<p>I completely understand this! My D went to Humboldt State University. They had a small airport nearby with those small planes that flew into the Bay Area. Then she could catch a flight to our home in Southern California. It was expensive and a hassle. We once flew to the Bay Area and then rented a car and drove 6 hours. It’s a BEAUTIFUL drive (redwoods and all) but not something anyone would want to do several times a year.</p>
<p>My S went to a University near a major airport (but still 6 hours away from home). Much easier, much cheaper.</p>
<p>I hear ya. Husband and I both lived that life in college. But maybe a Thanksgiving spent at the airport will cure her of her purported love of cold weather.</p>
<p>And by the way, we visited CU-Boulder and Colorado State (for our youngest) They are beautiful campuses. If my S didn’t want to stay in-state he would have gone to one of those schools.</p>
<p>The cooler weather was a desire of my North Texas S. He’s in Colorado for his second year. </p>
<p>It isn’t just the possible airport problems with snow and ice. It can be below freezing at night beginning in very early November and not change until mid to late April.</p>
<p>S loves the school but has mentioned that the cooler desire had some definite draw backs. He said he’d never really had to think about “cold” when going outside, say to get in a car or to walk from one class building to another. He said it took getting used to having to remember to dress for the cold for MONTHS on end.</p>
<p>Daughter flies into ABQ (UNM) for school, 5 minutes from her dorm, shuttle is cheap, cheap. Son (Pton) flies into Philly rather than Newark for his school and then takes the SEPTA or Amtrak (more expensive than SEPTA) to his school, school has its own train and stop. Used this for the weekend he ran the Krispy Kreme Challenge!</p>
<p>Older son flies into Baltimore (USNA) for his school and also takes the shuttle, but his school runs a free shuttle on busy days so that works out well.</p>
<p>And all on Southwest.</p>
<p>Was a deciding factor for us. Seriously. Since they come home alot, and like to spend much time with each other, they all wanted to be able to visit each other when necessary for a reasonable price.</p>
<p>We all have Ding! (download from Southwest) on our computers which are turned up loud so we don’t miss the deals. Son can fly from Philly to RDU (NC) for $29 each way on Ding! and other son is about $39 on sale as well. Daughter from ABQ to RDU has been as cheap as $83 each way.</p>
<p>The great thing about Southwest is you can refund the ticket and put the money in their account to use at a later date.</p>
<p>If ticket is cheaper after you purchase you can cancel and rebuy at the cheaper rate. Save the difference for another ticket. Can save account funds for a YEAR.</p>
<p>So yes, yes kiddos eliminated schools based on lack of proximity to accessible airports esp. Southwest hubs.</p>
<p>They all planned a Spring Break together and all flew into Orlando on Southwest from their respective locations of sale flights from Ding!!</p>
<p>My Dad is also a huge SW fan so I’m quite used to conversations like this! </p>
<p>From the size you mention, state schools are probably a good bet.</p>
<p>In very rough order from most to least selective, how about:</p>
<p>University of Michigan (Ann Arbor is about a half-hour drive from the Detroit airport)
University of Minnesota
Ohio State University
University of Maryland–College Park (there’s a shuttle from BWI right to the green line metro–one stop and she’s at the College Park station! It’s also warmer here than most of the others I listed, though still much cooler than TX)
SUNY Albany
University of Rhode Island
SUNY Buffalo</p>
<p>haha! this is one the things i have thought about, as well. a school further away with southwest access is more do-able than a closer school but not as accessible to southwest flights.</p>
<p>How about an above-average college that is accessible by foot in the span of summer vacation via the Appalachian Trail starting from a central MD trailhead, without having to cross a major highway after leaving the trail at the college end, and where the average January daytime temperature is not below 10 degrees? </p>
<p>Warren Wilson? Gettysburg? Dartmouth?</p>
<p>There should be a consortium for such schools, with scholarships for students willing to walk there.</p>
<p>I am anxious for SW’s arrival in Boston where S goes to school since we just got SW in Mpls. Does SW typically run nonstop flights? In the past the only direct flights between Mpls and Boston have been on NWA; it would be nice to see a little more competitive pricing in our area…</p>
<p>Oh and by the way, the Univ of MN can be reached by light rail from the Mpls airport (actually our ONLY light rail; it connects downtown Mpls to the Mall of America and stops at both the U of MN campus and the airport).</p>
<p>UMBC is literally four miles from BWI. Can’t get much closer! One can also take public transit to UMD-CP and DC from Baltimore for fairly low cost. (There is a bus that goes from BWI to the New Carrollton Metro for something like $3.)</p>
<p>In Phila – there is a SEPTA Regional Rail line from the airport to Center City and 30th St. Station near Penn, Drexel, PHS, and a transfer to the subway/regional rail to Temple or schools out along the Main Line (St. Joe’s, Villanova).</p>
<p>– parent of Southwest-flying Chicago student (gee, it is nice to change reservations and have a nonstop!)</p>
<p>futurenyustudent, we have a friend who chose based on the ability to wear flip-flops during much of the winter! Go back and read some of the travel horror stories from Thanksgiving and Winter Break, and you’ll see that a multi-transfer, cross-country trip during peak travel times mixed with crappy weather has a price all its own.</p>
<p>Not all schools include travel in the COA, so actually, direct, easy transportation IS a relevant factor for some families. Some kids don’t want the long, difficult schlep home. That’s why S1 went out to do April visits solo. He needed to know if the travel would be an issue for him.</p>
<p>It’s certainly a place to start. There are something like 4300 degree granting institutions in the US. Why not populate the big list with schools that are easy, rather than difficult, to get to? I am a parent who feels comfortable looking my child in the eye and saying , “No, I am not willing to drive 21 hours one way several times a year to get you to and from school”…also, “No, I am not willing to spend $50,000 a year to send you to school.”</p>
<p>Most large cities benefit from great air service coverage, and they’re highly competitive markets too, so the airfare is pretty reasonable.</p>
<p>But to rule out a school because it doesn’t have service from one particular airline, imho, is unreasonable. Anyways, Southwest’s service into New York metro does me no good. They’ve got competitive fares on short hops, but most of their transcontinental fares aren’t that good. Besides, I’ve got 7 airlines from either end to choose from already (AA, Delta, Continental, US Airways, jetBlue on the NY end-UA, Virgin on the CA end).</p>
<p>Whatever you choose, I suggest that you fly the local airline on either end as much as possible (god forbid something goes tits up, the local airline will be much better equipped to help you), and join their frequent flyer program (god forbid something goes tits up, the airline will treat you better). You’ll be flying the same route for the next 4 years, it’s something to consider, I guess.</p>