Hello! I am a rising senior studying in NY.
I am planning a college tour to several colleges, but it is becoming really difficult, because my parents live in a different country and I don’t know how to drive (though I can ask them to come or ask my sister to drive me around.)
How do people do college tours?
There are many colleges I like so far, and they are all over the place (California, Texas, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, Maryland, Missouri, and Rhode Island). Some of them are not exactly near an airport, and I would have to take a small airplane or drive hours to get there.
Even though I can choose to go to only some of the states, I think a college visit will play a big role in deciding where I would want to apply for ED.
Do you drive? Take airplanes? How long does the trip usually take? Would they cost a lot?
How long would it take to get your driver’s license?
That was mostly in jest. It is possible to use trains/planes/buses in the urbanized east coast although it can be time consuming. It’s more complicated in Texas or California where car travel is more the norm.
You have probably done this before, but there are many campus tour videos on youtube that can give you a preliminary idea.
You can also reconcile yourself to the fact that you won’t be able to see all of them.
Even on the West Coast and maybe in Texas (never been there), there should be some form of transportation you could take, like a bus, to get to the more out-there colleges from airports or even from further-away cities if you would be willing to endure long transit times.
Try doing a Google search for “(mode of transit) (place of college coming from OR nearest airport to college going to) to (place of college going to)”.
The first thingI would do is to tour some nearby colleges…A large one and a small one, an urban and a rural, a public and a private …see what appeals to you.
Next I would try to see if any of your friends are going to be doing tours and try to tag along if possible.
Then I would tour the Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, Maryland, and Rhode Island ones as they are drivebable.
Please dont’ tell me these are UPenn, Columbia, Harvard and Brown…make sure to spend more time investigating schools that match your GPA/SAT.
Finally, if you get into the California school, at that point do an admitted student’s day.
But first, talk to your parents and ask how much they can pay per year for college.
Choose your collegs based on that.
@mamaedefamilia
I am over sixteen years old, though I am not planning to get my driver’s license soon. I would probably take bus or taxi in the east coast area, and I will look at tour videos!
@bopper
Thank you for the details! I go to a boarding school, so the school provides transportation, or I take taxis/buses.
Honestly, I was not thinking about any Ivy Leagues, and Harvard is not the only university in Massachusetts. I just like states by coastline. I will make sure to find schools that match my GPA/SAT and talk with my parents.
I will make sure to find schools that match my GPA/SAT and talk with my parents.