Help with college visits New England - needed this weekend

Parents Forum
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<p>Few comments, IMHO:
2 visits a day can be done - but you & your family have to be ready for it - think of it like training for a marathon or DisneyWorld LOL.
If your child does not buy into this schedule or want to see one of these places you are in for a lot of grumbling and complaining. This will test how well your family gets along and your flexibility/humor (may even provide a good essay topic).
9 visits 5 days for “reaches” (my opinion!!) is not worth the stress - but than again my daughter has to be dragged to even see schools she wants to attend. I would not even attempt with my husband or younger kids - we do not have the temperament (pretty much meaning me - I would not have the patience or could put up with the complaining).
Reaches we visited: were ones that we thought were a little more hopeful for us; factors like - admissions rate, SAT optional (my daughter does not test well), interviews mattered for app., GPA, have really strong department in her intended major (enviro science & international studies) just seemed to be more open to accept the type of student my daughter is (nothing scientific). We also combined reaches with safeties and definite during a visit so we could compare the “type” during the one visit. For instance we combined Amherst (REACH) Mt Holyoke (maybe-reach), UMass Amherst (definite/safety) and University of Vermont (definite) in one visit. My daughter found that even though on paper UMass Amherst seemed perfect she did not like the institutional, big school look & feel (which I sort of knew - but she needed to find out for herself). I think it hit her a little more because of the differences between Amherst, Mt Holyoke, UVM and UMass were fresh in her mind. She loved Amherst (her chances are slim to none and slim just caught the last train out - LOL). From that trip she will apply to Mt Holyoke & UVM. </p>

<p>Anyway when we visited 2 schools in one day - I mapped & printed everything out & confirmed length of appts.
I would rather drive at night and be close to my morning appt. (don’t have to worry as much about traffic - time constraints).
We stayed in hotels with easy access (not the time to find the place on some quaint side street or have to arrange a special late check in because you got lost/stuck in traffic). I am not knocking small local places - but not when you’re are busy.
Having a hotel that includes a continetial breakfast helps - grab coffee some cereal/yogurt/whatever & you are on your way (don’t have to try & find a place & wait for your order). We have had good experiences with Holiday Inn Express (unless there are bad reviews - look at Travelocity or Trip Advisor). </p>

<p>This would be my Itinerary:</p>

<p>Princeton visit 10-12
drive to Poughkeepsie about 2.5 - 3 hour drive
Vassar visit 3-5</p>

<p>grab a bite to eat -
to drive to Williamstown about 2.5 hour drive
check into hotel</p>

<p>Williams visit 10 - 12
drive to Amherst 2 hours
Amherst 3-5 </p>

<p>grab bite to eat (Amherst is nice)
drive to Worcester 1.5 hours
check into hotel</p>

<p>Holy Cross 10-12
drive to Cambridge 1.5 hours
Harvard 3-5</p>

<p>grab something to eat
drive to Providence 1.5 hours
check into hotel </p>

<p>Brown 10-12
Drive to Middletown CT 2.5 hours (I would stay away from the coast route).
Wesleyan 3-5</p>

<p>Grab a bite to eat
drive to New Haven 45 min.
check into hotel
Yale 10-12
drive home (it’s Friday - stay away from the coast)</p>

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<p>^^^^ I am tired just listening to that schedule! When do you get to go to the bathroom or gas up the car (I am guessing those count as one combined stop :slight_smile: )</p>

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<p>I tried a college tour a lot less ambitious than this - 4 new england schools
in 3 days and came back exhausted and sick. I think you get more out of it
if it’s done at a slower pace.</p>

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<p>Go for it. I did a similar trip last September. We started in Boston visited friends and drove to Providence next day, visited Brown, spent the night on campus at Stafford House. Next day left for Yale spent 1/2 day there and drove to Amherst spent the night and toured Amherst and Hampshire the next day, then drove on the Williamstown, spent the night, toured 1/2 day at Williams, then did a LONG drive to Ithaca met sister for dinner, spent the night and toured Cornell and Ithaca the next day drove to Clinton NY that night spent the night and toured Hamilton the next day (could have squeezed in Colgate but son decided not to). Drove from Clinton NY to Sturbridge MA, spent the night, stopped at the gift shop for some souvenirs and then drove to Boston to fly home to Portland OR. We toured eight colleges in seven days had awesome weather and a great father son time. I love going to colleges and I also like driving so for me it was no problem, it was a tight schedule but not overwhelming. The main thing is being able to schedule things around tours/interviews. I like the idea of driving after the visit and then hitting the tour fresh and that seemed to work best. It was a worthwhile trip in that my son ended up applying to three of the schools and getting and accepting a very good “package” to Hampshire. My wife, son and I will be flying back Sept 1st to settle him in. I look forward to doing something similar for my daughter next.</p>

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<p>We did two colleges in a day on several occassions. It was fine. Just have it all planned out first… which you are clearly doing. When you live far away and money is tight, you just can’t afford the luxury of seeing one college in a day. Plus, there’s just too much dead time for my tastes. Go for it. Have a great trip!</p>

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<p>Brown has guest rooms on campus - try to see if they have any available… </p>

<p>Honestly, I can’t imagine visiting more then one school per day (but we visited during the school year, so the kids could sit on classes… Could be different in the summer…)</p>

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<p>Thanks everyone for your suggestions. By the way, we were driving to Vassar and I realized we are basically driving by Princeton so figured why not stop in. I doubt if we can make the tour for that one, but we can visit the campus. It’s kind of unfortunate we have to cram so much in, but because of time constraints we do. We either see these schools or we don’t. Any of these schools would be a possiblity for my son, but of course they are reaches just b/c they are reaches for virtually everyone. And who knows, we may change our tune as the week progresses. Thanks again for your help.</p>

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<p>We visited 5 out of 9 of the schools on your son’s list. My son, who ultimately graduated from Williams, liked Wesleyan, Brown and Yale very much and considered Amherst. You hardly need another suggestion, but I would posit Hamilton as in the same ilk.</p>

<p>I think you are underestimating the travel time and the time needed to even get a rudimentary “feel” for the place. We liked the one day, one school approach – take the tour, attend the info session, interview if offered, eat in the dining hall, take a look at the sites of interest not on the tour like museums, labs, sports facilities, generally wander around. (I fear at the end of your five days, you’ll be more like blurry than burry. :slight_smile: ) </p>

<p>I might suggest that you use the weekends – two Saturdays and two Sundays extend your trip by four days! Some schools do tours/sessions on the weekend.</p>

<p>As for places to stay, I’d highly recommend the Williamstown Bed & Breakfast. Charming, inexpensive and right on campus. We also went for a B&B in Providence – the Old Court, also well located. We chose an inexpensive motel in Amherst which was not so charming. Stayed in a resort, Old Saybrook Inn, in Connecticut which was within half an hour of all the schools. This worked out well as we were able to fit in some R&R along the way. A funny coincidence: it turned out the Yale alum who interviewed my son on campus had performed at the band concert we attended in Old Saybrook the night before!</p>

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<p>I’m going to suggest a way to make your trip a little less taxing if you’re committed to the two-a-day approach. Take the tours, spend a little time wandering on your own, or eating a meal on campus, but skip the info sessions, which aren’t terribly worthwhile. The speakers tend to repeat material available on the schools’ websites and in their printed materials, and all the sessions start to sound alike very rapidly—a sales pitch is a sales pitch. You can buy unofficial videos of the info sessions and tours for all the colleges on your list (they can be ordered online). While I don’t think the videos are good substitutes for actually walking around the campuses and chatting up students and staff, the info session portions of the videos are quite adequate, and if you have any questions that aren’t answered, you can always call the admissions office. If you don’t have to adhere to the info sessions schedules at each campus, you’ll have a lot more time and a lot more flexibility.</p>

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<p>Enjoy burry. I would love to visit all those schools again, but alas, my D just graduated and S is a rising junior at one of the schools you are looking at. It sure was a lot of fun going on those college visits.</p>

<p>I didn’t realize you were driving and going past Princeton. See it by all means. It’s gorgeous. I got to see a play there with my class in eighth grade and never forgot it.
Alas, it wasn’t co-ed when I was applying to college.</p>

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<p>I know this comment may not be helpful since you have a lot to accomplish. During our college visits, we occasionally did two schools in one day. We found that it was pretty much universal that D was least interested in the schools that were seen in this way. But then again in your case, all the schools on your list will be treated pretty much equally.</p>

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<p>when we did our east coast trip (originated from the mid-west) expectations were minimal. there were a lot of schools to visit in a short amount of time during spring break–many from your list. we did it all in the spirit of adventure. with over a dozen schools on our list we had to visit a couple a day when we could. it was a great experience for me, my junior aged son, and my freshman son. we took notes, discussed our impressions in run down motels and cafes, met some interesting students along the way, and never did the info sessions. motels were found on the fly without a problem. this happened with midwest, west coast, and east coast visits. for both kids it was a combination of seeing a school in person, talking with whomever we could (tour guides, students, and parents) and doing some research on the internet. it helped them immensely in making a decision. </p>

<p>happy journeys!</p>

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<p>When we were doing college visits with our second child, we didn’t even bother with info sessions or tours. Much of that info is available online, and can be checked in advance of your trip. And many schools have info to take home with the same info as the sessions.</p>

<p>We sometimes drove on a campus, and did things like sit on the green and watch students, or visited the bookstore to see what courses were really like. A couple of times, we even just drove on a campus and drove out. This daughter of ours verges on being psychic, and is very good at interpreting vibes.</p>

<p>When a school really seemed to be near the top of the list, she sampled classes or talked with a professor, but that was later in the game. </p>

<p>A summer visit is harder, because the students aren’t there. But I would encourage you to avoid being so thorough that you go to full info sessions and tours, on every single campus. This will be exhausting, and you won’t remember much from them, either- even with notes. Try to get the vibe, and try to focus on eliminating choices as well as confirming them.</p>

<p>Schools you also might consider (if you had more time):</p>

<p>Clark in Worcester MA (it is in “Colleges that Change Lives”)
Ct. College (someone else mentioned)
Bard (upstate NY, north of Vassar)
Hampshire (in Amherst, an alternative that can be clarifying)</p>

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<p>^^^ Am I psychic too, compmom, or did you post a post very similar to the one above earlier in the day, but then <strong>poof</strong>, it disappeared?</p>

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<p>I thought the Vassar info session was worth it, but none of the others.</p>

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<p>Giving a meaningful look at more than one college in one day is difficult unless they’re across the street from each other or thereabouts, e.g., Columbia/Barnard. You can check out the physical campus and do an info session or tour but that’s about it. Remembering our New England “death march,” it was something like:</p>

<p>Day 1: Harvard, drive to Smith
Day 2: Smith/Mount Holyoke
Day 3: Yale, drive to NYC
Day 4: Barnard/Columbia
Day 5: NYU</p>

<p>The OP’s tighter schedule leaves no time for the informal things like sitting in the campus center and soaking up the vibe and eavesdropping, having D/S approach other students and chat. It’s not that I dismiss the value of tours & info sessions but I think the informal stuff is complementary in a useful way.</p>

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<p>We found the information sessions very helpful to gaining understanding of the college – especially during the summer when the schools were not in session. Yes, there’s a certain similarity in the “sales pitch” but the points of differentiation are also significant. Usually the info session included both admissions personnel and current students. The way they presented their programs and the way they responded to questions revealed a lot about the philosophy and character of the school. </p>

<p>Also during the information sessions and in the on-campus interviews my son was able to meet admissions staff – directors in many cases – whom he stayed in touch with throughout the application process.</p>

<p>If you can’t add days and have no choice but to eliminate some visits then I’d suggest that you concentrate on the smaller schools where personality and demonstrated interest is important. That isn’t to say that Princeton, Harvard. Yale (and to a lesser extent Brown) shouldn’t remain on the application list, but unless an ED or SCEA is under consideration, for several reasons it’s workable to visit the super selectives after acceptance.</p>

<p>Good luck and be sure to come back and tell us what everyone thought.</p>

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<p>I agree strongly with momrath–the info sessions and tours aren’t just for information. They are for ambience and approach. Certainly facts and figures are available online, but there is something about sitting a a room listening to a member of the admissions staff that also gives a sense of personality–same for following a charming tour guide who is lightheartedly walking backward while describing campus habits, pointing out key buildings, and greeting friends. </p>

<p>It’s difficult to manage time on college trips, but in my experience visiting schools with two children, I’d say the interplay of tours and info sessions was pretty revealing and in some cases made the difference between applying and not applying. (I know you can also get a skewed impression but I think overall it’s worth the time to see and hear students and staffers in real life–reading between the lines will tell you a lot.)</p>

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<p>Differences between the info. sessions and tours at Williams and Amherst convinced DS he desperately wanted to go to Williams.</p>

<p>As similar as the schools looked on paper, he felt a very different vibe at the info. session. For him, Williams was more casual. I know others have have the opposite experience.</p>

<p>Therefore, for him the info session was an integral part of his decision making process.</p>

<p>And for the OP: We did do them on the same day and saw all the same people which was kind of fun.</p>

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<p>We sometimes have visited 2, 3 or 4 colleges in one day. We lived overseas, so we only had n amount of time per summer. Not optimal, but it can be done. The thing is, don’t stress if you miss info session or tour. Most colleges have info on self-guided tours, and if the kid likes the college well enough, he/she will apply, and then if accepted can always take a longer look during Accepted Students Weekend/CPW/Bulldog Days or whatever they call it. It gets tricky if those all fall on the same couple weekends, though!</p>

<p>Just a little advice, for what it’s worth – </p>

<p>Get a GPS, it will save you lots of time, but GPS might not like certain towns, such as Boston and Providence (we always have GPS problems in those cities). So make sure you have map back-up.</p>

<p>Enroll in hotel plans, such as Hilton High Honors or La Quinta Returns, or whatever. We have a bunch of these, and we get on their websites and book from there. You earn points, and it is cheaper in the long run. We always book hotels in between destinations, for instance Boston - New Haven, you might stay in Braintree; New Haven - NYC you might stay in Milford, CT. You can save hundreds of $, and get a suite instead of a room. If breakfast is included you save much time/money.</p>

<p>We found something fun to do besides college visits during those tours. Many of your choices are near the coast, see if you can take some time at the beach. If you stay near Williams, Williamstown has fabulous summer theater and their art museum is, by all accounts, terrific. </p>

<p>I never found the college-visiting junket particularly exhausting. It’s fun to look forward to seeing a new place, especially if your child might go to school there.</p>