We’re taking D22 to admitted students’ days at between 2-5 schools, depending on how the dates line up. She’s scheduled for 3, but we may add 1 more, and we may remove one. We can drive to two of them, but one will be a flight. If we add the two others they’ll be flights, too. We’ll see how things shake out over the next few weeks!
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Probably just one at her top school which she has been admitted to. Possibly two at that school. I don’t think we’ll do another anywhere else. We already visited all the other schools.
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Son got first decision which is an acceptance! Feels so relieving. Not a first choice school (school is fine, just not urban like DS would like. Best of luck that all the kids find their fit.
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I was so relieved for my daughter to get an acceptance! She’s got a couple now so she will even have a choice!
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If your son is game for the 3 admitted visits, it sounds like a good plan, given his circumstances. An hour apart isn’t bad. I suppose there is a chance that one of them could ‘drop off’, so maybe think about the order, if it is flexible! And those three might even give him clarity on the others, in terms of size/location etc. I like the idea of not waiting for the reach to put more thought into the others.
This is a good point - “I like the idea of not waiting for the reach to put more thought into the others.”
Just because a school is the hardest for your child to get into, it doesn’t mean it’s the best in regards to fit, finances or otherwise. Often this can be detected when on campus.
Neither of my kid’s went to their reach - in fact, both are at safeties - but that’s what was the best “fit” for them and while as a parent it bothered me, it’s gratifying that both are extremely happy and engaged - and my son with his 2nd internship this summer.
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SO impressed by your scheduling @MAmom111! 3 in one weekend! I would love to knock them out like that, but my D likes to take things slower, and will not agree to more than one school per weekend. We’ve only got 3 to visit, so it’s not so onerous, but I would’ve been very happy to do 2 of them over her upcoming holiday weekend. What it ends meaning is that we’ll do admitted student events at 2 schools, and just a regular visit at another during her spring break. I’m not honestly sure which is the better visit type, so this will be interesting.
Like you, my D is struggling to choose. I think each of her top 3 has held position #1 and position #3 at some point in her thought process. Definitely open to hearing how others are approaching the decision process. She’s got a pro/con list running for each school which we hope to be able to fine-tune after these next visits. I told her she should also rate each pro/con to give them a relative weight as some pros/cons may be more important to her than others. I have no idea if any of this is going to help or just muddy the waters further. 
Congrats @RMGC on that first acceptance! Such a relief for everyone I know. May it be the first of many!!
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I hadn’t even thought about visiting again for accepted students’ days. They would be drivable but I’m not sure if visiting would help at all. He is not sure what school or schools are at the top of his list.
My son got his first “real” acceptance yesterday to TLU. (Already in at UNT as an auto admit, so that one was a given.) I wish I could say he was excited and/or relieved, but he seems neither. Not sure what to make of it.
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Maybe it’s not “the one” he’s hoping for. You’d know better than me as you know his list and desires.
Many kids get fixated on a school even though many transfer from their dream school and many love the one they hated going to. Kids can “love” many schools if their mind is right.
Other kids are just burned out on the process - or not excited about college, only knowing it’s the “expected” next step.
Hopefully he’ll find the right school for him. Good luck to him.
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I think you’re on to something with the burnout. But since he’s a teenage boy and doesn’t discuss his feelings, all I can do is guess as to the issue.
I get it, especially because I think for our kids the whole visit thing happened in a very different way from previous years. Visits we might have done during Junior year were instead done in the summer or early fall of Senior year, so do we need to go back? For us, we really do, because we live in a mild climate area and 2 of her finalists are in the midwest, so getting up to one of them in winter was a definite priority for me at least 
Another of her top contenders we only visited in summer, an empty campus, and I think a visit when students are there is important to get the real feel for the place. Since she only has 3 top contenders, I can’t see leaving one off the revisit list, if we’ve already decided to visit 2 others for pretty solid reasons.
Aside from all that, I feel like an admitted student visit is slightly different from a prospective student visit, in that as a prospective student, you are typically also concerned with whether or not you will be admitted, whether or not the financials will work, whereas as an admitted student, who is visiting, presumably those factors are already established and you only need wonder if this is a place you want to spend the next four years learning and living? Before, the college and student were both evaluating each other, but now the college is done, and it’s up to the student.
My brain just decided it’s a bit like House Hunters, college edition, and now I can’t get that lady’s voice out of my head 
probably doesn’t help that my kid is deciding between 3…
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Yes, I’m sure he is stressed about choosing. He applied to ten schools of which he has only seen… one. And eight of the ten are a plane flight away. Since he did all RD, we won’t know much more until March. It’s going to be an interesting spring!
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Do you have cute names for the schools, like “Historic gem on the prairie” or “school spirit in the city”? Which will she pick? Stay tuned to find out…
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If they are drivable and he is amenable I’d give it a go. Visiting really helped my D22 zero in on her #1. We are going again this month for an admitted students day for scholars that she got invited to and we may go back in April for an admitted students day for everyone.
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Does this mean @Sweetgum daughter is in the running for more money/perks? Fingers crossed for her if so!
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She has put a scholarship app in, but this admitted scholars day doesn’t have anything to do with that. She got the invitation to that awhile back. The email just said “we hope that you—one of our most distinguished admitted students—will save the date to join us.” Maybe they send it to everyone. I don’t know.
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Drivable? Absolutely.
He’s amenable? No way.
“Why would I go to see all those colleges again? I don’t want to hear from more admissions people.” Then he went into a long rant.
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Well, then, I wouldn’t push it. Mine only wants to go to the admitted days for the school she wants to go to. There are admitted student days for the other schools that are all tied for 4th place and she has no interest in going to those.
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Just give him a little time and space. This is one of those stages not covered in “What to expect when you are expecting.” 
They go though a stage of freaking out but not wanting you to know. They realize high school is wrapping up and everyone is asking about this big decision.
If he is still waiting to find out about a few colleges that may be part of it, too.
Help him come up with some criteria for deciding which ones might be at the top for him. Going to see the location of dorms or something else of importance may be a reason to go see a few. It is different to see them when accepted and it is a little more real. Good luck.
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