We are supposed to see some colleges in Massachusetts this weekend. Aside from the fact that it will be very cold, do you think seeing a college in frigid weather or with feet of snow on the ground is not the best way to see the college? Personally, I would want to see what the campus is like when the kids can be outside more, and I fear that my kid won’t get the whole “feel” of the college this way. I know New England is cold during the winter but there is more time spent at a college when it’s not so cold and snowy than when it is. Thoughts? Thanks.
I think Boston is out. There is too much snow to get around and colleges have been closed. The rest should be the same as it always is - cold, snowy -in February.
It’s probably not a bad idea to get a sense of what it is like for a couple of months that your child could be living there!
Weather is such a crapshoot. Three years ago, we had a blizzard on Halloween, well before winter weather traditionally sets in. This year, we had a mild December and January, and all hell (well, the opposite of hell, if hell is a fiery pit) has broken loose in February.
I think it’s the best time to see a school. If the kid likes the school in this weather, the kid really likes the school! Otherwise, how will you know if the kid can survive what is no question an unusual winter situation, but if the kid can survive this, the kid can survive whatever Mother Nature can dish out!
Anyone can love a campus in bright spring sunshine with lots of blooming flowers. But that’s only a couple of months.
We saw some schools in Boston last year, and it was cold and rainy and wet and dreary. And it didn’t bother my D at all, which surprised me. For her, if the presenters and tour guides were engaging, that’s what mattered.
Well, I’m sitting here and outside the window, every sidewalk looks like a luge track. But actually, today all the colleges are open again (MIT had almost-unprecedented 2-day closures both this week and with the blizzard two weeks ago, as did Harvard I believe.)
If you can travel from wherever you are, I think you’ll be able to see schools ok. Life is mostly back to normal except for public transportation having some routes down, and roads being more clogged than usual (with parking harder to find).
It’s actually very pretty, if you don’t have to be the one shoveling a metric-cr@pload of snow. 
I don’t know that you’d have much choice at this point unless you want to wait a couple of months or more, and then some colleges will be out for the term. Good luck!
This is just a very atypical time, with lots of school closings.
If you’re going to marry somebody, it’s probably good to know in advance how they really look in the morning without makeup on.
I think college campus is okay, actually photogenic. However, once you step out from there, no sidewalk, no parking space, narrower streets, and delayed public transportation in Boston. Lots of car accident, too.
New England LACs and Us look beautiful in the snow. 
Where were you planning to visit?
I would suggest that being properly dressed will make a big difference.
DS fell in love with Northeastern during a snow storm in February 2 years ago. With that said, I agree with everyone else, I would still avoid Boston this weekend. Just too much snow and no place to put it. Also another inch tomorrow and 50% chance of snow Saturday and Sunday.
My younger kid is (tentatively) headed to Harvard this weekend for a big high school debate tournament…but the word now is that it’s still a 40% chance it’ll be canceled…depending on the thursday snowfall…
Thursday snowfall should be 1-3 inches, it’s the weekend storm that could be big.
Thanks. Most of our trip is in the Boston area - I was kind of hoping someone would tell me just to go as it’s so hard to find time to visit when school is out!
Just go.
Go! The reality is that if you go to college in New England, you could have snow any time between late October to early May.
Sooooo, I live in Massachusetts, between Boston and Worcester. If you are really planning on coming this weekend, you should be aware that Boston is expecting a ANOTHER potential blizzard with a foot+ of snow this Saturday/Sunday. That might be a significant obstacle just getting around to the colleges. Not sure which colleges you’re planning to visit, but you can search the 10 day forecast of other Mass. towns on the Boston forecast link below (scroll down to see graphic 10 day forecast):
http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=Boston+ma
Just go. I agree, there is something to be said for seeing a place at it’s “worst” -
We are in the Chicago area and had arranged to visit Beloit College, in southern WI on Saturday. The high temp is predicted to be 7. 
I told daughter to just bundle up more than usual… We live in the area, though, only an hour and a half south of there, so we are used to cold weather. I figure if she likes the looks of the place now, she’ll probably love it in the spring and fall.
Boston area is also known for snow and cold weather. Best to find out now how one feels about it, if one plans to trudge to classes through it eventually…
@BeeDAre DS2 is actually flying out to visit Beloit this weekend from the East Coast and I generally agree that you should see a school at its “worst”.
However, Boston has had the most snow in history in a month (at least since record keeping started around the Civil War). Another storm is expected. Visibility on the roads is limited. DS is doing his first co-op in Boston. His car would not start the first day (after start date was repeatedly delayed due to various blizzards) so he took public transit. What should have been an hour/hour and half trip each way turned into 4 hours each way. The next day he drove and had to be pulled out of 2 snow banks due to visibility issues. Add to that 1 to 3 inches tomorrow and a possible blizzard this weekend, I would stay away.
I would just go. Find a parking space (maybe the hotel’s garage), hunker down and then walk everywhere you need to go. Dress warmly and for the snow - insulation and water resistant layers. It should be nice. I took my D to Yale in a snow storm last year and she had a blast.
I understand your wanting to go this long President’s weekend as it is the perfect time - the colleges are in and a lot of high schools are not. But, now that I see posts about the weather, if you can’t even get to Boston, it may be wise to postpone. :((