<p>(How did you get them to look at schools that at face value weren't as appealing, but you thought that it could be a good fit?)</p>
<p>Some times it worked, and sometimes backfired...but if I found a school I thought would be a good fit I requested information be sent to my child using the online form. They probably assumed it was sent because of the PSAT.</p>
<p>Once some brochures arrived, I was free to explore the website and point out topics of interest, such as a new performing arts center, or a dual degree major, or even an interesting on campus speaker or popular music group show.
Once something sparked an interest, they were added to our tour list. </p>
<p>I must say, however, that each of mine had their own geographinc restrictions. A full ride in their intended major would not lure any of them into their own particular geographic wasteland.</p>
<p>We visited 20 colleges, on 4 different trips (Northeast, Midwest, West and Mid-Atlantic), never more than one per day (well, when visiting Pomona, we did peek at Claremont- McKenna--oh and we did peek at Bryn Mawr and Swarthmore when visiting Haverford). S's GC gave us a checklist to fill out after each visit and I also had S dictate a narrative about each school as we drove away. Usually, he took photos, but each campus was so distinctive, we've never needed to look at them. I think seeing no more than one per day helped keep them alive and separate in our minds.</p>
<p>I really encourage hooking up with a person, prof or student or coach, in an area of special interest. And I have had more than one friend say they had to push their child to visit a given school, that then became a love at first sight school. I don't favor pushing in general, but if you have a strong feeling that a certain school would be a perfect fit, I'd encourage finding a way to take a look (though doing it while she's sleeping probably wouldn't work--haha).</p>
<p>We made each trip into a fun one, visiting friends or relatives, going to museums, concerts, Spamalot on Broadway. The Barnes Foundation (art museum) near Phila. and the American Museum of Visionary Art in Baltimore were eye-openers. We took a sunset sailboat cruise in Annapolis and attended a "trash" (pop-culture) quiz bowl tournament in Iowa. Sampled cafeteria food for lunch and local cuisine for dinner; gained a pound or two.</p>
<p>I realize we were privileged to have the time and resources to take these trips. Having only one child also made it easier. But four years of college, even with good financial aid, is a big investment. Doing some research upfront, imo, will pay off. Having a final list of 10 wonderful colleges before the start of senior year has given DS some breathing space and a lot of confidence about his choices for next year. I also wanted him to see a lot so he'd know that if his first choice didn't work out, there are lots of other delicious fish in the sea.</p>
<p>The idea of visiting 20 colleges beyond exhausts me. Even if I thought there was some terrific program out there that we hadn't thought about, I just can't imagine trying to process information from so many schools.</p>
<p>We have seen two. We have two more on the agenda for a spring trip, and two more local ones that don't require overnight travel. Granted, DS has a very specific interest, which rules out 90% of the colleges nationwide, but I still could not imagine doing as many visits as some people do. </p>
<p>The first trip, we were exhausted all the time. After that we seemed to develop a less tiring way of being observant. The first batch was like a practice round. He didn't do interviews, just learned how to look. Only 1 of those 5 schools stayed on "the list". And it certainly is "different strokes for different folks". This was just one way of doing it. Fun for us, might drive another family crazy.</p>
<p>thats a good point fendrock-
luckily most of my daughters friends ( the ones that I would be taking) are * so* much more easy going than she is -that unless something was really wierd- I don't think they would dislike it. ( and she would never refuse to get out of the car with them around)</p>
<p>We did look at one school ( western washington) with a friend with older D.
However, it was after they both had applied and been accepted to their schools- and D knew she was already going to Reed- although her friend had chosen Western- as a NMS they gave her a little money.</p>
<p>I liked the campus & I liked the opportunity to get away and spend a little time with D- but as they were interested in different majors- we went on different tours ( her mom went as well)</p>
<p>Younger D has more friends who are interested in similar majors- although some of her friends are taking 4 APs-play on two varsity teams- and train seeing eye dogs in their spare time that they then donate to the local retirement center ( I am only exagerating a little), but I think bringing a friend, to start looking ( since some of her friends have already done so), could at least make planning more for life after high school, more of a reality and not just something her mom is annoying her about</p>