Thank you for all the suggestions! Feels like we are already running out of time for these trips. I’m glad we aren’t “late” getting started. Due to family/personal scheduling we’ll have one week in the summer and 10 days during spring break. So for spring break 10th grade – DC/PA trip. Summer between 10th & 11th - Boston/NY trip. Then we’ll have spring break of junior year. That’s it. We are fortunate that financial is not a consideration. She has already taken ACT and will take it one more time in Feb to try to improve a bit if possible. Trying to get ACT to 33-34 if possible. Daughter has traveled previously to these cities but never in a focused way considering colleges. It is an interesting time in our lives for sure!
I don’t believe you mention your starting location point.
Have you check out the local (say within a three hour drive) colleges just to test the waters and maybe narrow the type of school that might interest your student? While the schools might not meet your academic standards they should help your student have a better feel for what college is like. I understand that you may be way past this point but if not then it might be worth doing. In tenth grade, I had no idea of what college was about. But times have changed and the process starts earlier today.
We started late and mainly did summer visits. To be honest, that was not the best plan. Very few students on campus. Fewer chances to interact with professors and students. Beautiful summer days are not the same as the cold winter days. Fortunately as decision time came we were able to revisit. Much different feel when the school is in full swing.
ETA…you are NOT late in planning these visits. Many…MANY students don’t do any college visits at all until after acceptances. Many many others don’t start looking until they are into their junior years of HS.
Ok…I will go back to my previous suggestions. For the Summer after 10th grade trip…I would still suggest picking a variety of colleges. I would suggest some schools that have the programs the kiddo wants…but maybe not the size or exact location. We were surprised…and so was our kid…that she liked some of the schools she thought she would NOT like…oh and she hated some of the schools she thought she would love.
Remember also that visits during summer won’t have school in session. Our kids only applied…total…to one school seen in the summer visits.
I think you can wait to plan that spring break junior year trip. Your daughter might have a different point of view by that time.
We live in California and are flying out of So Cal. She has decided she does not want to stay in California and would like to be in a big city that is liberal/progressive. (We were originally talking about Duke, UNC Chapel Hill, Rice, Emory but she feels she would prefer to be in the northeast vs south.) Her dream city to live would be Boston. I prefer to use public transportation on our DC/PA trip but can rent a car if need be. I was envisioning it being easier w/o a car?? For Boston/NY will be renting a car and driving of course.
I am thinking: fly to DC and stay in DC for Georgetown and American; train to Baltimore for JHU; train to Pittsburgh for CMU then final train to Philadelphia for Penn, fly out of Philadelphia. May also go to Princeton on this trip too…maybe should rent a car after all. Train sounded easier before but now I’m thinking not…
For the Boston/NY trip…you probably will not need a car IN greater Boston, and to be honest, it’s a headache to have one. See if you can fly into Boston, and if public transport can be used to see all the Boston Colleges on your list. There are plenty of colleges to see within greater Boston accessible using public transportation.
Then…I personally would take the train to NYC. Again…for the NYC metro schools…no car needed. If need be, rent a car or use a zip car to get to colleges that are outside of the NYC immediate area. Depending on the length of the trip…you might want to include Penn and Princeton on this trip…accessible by train from NYC.
I think you need a car for your DC/PA trip. Pitt and CMU are your outlier on this trip. It’s a bit of a schlep to Pitt from the DC area.
^ second that for transportation
A lot of people have an idea what a southern school is like. Most of the southern schools you mentioned do not fit this stereotype. I would say they are closer to an NE vibe except friendlier. But that is just my opinion. So if these were cross off the list due to being “southern”, I would reconsider.
As for your route. DC, Philadelphia, Princeton, Baltimore are all within the same general area and are very comfortable driving distance from each other. Getting a car might more sense and a lot more flexible for seeing the area. Parking (which can be pricy in DC) and driving in these cities is not an issue. Traffic except during rush hour should not be an issue. Pittsburgh would be a hike ( 5 hours?) and would probably make sense as the last or first stop.
While, I love Boston, has your daughter fully consider the weather? I grew up in the NE and love the area and the weather but it is not for everybody. The students I know who went to school in that area LOVE it.
Don’t need a car in DC. Aiui, American is in or near the Metro. Or you take s cab. DC is small.
We started touring spring of sophomore year. My S wanted to be in a city so we took long weekend trips to Boston, DC, Philly and Pittsburgh. Boston was first on the list. We saw Northeastern, BU and BC on our trip. We ended up returning to Boston at the end of junior year after seeing our last city (Pittsburgh) since it had been over a year. All cities we saw were within driving distance from where we are. Philly was just a day trip.
I agree with the comments re: Pittsburgh. Even though it is in PA, it is closer to the midwest than it is to the northeast. It’s not a quick ride out there. Great city, though! That’s where my S ended up.
Good luck!
Princeton is only an hour drive from Philly as well
With a car D.C. To Hopkins extremely easy drive
Same for Baltimore to philly
D.C. Baltimore and Philly all on the I95 corridor
Very easy commute except during rush hour
The winter weather in DC isn’t that different from Boston. Gets cold, can snow a lot. But college dorms and classrooms are warm. You csn see distances from dorm to meals and classes any time of year. Check campus busses online or ask. And I wouldn’t call summer weather easy. Hot and humid, depending on when.
Personally, I never think the I95 corridor is an “easy commute”. But yes…they are close enough.
Nope. Wouldn’t count on traffic being easy any time of day, in or around these cities. In town, use public when you can. That includes taxis or Uber.
One thing I would not let them do is interview so young. She will be more alert, savvy to admissions, have more rigor and accomplishments. relevant things to discuss, in fall of senior year.
Many of these big schools rely almost exclusively on alumni interviews, which are done near the student’s home in the fall of senior year (for early action/early decision) or the winter of senior year (for regular decision).
Have you considered Fordham in NY?