<p>Good question. We silly guys and gals used to wear sneakers in all weather. I’m older and wiser. But the typical college students in the Boston area continue to wear sneakers in all weathers–that is, if they’re not from CA and wear flip-flops even in winter.</p>
<p>I visited Midwestern colleges in the dead of winter, and the sidewalks were absolutely clear of snow within minutes of a snowfall. In Cambridge, snow and slush are left to accumulate. The brick sidewalk in front of my own home is uneven and traps water that turns into ice in cold weather while the street corners develop into large puddles.
But I would not live somewhere else!</p>
<p>I used to wear those Chinese Maryjane type cloth shoes all winter long. You could feel the cold right through those things, but I didn’t do alot of standing around, it never bothered me that much. I miss them. You used to be able to buy them everywhere, but now I only see them in Chinatown.</p>
<p>I don’t consider winter too bad a time to visit, it really does let you see how well the public indoor spaces for the students work. We liked the student union building at Vassar. Very few kids sitting alone. Decent snack type food (including some healthy choices), bookstore in the same building.</p>
<p>I live in AZ and I’m going to CT in about a week or so. I figure I might as well experience something colder than what I’m used to if I’m going to apply to a school in the NE. I’d go when it’s colder so you know what it’s like.</p>
<p>p’girl,
I’ve stated before that I’m not a big fan of Philly. I think it’s going to look crummy there no matter when you visit. Hard to put lipstick on a pig. I wouldn’t worry too much about when you go.</p>
<p>As for your comment about 4 seasons, I’m sure you know that nearly all of the northern climes that you’re looking at won’t give your kids 4 seasons. Depending on how far north you are, spring arrives in mid-April or later. In other words, your kids won’t have much spring beyond the occasional nice day here and there. A good clue to this is when the colleges play their home openers in baseball. I know that you have no interest in attending, but it is telling when a school won’t schedule any home games til late March or later. </p>
<p>Finally, a slight appeal for some geographic balance in your search. Looking at some colleges in the Sunbelt might be a good contrast with what they are seeing in Philadelphia and other glamourous spots in the Northeast. Ever thought of visiting Texas (Rice) or Tennessee (Vanderbilt) or Louisiana (Tulane) or Georgia (Emory) or North Carolina (Duke/Wake/U North Carolina/Davidson)?</p>
<p>Digression here but that is as silly comment about Philadelphia. It has some lovely sections and a lot of history–also really nice suburbs. It compares very well to most other cities its size and age and complexity. This been a very pleasant and probably constructive thread and there is no reason to go negative–especially since it isn’t justified by facts! (And I say that as an enthusiastic fan of North Carolina in general and Davidson in particular–but even I will admit that Philadelphia is a city in a way that sweet Charlotte for all her charms is not.)</p>
<p>But I would emphasize again that a well-run admissions office (and visitors with a positive outlook) can make just about any visit a success and present/see a school in a positive light–so plan your exploratory trips with your junior to fit your schedule and, as noted, avoid the colleges’ spring break if at all possible.</p>
<p>mattmom,
Sorry but students/families aren’t coming to visit the Philly suburbs or the local history—they’re coming to visit the Philly schools. Villanova is in the 'burbs so maybe that’s an exception, but comparing the physical space around places like U Penn, Temple, Lasalle, even St. Joseph’s, I doubt many would find those areas “really nice.” Furthermore, there’s a reason why Philadelphia struggles to retain its college graduates (for contrast, look at Boston) and that lack of retention is a major ongoing strategic loss for the city and region. </p>
<p>Compare Philly’s college environments to the physical space around Rice, Vanderbilt, Tulane, U North Carolina, Davidson and that makes for a pretty sharp difference. I will stop at the Durham area close to Duke; it ain’t very attractive. But Duke’s campus is mostly insulated from that in a fashion dissimilar from what one would find in Philly. Sorry, but we disagree.</p>
<p>Actually I believe the OP does intend to visit some of the suburban schools and was using the term “Philly schools” loosely. Bryn Mawr, Haverford, Swat, and Villanova all rate as “really nice” at worst, even in the gray, rainy days that are likely to mark late February.</p>
<p>The stone houses around Swarthmore, Haverford and Bryn Mawr had me ready to pack my bags and move. I thought the neighborhoods breathtaking, and I don’t usually like suburbs.</p>
<p>When the family in question moved into one in the movie MARLEY AND ME I cheered.</p>
<p>It’s true. Rundown, northern inner cities can be problematic, but we have to figure out a way to restore these downtowns and not abandon them. I think UPenn is quite attractive, and the area is not alienating to me.</p>
<p>My D is very unhappy in Atlanta. As a New Yorker she feels its one strung out suburb. I think that’s a bit harsh, but she’s a very urban girl. She would take Philly over the places Hawette favors.</p>
<p>To my D, if you can’t walk, it’s not a city.</p>
<p>But, I too, digress.</p>
<p>And it’s fine to differ.</p>
<p>We do have an amazing array of choices for college, so most students should be able to find a school that meets most of their criteria.</p>
<p>I do know that two years ago Williams accepted students weekend was during a really intense N’oreaster, and that the matriculation rate did not seem to suffer.</p>
<p>If it’s the right school, the weather will probably not matter. For the wrong student, Williamstown is going to look like a one light town on the most beautiful summer day.</p>
<p>I’m not looking “at Philly” (which, btw, my kids are familiar with since I’m from there and they’ve visited relatives there over the years). I’m looking at Bryn Mawr and Haverford. Two of the most beautiful college campuses in the entire country.</p>
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<p>These are the same climates that they’ve grown up in, so why this is a big deal? </p>
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<p>I thought I was pretty clear in my kids’ criteria in my threads. It seems that your overall preference for Southern, big-sports-big-school-spirit is causing you to recommend a bunch of schools that come out of nowhere given their criteria AND their stats (which aren’t Duke / Vandy etc level).</p>
<p>D is looking for small, laid-back, quieter, non-party-oriented LAC’s. None of the schools you pulled above fit the bill with the possible exceptions of Davidson (which is indeed on her radar because niece goes there, and a good reminder on your part) and maybe Rice.</p>
<p>The schools you listed are all fine schools, but most of them are reachy for both of my kids given their stats – and the schools you listed for them to consider just feel like “large universities pulled from the near-top of the USNWR list.” I would understand those recommendations more if their lists looked like the traditional Ivy-type lists that dominate discussion on CC. I do appreciate your thoughts though!</p>
<p>Someone may have already said this, but late Feb-early March IS when spring hits DC–the only thing I miss as a transplant to New England is forsythia blooming in February!</p>
<p>Hawkette - I’m realizing that maybe you didn’t read my 2 other threads (one on each kid) which I think many of the others responding to this thread did. </p>
<p>I have zero objections to my kids looking in any part of the country, but I don’t see a need to add a school in the south just for the sake of seeking warmer weather. </p>
<p>They did tour Tulane on a family trip to NOLA, and frankly, 80-90 degree heat in September was a big negative to them – just as snowstorms might be a negative to a student from the south.</p>
<p>My kids each toured their ultimate first choice schools in pretty dismal weather - Northwestern on a brutally cold day (but as you know that’s an accurate portrayal of winter there) and Colgate in a blizzard (also an accurate portrayal). </p>
<p>The worst tour I went on with either kid was at Wesleyan on a frigid February day - the tour NEVER went inside a single building. We came close a couple of times only to be cruelly denied. My younger son and I bolted the tour probably about halfway through as it passed near our car. Maybe that was just that particular tour guide?! The info session at Wesleyan was great so the school stayed on son’s list.</p>
<p>Philly may indeed have a problem retaining college students versus Boston (I don’t know, I’ll take your word for it) but given that the topic of my thread was about visiting places in colder weather, not about comparing large cities to one another or about the likelihood of staying in the place where one goes to college, I don’t know that Philly’s issues retaining college students is particularly germane to it.</p>
<p>OK, this wasn’t my thread purpose, but we’re drifting here, so what the heck. Bostonians / Massachusettsians (?), how would you reco seeing these places (in what order, etc): Tufts, Brandeis, Wellesley, possibly BU, Clark, Smith, Mt Holyoke? And please don’t add in Harvard or MIT or Amherst. I know those places exist but they aren’t on our radar screen, LOL.</p>
<p>p’girl,
Sorry to get this off-track—my earlier comments were intended for the more urban campuses of the Philly area. I’m with you on Bryn Mawr and Haverford. Very pretty schools in Philly’s best suburbs and each with easy access to the city via commuter train. I’ll be interested to read your impressions. </p>
<p>As for the schools that I mentioned, I would concur with the thought that places like Duke, Vandy, UNC, are typically not places that share applicants with places like Bryn Mawr and Haverford. Davidson, however, is. Wake might and it is less reachy and has something of a LAC feel to it. </p>
<p>BTW, I think you’re smart to visit these schools during the year and during periods when the weather may be most objectionable. Your Tulane discovery is a perfect example of that and helped you cross it off the list. </p>
<p>mythmom,
Sorry you child is unhappy in Atlanta. As major cities go, it’s ok, but overall not an especially attractive or charming city with a nice urban center like you’d find in Boston. Atlanta is definitely much more spread out. I have heard your complaint before, particularly from Northerners looking for something resembling things back home. Hopefully, things will improve for her. </p>
<p>cadence,
If late Feb/early March in DC is spring for you, then I guess you must’ve found April positively balmy and June/July/August uninhabitable. I think you’re about a month early. Average DC hi in March is only 56 with average low of 37. I guess folks have different thresholds for weather, but mid-50s, often with blustery winds, is not exactly shorts and sandals weather.</p>
<p>Yes, niece goes to Davidson and I’ve asked them to consider it. Wake’s a perfectly nice college, but it doesn’t have anything that isn’t already more than covered in their lists, and I don’t see a need to add a southern school just for the sake of having one be southern. It needs to fit criteria and make sense. </p>
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<p>I sometimes think I must post in Swahili :-). My concern was never that the weather at any of the Northern schools would ever be “objectionable” <a href=“these%20are%20Chicago%20kids!”>i</a>* or that it would misrepresent a campus to have them visit it in warm weather when for a good chunk of the year it’s cold. <em>That’s not a concern.</em> My question was whether cold weather would inhibit or impede the ability to get the full feel of the campus. </p>
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<p>Right, but shorts and sandals aren’t signs of spring either. That goes by the name of summer :-).</p>
<p>Of course it’s always nice to stroll around a campus when it’s sunny, 72 degrees and flowers are in bloom, but the only thing that will be different from a winter visit will be the scenery. The programs will be the same, the students will be the same and the facilities will be the same. In a nutshell, hearty Chicago kids should not have their ability to get the feel of a campus impeded by a winter visit. The feel of the campus in winter is probably much more representative of the true campus culture and and will give a better sense of student life. Unless it’s blizzard like, you’ll be able to walk around outside, explore and get a sense of the campus atmosphere. Since the weather will be nothing new to them, your kids should be able to look right past it and see the school for what it is and get a real feel of life there. After a few minutes on campus, I don’t think grey skies will be a factor. You can never predict the weather and oftentimes spring in the northeast means rain and mud, not very appealing either. </p>
<p>Two of mine chose schools they visited under much less than desirable conditions, one of which was during a freak spring mini blizzard with pelting sleet! Sometimes you just have to go, when you can go. Have this same discussion with your kids and express your concerns. I’ll bet they say it won’t be a problem. Remember, these visit are just to window shop, buying will come next year. Your kids sound great, enjoy the visits and your time together.</p>