Have you thought of a trip to Union College, Hamilton College and/or Skidmore College in upstate NY. I have had similar kids and these were 3 they considered.
I would recommend you put Haverford in the PA/DC tour as it is literally down the road from Villanova and has standards and a feel somewhat similar to Vassar. I am however biased as my daughter will be a sophomore at HC and loved her first year. I would also mention that both Vassar and Bucknell are gorgeous schools with seemingly differing social scenes (Bucknel has more guys, frats and an engineering school) VC seems more artsy and liberal.
@westseattlemom, unless a Venari’s large cheese pizza is still $4.50, or the guy who owns the Marathon station is still making late night cheese steaks in the parking lot, I will certainly take Lewisburg dining advice!
@vincy1017, I thought about Hamilton a bit, since my son visited while in that area fora a visit to Colgate. Really, a lot of the “Dad List” will depend on what she likes out of this trip.
@bassplayer1960, same answer re Haverford. if the kid likes the smaller LAC vibe, as I think she will, then Haverford is for sure one to look at. We will have to see.
I’m making my way through this thread and want to respond to things now before I forget them. I’m conflicted by agreeing that keeping things “low-key” is smart, and also agreeing that if you’re driving many hours just trying to get a feel of several university settings you might as well add a few. I thought I’d tell you what we did on our similar trip last summer. We had the intention of visiting a few schools in earnest, but got tiny, enjoyable glimpses of others in this way:
We played chess in Washington Square Park, which was right by NYU and we walked through a portion afterward. We also thought it would be fun to collect a lanyard at as many schools as we could. It may sound/be totally superficial, but when we realized that we were in close proximity to a significant school, especially the Ivys, we took the necessary detour to find their bookstore and make a small purchase. The reality was that we were getting a small glimpse at each school and the surrounding town that was lighthearted and didn’t require deep thinking about whether or not it was what any of us wanted.
Re: Yale. New Haven did not impress us on our summer visit. But my son is an ambitious student and still applied to that and many other Ivys and second tier exclusive schools. Yale is one where he was accepted. When we went for Bulldog Days for accepted pre-frosh, my husband and I commented that we did not recognize the school from our summertime visit! It seemed vibrant, pleasant, safe and happy. Our son is going to Yale in the fall. Good luck at this exciting time.
@community2605, I like the idea of the lanyards. My son acquired a t shirt at each of the schools he visited, which was probably a bit more pricey, although he visited fewer schools. Of course, now he has a half dozen t shirts that he won’t wear, but hey it was a fun process. You are right, there are some places that are worth seeing just to see. Beinekie library at Yale, Harvard Yard, Blair Arch at Princeton, the Low Steps at Columbia, the Green at Dartmouth etc. Some of that stuff is just cool to see even if the kid has no interest in applying to the school.
And I think you express the issue succinctly. How to be efficient with our time and yet still make it a fun trip for our daughter. We will see how we do after next week!
I realize you have already read more comments than you probably want about lodging in NYC…but if the cost is not completely prohibitive, I would stay in Manhattan and drive up to Fordham. Driving in NYC is not awful. The traffic can be awful, but I think Boston and DC present more challenging city driving, at least for the uninitiated. Drivers in NYC stop on the red b/c they will be run down by those waiting for the opposite light to turn green. It is fairly orderly, at least in midtown and uptown.
I have lost track a bit. Will you be heading out for another college (Wes/Yale) immediately after touring Fordham OR will you be heading back into Manhattan to tour around?
Being able to drive to Fordham would provide the opportunity to tour the surrounding area. While a vast improvement from 25 years ago, the immediate area does not look much like the campus or Botanic Gardens.
Parking in NYC can run you $50/day if you drive a large SUV, but I would pay for the convenience of being able to unload my car at my hotel, and then I would just spend less on food or something to justify the parking. But that is me…
I haven’t found New Haven to be as terrible as I had heard it described. Granted, I drive during daylight hours to a specific building on campus, or the swimming pool, or the hospital, but I haven’t felt threatened along the way. Lost and a little confused, yes, b/c the GPS sends me the wrong way down one-way streets, but safe.
It sounds like you have a wonderful trip planned and I can’t wait to read your reports.
@ct1417, I have driven in Manhattan before, although I generally prefer to park and cab it or take the train. I agree that driving in Boston (or LA, or Houston) is worse. My biggest concern is time, and the variability of traffic heading back to midtown from Fordham. We have a 2:00 tour and a 7:00pm curtain which likely puts me right into rush hour if I drive back to midtown from Fordham.
We did bumper stickers/decals rather than lanyards. After all the visits D bought a cork board/whiteboard type thingie and made a fun collage with the stickers and brochures/info she got on tour (or via mail) As she figured out where she would actually apply, and as acceptances came in she narrowed the schools on the board- until only “her school” was left. Still in her room now 
We also liked to pop in the bookstores and browse but my D never bought anything for fear of it being a jinx!
@toowonderful …ha ha…I like it, a “college collage” as it were
I’m probably one of the few, but I pay more attention to rankings and program. I know it’s quite subjective, but there are obvious thresholds when one is doing a comparison so it would become clear if school X is > school Y. Of course you get to decide those thresholds, too, but college campus looks shouldn’t be the primary guideline. So yeah, just pointing out that looks can be deceptive. You’re hopefully gonna be in class, the library, or the surrounding city most of the time.
Re#190:
On the other hand, given a plethora of eligible schools an applicant can apply to;
that are all evaluated by him/her to be within a relatively narrow range of comparability when evaluated by primary guideline, rankings and programs;
and often with different and competing excellences in areas he/she cares about, so it is by no means so clear that school X > school Y in a number of cases;
some people may find looks to be relevant. As yet one more factor among many.
Yes you are going to be in class, and the library. But you’re going to get to those places somehow. Those trips can be completely unnoteworthy. Or they can be dangerous, or depressing, Or they can be actually uplifting and inspirational, e.g. due to the natural beauty one passes through along the way. I’ve encountered examples of all of these during my own journeys through higher education. Environment can affect how one feels, and how one feels is not irrelevant. IMO.
I also think that “looks” aren’t necessarily what’s being discussed here. Yes, you’re seeing how things “look,” but those looks are telling you about the security of the school and area, the diversity/socio-economic generalities of the student body, whether or not the school cares about green spaces, the happiness of the students, etc. And that tells you a lot about how well one might fit in at a school. I think it’s a fine place to start, having already narrowed down to schools of a certain level with a strong theater department.
I don’t know if I agree with the “plan an escape” ploy. I did not like my school when I first went to visit (actually I was EXTREMELY disappointed in it) but I knew that it was the best fit for me overall because of the incredible journalism program I had heard about. So I enrolled, got my room, went through the motions, but wasn’t really excited. Then I went for Summer Orientation and I fell in love. I am SO EXCITED to be able to attend my dream school in the fall and I have no clue why I didn’t see the beauty before, not only in its greenery and botanic garden, but in the wonderful people. I’m just saying, tell your kid to give the schools a chance. Not everything is what it seems at first, and one that you may not have considered may be a perfect fit.
@TiggyB62 talking about jinx, I applied to 6 colleges and managed to find t-shirts for 5 of them at the thrift store. I always said that I’d end up going to the only one I didn’t find a t-shirt for. And guess what school I’ll be attending in the fall?? Hahaha. Sometimes life is just funny.
I could not agree more. I’ve been at Yale twice during the summer; uninspiring. Go during the school year and look at the smiling, engaged, happy, and friendly students. Is my bias showing?
Also, I strongly recommend having a potential applicant attend a student forum. IMO much more useful than one more info session (how many surprises have you had at an info session?) and in our experience more focused because the “tourists” who attend tours and info sessions are absent. This describes Yale’s approach, other schools probably have something similar:
@ohiodad51, you seem to have a good sense of humor - thought you might enjoy taking a look at this thread of funny tour stories. Hope y’all have a great trip -
Never bring your younger sibling. Last summer my little sister (7 at the time) was a nightmare during my tour of UNC and she was a nightmare during our tour of Maryland in the winter. If both of my parents are with me one of them just falls out and entertains her, but my dad doesn’t have as many vacation days as my mom so he usually has to go home on a trip before its done. Luckily when we are touring a college near the DC area we can leave her with family for the day.
I must confess never going to Venari’s, I’m a townie so it was La Casa all the way for us. Last time I visited I was college touring too and went to Reba and Poncho’s which I highly recommend. A big and pleasant surprise for Central PA food. It’s BYOB and PA still has terrible state stores so buy wine in NY or NJ before you get into PA. You will want a reservation too. Mercado Burrito seems to be a favorite of students. And you really must go to the Freez and if you are feeling nostalgic the Fence Drive In is still there. Good luck and enjoy the college tour time- it was one of my favorites with my kids.
I am an undergraduate and I went from growing up in the east coast, to attending my university in Ohio. The college process was difficult for me because I couldn’t decide whether I wanted a big university or a small campus feel. I attended a small high school and had a great experience so I thought a small college would be a great option for me but it turns out a bigger, more midsize university has been the perfect fit.
I have an older brother as well and I went with him on some of his college visits. He now attends Virginia Tech and every time I visit him, I am overwhelmed by the amount of people. My concern was how am I going to meet people? get around campus? Become just a number in class?
When it was time for me to pick a school, my parents made me create a checklist of what I wanted in a school & college experience, and qualities I didn’t want. At the time, I hated doing this but it was definitely necessary in choosing my school.
Once that was ready, we started visiting schools. There were schools I took one step onto the campus and knew immediately I did not want to go there. So, to answer your questions as a young college girl, that went through the process a couple years ago:
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I recommend talking to everyone and anyone. My mom would always stop people on the street and ask what they liked about the school and didn’t like. This made such a difference because you can tell a lot about the school if they hesitate or can’t think of anything to say. In the summer I would sit in a dining hall and observe. Yes, it is summer and it may be less crowded but you can still get a feel by acting like student and sitting down. Also a little tip, a lot of the schools you listed like Georgetown has a huge summer program. I know a lot of people living in Georgetown this summer and that might be a positive to show that people always want to be on campus.
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Four schools are not too much for a trip like this. You might as well get the tours over with, so she knows what she likes or doesn’t before starting the applications. One day for each tour is fine. Don’t be afraid to cut a tour short if she definitely knows she does not want to go there. Also have an nice dinner on campus or around the campus to take a break from the tour.
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To prepare: create a check list of likes and dislikes. For example, I knew I wanted a school with a definite campus and not a city- like feeling, therefore a lot of New York schools were ruled out. I also knew I wanted greek life so a lot of smaller schools were ruled out. Categories such as parking, didn’t matter to me. Then while on the tour, I hated being the girl that had a notepad (I thought it was weird and definitely didn’t want to look like a tourist). Therefore on my phone I would take notes on my iPhone notepad of things i liked such as “people looked mad” “no one is smiling” “campus is cute- they have flowers everywhere” “so many food options” “doesn’t have my major” This will help trigger memories in the future when actually applying.
If you have any questions about the schools you listed, you guys were visiting feel free to ask because I have many friends attending most of the schools you listed, so i might be able to give you some insight that you couldn’t get from a tour.