<p>I'd suggest applying EA to school B, since it is "the only one that can justify going so far away from home."</p>
<p>I think the OP should just apply to the school closer to home ED (finances permitting). It sounds like he wants to go there, but is not sure because he has visited so few schools. IMO, when you apply ED you not only have to be sure that you want to go to the school, but also that you do want to go there more than any other school, which is tough for the OP because he hasnt seen the second place. People on this site talk about the best fit, but how can any applicant know what his/her best fit is without living on campus for a semester? I would say go where his/her mom wants him/her, and if s/he really hates it, hte OP can always transfer. Honestly, what can a visit tell you aside from that you like rural campuses, or love the urban feel, or hate big state universities' lack of attention to the induvidual student, or you feel like a LAC is too small. It cannot tell you if you like a school or not because you cannot know unless you have attended.</p>
<p>He can look at LACs that are similar around the area, so he'll be comfortable and less starry eyed...you'd be surprized at how tours of even schools you do not plan to apply to can help with respect to culling your list of factors affecting school choice.</p>
<p>I would suggest not commiting to ED, if you are not sure. Transfering tends to be harder than first year admissions unless it is a big school.</p>
<p>I understand that finances are a huge barrier for you to visit School B, both before and after applying. If that's so, though, I think you need to cross School B off your list entirely. These boards are full of threads from kids saying, "I was really in love with [Swarthmore, Harvard, Yale, Colgate, UCLA, Skidmore - pick one] until I visited and hated the atmosphere. Now I won't even apply." If you can't visit before you apply, and can't visit before you have to commit to attend, don't apply.</p>
<p>Also, factor this into your equation: If you can't afford to visit, can you afford to come home during the year? Does School B close its dorms during vacations (like winter or spring break) so that you must leave? If so, you must factor those travel costs into your costs of attendance. Any aid of any type (need based or merit) will not include your travel costs. If you cannot afford one trip now, how will you afford three trips next year and every year for the next four?</p>
<p>Chedva, my parents should be able to fly me home for winter, spring, and summer vacations. This is mostly true because I am flying by myself, rather than with one of my parents; the second ticket adds some cost and hotels are not cheap (but i dont plan to live in one while in college). It is not so much that we cannot afford to fly to school B, it is that the economics do not make sense, especially if I do not get in. If i get into school B, I will visit it on the admit day (or atleast during my spring break). My parents say that I do not need to see the campus anyways because they did not see any of the schools they applied to before they had to move in. Also, my parents would fly me home over the major vacations because they know what it is like to have to live at college year round.</p>