best suggestion is to do Richmond/ W&M on the way down (you can do a lightning visit in one day if you must), then Wake and Emory, and drive back up the western route, so you miss the Durham, Richmond DC, Baltimore, etc traffic, it looks further but goes faster. I don't have a map here, but it is about 117 miles from Atl to Chattanooga, that detour is worth it to miss all that traffic, depending on how far east you have to go after you get to Penn.
The reason I would do them on the way down is that you are fresher and not as ready just to get home, Emory won't get a fair shake after that drive - trust me! Alternatively, you can drive down the western way, and drive back through the colleges.
I would also recommend taking a day or 2 in the Richmond/Williamsburg area - go to Busch gardens or Kings Dominion, or visit one of the historical areas</p>
<p>Also, I would suggest visiting Davidson, while you are all the way down at Wake. The 2 schools are close together, you'll go right past Davidson on the way to Wake. It is smaller than the other schools, but not that much smaller. Furman is another close detour school on your route, and is very comparable to Wake and Richmond.</p>
<p>Yes...Cangel makes a good point, too. Don't really know the types of schools you're interested in, but I am assuming from your list-- private and relatively small....even so, if you're gonna make this kind of trip, definitely take in Davidson, but also perhaps UNC-CH and Duke? Maybe not that comparable to the other schools, but certainly worth a look since you'll be in the area (sort of)..</p>
<p>Thank you for the insights. I am coming from Maine so I am actually thinking of flying to one location - maybe Atlanta????- renting a car and leaving from another. With work and a few other kids time is precious. Also D plays a spring sport, etc. so we will have to be efficient! Davidson is a great idea. Any others we should fit in while we are in the "area?"</p>
<p>Movimom, gosh now you've opened up the floodgates -- let's see. Based on the schools you've already listed, I would agree with Furman and Davidson. Maybe Duke and Washington and Lee. UNC-CH, but that may be too large, based on the fact that UVA wasn't already on your list. If the schools you mentioned are your good match schools, then there are a lot of good schools that would merit a look as safeties: Elon, Guilford, Greensboro College, Salem College (in Winston-Salem), James Madison, Mary Washington. I like UNC-Asheville as an underated school (public, but really a small liberal arts college -- and Asheville is a great college town). Hampden-Sydney, Lynchburg. The list goes on. </p>
<p>Also, flying in and driving makes sense if the drop-off fee doesn't kill you. It would give you more time to visit, obviously.</p>
<p>Washington and Lee is a little out of your way but it's such a great school to have on your list given the others there. lderochi actually had lots of wonderful suggestions. </p>
<p>You might consider flying to Charlotte because you'll have good connections via USAirways (it's their major hub, and I know they fly to Maine!)</p>
<p><<lderochi actually="" had="" lots="" of="" wonderful="" suggestions="">></lderochi></p>
<p>Thanks hoedown. I have a Sophomore S who is looking almost exclusively at VA, NC and SC (with three exceptions: Oklahoma State, Muhlenberg and UConn -- who knows how teenage minds work?), so I am becoming intimately familiar with this area. I am impressed with the large number of quality LACs, as well as some good public colleges/universities that aren't too large. </p>
<p>Movinmom -- have a good trip, but we expect to receive a nice trip report in return for the advice :) ! Also, I just noticed that I recommended Hampden-Sydney (all-male) for your D! Ooops, sorry.</p>
<p>lderochi, I worked in Admissions at a small LAC in VA and one year I was the "hostess" for a guidance counselor bus tour of liberal arts colleges in VA. We hit about half of them; it's amazing what they have to offer and I know NC (and SC too, though I'm less familiar) has a similar bounty. As a student I spent a LOT of time at W&L and H-SC (more than my parents need to know) and came to know them well.</p>
<p>We should probably throw College of Charleston on poor movinmom's list--any excuse to go eat in Charleston.</p>
<p>Agreed! But unfortunately Charleston is just SO out of the way!</p>
<p>My d will graduate from W & M in May. It's been an excellent experience for her (a very good fit for academics and social life), and the problems one might have expected from a state school were minimal. </p>
<p>Lots of places to stay in Williamsburg, of course, but I highly recommend the Hospitality House, which is across the street from the football stadium (hey, W & M had an excellent team last year and almost made the finals in its division). It's nicely run/appointed, and is only about a block away from the Admissions office, so you don't have to worry about parking. I think you'll get a discounted rate if you mention visiting the school. The hotel is also within walking distance of Colonial Williamsburg in case you're interested. You can visit the shopping district, across the street from another end of campus, without paying CW admission - you can even walk around the colonial area and check out the exteriors, landscaping, etc. without a ticket. (Wear good shoes if you do this.). </p>
<p>For a glimpse of student social life, you can go to the Green Leafe, which is right next door to the Hospitality House - popular hangout for over-21s after 9 PM and other students at other times. Several delis (de facto pubs) ring the campus.</p>
<p>There's actually a good deal more to Williamsburg than the historical re-enactments. It's an interestingly quirky place, essentially a tourist town with all the attendant attractions that happens to have an excellent university alongside. We've visited several times and have never been able to see all we're interested in.</p>
<p>Movinmom's head is spinning now! Emory is kind of out on its lonesome! Agnes Scott and Oglethorpe are two small Atlanta LACs that you might want to at least investigate on the computer.
Flying into Atlanta or Charlotte and out of DC is definitely preferable if you can make the finances work out. Of your multitude of choices, look closely at Elon, Mary Washington and Furman as safety (Furman may be a match rather than a safety) choices that fit best with the original list and are on the route. Salem and Agnes Scott are womens' colleges, Davidson and W&L are wonderful selective LACs that are as selective or even more selective than schools on your list, Guilford is less conservative than some of the other schools, James Madison is larger and COllege of Charleston is more of a detour.
We did this last summer and it is tough balancing time with desire to look at reach schools and the importance of including safeties.</p>
<p>Cangel -- tell me about it. My head is already spinning just thinking of next year's travel (though we may try to knock a few visits off now and during summer vacation near Charleston). I'm seriously thinking of not vising ANY reaches until after acceptances. I know that will make it difficult for S to figure out where to apply, but the Internet is a wonderful thing. My concern is that I don't want S falling head over heels in love with a reach school -- it's a reach for a reason. I think it's more important to decide on great safeties. The good news is, the school my S is presently enamored with is actually a safety, based on his grades/PSAT score. But there's plenty of time . . .</p>
<p>lderochi, you know that's a personality dependent thing. If my child was inclined to fixate on one school, I think that would be a great approach. My daughter's personality and experience was such that she didn't allow herself to fall in love with any school until that last unbearable 2 weeks waiting for the ED decision, when I think she couldn't help but be a little anxious.</p>
<p>Her approach to safeties, though would not have meshed with your concerns - after she visited the first safety level school, and liked it, that was it - no more safety visits! After all, if I can't get in, how can it be a safety?! After we finished visiting, she realized she hated visits, and said she should have just applied. Of course before we visited, she didn't want to apply to any school that she hadn't visited! If your son will do enough research, or if he trusts you enough to apply to schools you suggest, based on his likes/dislikes/proposed major and a couple of visits - visiting after may be the best way. Of course I know a number of kids in DD's class who now are scrambling trying to visit, not sure which schools they will be accepted to, trying to coordinate with prom, sports, and senior parties - April visiting has a downside,too.</p>
<p>Our family visited most of these schools on April vacation from Massachusetts on the way to visit S. Carolina in-laws. We did a W&L drive- by, and then Wake and Davidson on the way south. Check the dates though because these schools had a long week-end over Easter that meant we did not get "official" admin. office tours. I think their break is early this year so it may not be a problem. While poking around without an offical tour, we were still able to find students to ask questions of at the student center.</p>
<p>On the way home we did UNC-CH, Duke, W& M, and UVa.</p>
<p>We saved Emory for a separate trip, flying on a cheapie Air Tran trip and staying with relative who live 3 minutes from campus.</p>
<p>Am happy to give more details on impressions. Email me.</p>
<p>movinmom - We are from your area and did some different Southern schools (Rice, Tulane) by plane. Agree on all the timing recommendations - we went in June and hot and muggy was the rule. We did fine on the actual school tours, but weather made it hard to feel like doing a lot more.</p>
<p>My key point would be the "Southern" school consideration - some of these schools are "in" the South, but not "of" the South. Others are very "Southern." I know one girl from here, who happened to go to Wake, who found it "too Southern" and not a good fit (in her estimation) for someone not part of the "Christian" community. Not saying this is an issue for you and your D, but just wanted to bring up that some schools in the South have a cosmopolitan feel, apparently, and some very regional or "cultural" with South being the culture.</p>
<p>If you think this could be a factor for you, you can get feedback from others here as to which schools are which. There has been some discussion on other threads, but I don't recall where. I recall that Tulane was in the "not Southern" category and that Wake was in the "Southern" category. Obviously, this is a matter of opinion, but worth the heads up, I think, if it might matter to you and D.</p>
<p>I concur about your theories on the Southern Schools. I would say that blah blah blah</p>
<p>Movinmom:
Get a good map of Atlanta! Every other street is named Peachtree. I visited Oglethorpe & Emory with my D, and was lost more times than I care to admit. Emory is in a beautiful suburban area, with a couple of hotels nearby. Otherwise Buckhead is a nice area to stay in with lots of restaurants & shopping (if you have time!) Oglethorpe is on a main road north of downtown & easy to find. It's less selective than
Emory & much smaller.</p>