<p>Hello! I am planning a trip this summer from New Jersey to Oxford, Ohio. I will be picking up my daughter from skating camp at Miami U and am going to bring my son along for a campus tour. I was wondering if anyone can suggest some other colleges or universities that would be convenient to visit on the way. I have never driven this route but it looks like a straight shot would take us very near Pittsburgh and Columbus Ohio. We could adjust our route in PA between NJ and Pittsburgh depending on what we wanted to see. My son is a rising jr and is leaning toward a larger school with a rah-rah kind of vibe, so Penn State and Ohio State seem obvious, but I think I'd like to include a smaller LAC for comparison's sake. At this point I am not too concerned with his chances of getting in anywhere we visit; I just want him to get a feel for what large state universities versus small private schools look like. Any suggestions?
Thanks!</p>
<p>Denison is just outside Columbus and not far off I-70. It would be a nice comparison LAC. North of Columbus, you could check out Ohio Wesleyan or (farther away) Kenyon. The later is a beautiful little school with great academics and absolutely no town to speak of. It is the anti-OSU. And, of course, your destination is great too. Love and honor.</p>
<p>Thanks someoldguy. Initially I was thinking of stopping at some small LOCs in PA, but it makes much more sense to visit Ohio Wesleyan and/or Kenyon since who knows when we will be out that way again, and we can visit schools in the eastern half of PA quite easily. And yes I am very excited about visiting Miami as well.</p>
<p>OP, we took a “similar” trip for D last summer. Started with Ohio State in Columbus, then University of Dayton, Miami University, Xavier (Cincinnati), then around to University of Pittsburgh. If you are trying to get a smorgasbord of types, start with the major (big rah rah) schools and then see what is nearby that you can fit in tours or drive-thru. Don’t overdo any one type unless he seems to really hit it off somewhere. One small rural LAC can pretty much represent the category of “small rural LAC”, etc.</p>
<p>And for something completely different, try Carnegie Mellon.</p>
<p>Thanks for suggestions. By the way, does anyone have any experience with Drexel? Browsing online I came across it and the co-op program really appeals to me. Not sure if my son would go for it, but I thought it would be a good contrast school to both big states and private LACs. We could easily zip through Philly if a stop there was worthwhile.</p>
<p>You could visit Gettysburg College* and Dickinson to get a feel for some LACs in PA on your way out to Pittsburgh.</p>
<p>If you started out a little further north you could look at Lehigh University, Lafayette College, Muhlenberg, and then stop by Bucknell on the way to Pittsburgh.</p>
<p>If you go the way of Drexel it is very easy to also look at Penn, Villanova, and Haverford.</p>
<p>Have fun!</p>
<p>*Before going to Gettysburg look at your dates. This is a big summer for the town of Gettysburg because of the Battle of Gettysburg 150th Anniversary. Depending on when you are going this area could be very crowded.</p>
<p>Drexel doesn’t have much of a campus beyond a central quad, it’s as urban as it gets (my ex got his degree there). Penn would be a more interesting campus visit in Philly.</p>
<p>Villanova might work for someone looking for a Catholic LAC with a big time basketball program. It has that “school spirit” that some kids are looking for. It is also near (30 minutes) from Philly yet situated out on the “main line” so you get the best of both worlds. Access to the city yet without having to live in the city. Best of luck!</p>
<p>Having just made the East Coast Swing, I second Bucknell and Lehigh. Both have nice campuses, good academics and lots of school spirit.</p>
<p>If you go anywhere near Cleveland, check out Oberlin for a small LAC.</p>