I think the idea of skipping Bowdoin is a good one. Take a day to recover from all that driving and maybe go into Boston and do some touristy things. I know it’s too late to do anything about where you are staying but I just shudder. I googled driving from Tufts to Amherst and it is just shy of two hours, so that day is at least 4 hours in the car. I think your Clark and Connecticut College day will also be 4 hours in the car. Uggh. I think you need a day off.
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They’re all hella far from CA! 
In reality though, they don’t play any different than what our experience was with our son staying on the west coast. He studied engineering at Cal Poly. The air service is unreliable due to the marine layer. With the layover(s), check-in, etc. it took him almost as much time to get back to Oregon, about 9 hours, as it did to drive. I don’t know where you are in CA, but flights from Portland, ME to LAX can be found that are less than 8h including layover time. All of the east coast schools will be similar.
If ease of transportation from the West Coast is a consideration, I’d suggest the following order in “ease to campus” from CA. There are 2 sets of schools…non-stop from LAX / SFO and those that require layovers.
Non-stop
Georgetown has to be the winner. 10-15 mins to Reagan National with Dulles and BWI as options if necessary.
Swat is very easy. 20 mins from PHL…almost all highway with very little traffic to worry about.
Brandeis and Tufts are also around 20 mins…assuming Boston traffic allows.
Hopkins to BWI is 30-35 mins…through the city.
Layovers…
The rest of the schools are going to require smaller planes, or a significant amount of time in a car. Dickinson and Gettysburg (for example) can probably be done via BWI, Dulles and Philly…or Harrisburg which is an expensive hop and will go through one of the first 3 airports anyway. Providence and Portland can also be pretty expensive with limited flights. For CA…you’re going to go through NY, Boston, Philly, or Chicago.
The Maine schools have bus service to Logan. Is it harder than getting from Tufts to Logan? Absolutely! But it really isn’t a huge complication, especially when lots of the student body will be leaving that way.
Realistically, if you want close proximity to a major airport (as in cheap Uber ride), you probably want to completely overhaul that list.
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Portland International Airport actually serves a surprising number of US locations nonstop. There are students from all over the country and world at all three Maine NESCACs. My child attended Bates and from multiple major airport locations near us, RT flights were very inexpensive. If any Maine college stays on the list, it’s also a two hour drive from Boston and Portland itself is a very cool small city. I think Maine is worth a visit in its own right, but that’s a different vacation perhaps.
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Fwiw, on my crazy college spreadsheet I have a column for ease of travel, because it does matter.
Factor in cost, time, needing a flight connection, public transit. Just because a school is across the country doesn’t make it hard to get to, but across the country, requiring a connection, and then a two hour drive? The struggle is real. Especially if you live a couple of hours from an airport yourself.
The traveling will mainly be at Thanksgiving, Christmas and spring break - weather will get in the way sooner or later. I wouldn’t exclude a school based on ease of travel, but if I were torn between two, it might break a tie.
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But not California.
I wouldn’t avoid a school in Maine because of the trouble flying in…but if ease of travel is important…there are easier options. We had an athlete at Swat who had several sets of teammate parents that would fly in for weekends to watch games. It’s a lot harder when you add the potential complications of a connecting flight.
If you start adding international students…DC, Boston, Philly and of course NY have a major advantage in travel ease. Students only do it a few times per year…but getting to a place like Williams or Hamilton is a lot more work.
The best thing about living in the Northeast…I can drive to every school listed in less than 9 hours.
I think your schedule is arduous, but at the same time, I wouldn’t necessarily skip Bowdoin. It’s only 45 minutes or so from the Portland airport, which connects everywhere, and it’s a wonderful school in a lovely little town. Also a beautiful drive, and for kids from California, Maine might be an interesting experience. I wonder if there’s a way to move Conn College closer to your visit to Yale, as it would be right along the way and the schools are close together. In general, I suggest you play it somewhat by ear, notwithstanding your feeling that this may be their only chance to see these schools. It depends on the kid, but burnout can be a real thing on these trips, and it’s a shame to see a school that might be a good fit get written off just because the kid is too tired, the schools are all running together, etc. We flew from Japan for our college visits, but we quickly learned it worked best if we limited ourselves to one school a day. Otherwise, it was just too hard to process. We took a couple of schools off the itinerary as we went along, cut a couple of visits short where there wasn’t real interest, etc. My son didn’t want to sit in on classes, talk to professors, dine with students in the dining hall, etc., although he did meet with the coaches for his sport whenever possible. Other than that, we just did the tours and the info sessions and walked around the neighborhoods. It all worked out fine. By the time we visited “his” school, he recognized it right away, even on a grey, rainy day.
After touring a few colleges over the summer with my first kid and now touring a few more with second, we’re going to wait until the fall or spring to visit any additional schools. My kids pretty much crossed off every school they visited when school was not in session. Well, my daughter kept one on her list probably because she had a great Zoom meeting with a dean prior to the visit.
Georgetown is scheduling tours. Took one last Thursday, June 17.
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I would consider re-routing your Clarke and Conn College day if possible. Traffic / travel wise, I’d go to Clarke on your way out to Amherst. If resources allow, try to stay overnight in or around Amherst. That way you could do Clarke, then Amherst. Stay in cheaper hotel, and see Mt Holyoke, or Smith before driving back to Boston area. You could always add Brandeis or BU/ BC if your kids decide they like Boston after staying there. Have fun!
Hope you have a great time. Try and fit a bit of Boston in if you can - it’s a great city to visit and things have really opened up. Chiming in on the tours - we just returned from CA where (as a small part of our vacation) we checked out 5 schools - only 2 offered tours (SDSU and USD) and only one (SDSU) let us check out a dorm. Our self-guided tours (LMU, UCSD, UCSB) were pretty useless except to give a general sense of the campus and surrounding area - the campuses were ghost towns and all the buildings were locked so you didn’t get any feeling for the schools (except . . . they are really big, Mom). I would temper your expectations in terms of “feeling” since I think that is impossible to gauge with no students on campus. Unfortunately, those of us with 2022s didn’t get many (if any) opportunities to see campuses “live” given the covid situation and the worst possible timing (end of sophomore and all through junior year).
Wow, this thread brought back memories! My kids had very different college tour experiences. My D15 loved the college search and toured 32 colleges and did overnights at 11 of those schools. When she visited the California schools she did 14 in 10 days. Starting in LA, down to San Diego, all the way up to SLO and back down to LA. We definitely could have planned that better! She didn’t end up applying to any of those schools.
My S21 didn’t visit any schools until after he received all his acceptances. He did attend group chats, online tours, zooms with students and professors and most importantly he did online interviews at all but two of his schools. As we were preparing to visit, he kept cutting his list and I would have to reroute our trip and cancel hotel stays, LOL. We ended up visiting three schools. One had a tour, the other two we just walked on campus (fully vaccinated) and watched the student body. We used online maps to find things we were interested in, but at that point he was really just interested in the student body.
I totally agree with another post in this thread, stand back let your kids take the lead, they will ask questions that are important to them. Also, make sure to hear their impressions before they are tainted by other peoples opinions!!
Good luck this is such a great adventure to have with your kids!
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You will most definitely want to print out a stack of these:
I tried to find the one I used from CC but I can’t anymore.
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We returned from our marathon East Coast college visit trip! Thank you again to everyone who made suggestions and offered great questions. Your ideas helped a lot.
Ultimately, we toured eleven colleges and visited the campuses of six more during our two weeks. As expected, we saw a lot of stone and brick buildings and so many green lawns. Three campuses we visited were also arboretums (Conn College, American, and Swarthmore) and the non-arboretum schools had plenty of trees, so we found shady moments on the sunny tours and a sheltering canopy on the rainy ones. COVID-19 precautions varied wildly: some tours required masks at all times but let us into buildings; some tours were totally mask-optional and we went into multiple buildings; some tours required masks and the tours stayed outside – and every other possible permutation! In general, going into buildings helped make the tour more successful in its mission of selling the college, though Swarthmore shot up in the family rankings without a single peek into their buildings.
Our approach to touring – anchor in one spot and drive out and back to see the colleges – worked surprisingly well for us. Because we were in Cambridge and journeying to places outside of it, we were always going against traffic, which helped. It was fantastic to have someplace to come back to every night; not having to pack up and move constantly made up for the longer time spent in the car. Plus, an AirBnB meant that the kids had their own spaces (not their own rooms, exactly, but close enough) to retreat to in the evenings. Our one truly difficult day—getting from Boston to NYC—was expected, though that didn’t make the Friday afternoon traffic into NYC any easier to bear. By-passing New York would have been smart, but we had a free place to stay for the night in Brooklyn, so … trade-offs. Washington DC was even easier as a hub since the colleges we were considering weren’t quite as far-flung. I know this plan for touring earned a lot of thumbs-down here, but I honestly recommend it.
My kids had had very little experience with the East Coast before this trip, so simply seeing the landscape and experiencing the weather and getting a sense of the diversity (or lack thereof) proved very useful. Touring made the idea of “going East” for college feel possible and real. As the parent, I’m not sure how I feel about this result 
, but I’m glad both kids have choices they are excited about.
Rejected colleges proved useful in illuminating what they didn’t want and helped both kids, but especially my daughter, understand what she did want. Almost every school seemed to feature a new science building, guaranteed money for summer internships, clubs and sporting opportunities galore, and lots of research opportunities for students who want them. It was reassuring to see so many places where my kids could get great educations – really, all of the places we visited would be superb. There was absolutely no magic moment of “this is the one” for either kid, but there was plenty of “this seems great” and a couple of surprise contenders emerged after all the looking.
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Thanks for the update. I also hate packing & unpacking on a road trip, so I can see how a home-away-from-home helped.
If you’re up to it, I’m curious what the surprises were, what the kids and you learned that was unexpected, and what made the difference in eliminating schools from the list vs keeping others on.
I once made an arduous 90-mile, week long canoe trip by myself. I imagine that your sense of accomplishment might be similar to what I felt after that accomplishment. Congratulations!
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Tell us more! We want details!
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As requested, more details 
We toured Wheaton, Tufts, Mount Holyoke, Amherst College, Clark University, Bowdoin, Connecticut College, Georgetown, American University, Dickinson College, and Johns Hopkins. (Brandeis and Goucher were on the original list, but got eliminated–Brandeis because of the heavy rains caused by Hurricane Elsa and Goucher because it was supposed to be our final tour and my DD just wasn’t interested enough for us to do one more.)
We also walked around the campuses of Brown, Yale, Columbia, Barnard, Princeton, and Swarthmore. Swarthmore was the HUGE winner here. Before the trip, Swarthmore had been deemed too small by my son, but because we had been on lots of small college tours by the time we got to Swarthmore, he was more open to its size. And he loved the campus feel and location. (Side note: Swarthmore and American had the best flower gardens of all the schools we visited. So beautiful.)
Notes on specific colleges:
Wheaton: Our first official college tour! It was raining, but gently, and Wheaton supplied plenty of big umbrellas. Both kids really liked the campus—the large open lawn with a “dimple” in it (part of campus lore, evidently), two ponds, lots of beautiful brick buildings. The professors’ offices are next to the classrooms and labs where they teach, which clearly makes office hours and casual discussions between faculty and students more likely. While we didn’t get to go into buildings on this tour, our guide was super engaging and did a great job explaining campus life. The tour helped my son really grasp the appeal of a small liberal arts college. If Wheaton were somewhere else, it would definitely still be on my daughter’s list. However, Norton, MA does the college no favors. My DD said “it’s like one of those towns you drive through on car trips and wonder ‘who would live here?’” It didn’t even seem like a town. Our tour guide acknowledged that any non-campus fun required a drive or train ride to somewhere else — Providence, Foxboro, Boston. So, goodbye Wheaton for us.
Brown, Yale, Princeton: No tours for these three (they don’t need to convince anyone to apply), but we wandered around the campuses and ooh-ed and aah-ed at the buildings and the archways and the wide expanses of green. My DS loved Yale the most; I thought Brown was the perfect model of a city-based campus. Princeton seemed somehow even more drenched in money than the other two, which is saying something. My DS will probably apply to Yale, even though he’s more likely to get COVID as a vaccinated person than he is to gain admission. But all those resources are hard to ignore.
Tufts: After touring, I expected Tufts to be more popular than it has turned out to be. The campus was spacious and lovely, with a kick-ass view of Boston from the top of the library. The vibe seemed appealing and the students motivated and hard-working. My DD loved the rainbow set of steps up one side of campus; my DS found the IR and language focus appealing. Both of them really liked the massive (mostly new) sports complex. A new T station was opening right by the campus next year so getting into Boston and Cambridge would be even easier. But then neither one of them really even mentioned Tufts again, even to compare it to another school. I don’t think Tufts will make either kid’s final list.
Mount Holyoke: Mt. Holyoke was a tenuous choice because my daughter had some doubts about attending an all-women’s college. However, we all loved the campus and the town of Hadley definitely had more to offer than Norton, MA (admittedly a low bar), including a movie theater and some nice-looking cafes. My DD took notes on each tour and she mentioned Hogwarts twice and castles once in her descriptions of Mt. Holyoke. The library reading room had a definite Hogwarts feel, with vaulted ceilings and fancy windows. The campus center was more modern and very snazzy and the freshman dorm room they showed us had a 12-foot ceiling and a massive closet for each girl. And a piano in the common room (evidently required at Mt. Holyoke). The campus featured lots of wood paneled buildings, an amphitheater (where there’s a yearly showing of Dirty Dancing) looking out at the mountains, a chance to ride (or just pet) horses, and so many opportunities to get involved on campus. However, after Mt. Holyoke, we drove to Amherst for our next tour, and that ride was just long enough to convince my DD that the line about “meeting men at other colleges” was unlikely. How often would she really be taking classes or going to parties at other schools when Amherst was a good 15-20 minutes by car? So, goodbye beautiful Mt. Holyoke.
Amherst College: So many families and students toured Amherst. Definitely next level in terms of interest! Amherst didn’t allow us into any buildings, but the campus itself radiated with elite vibes, according to both my kids. What my daughter appreciated: anyone can use the art studios, unlimited meal swipes, three different advisors for first years, four observatories on campus, free laundry, fantastic views, and the fact that Amherst owns over 100 acres and students go hiking and biking all the time. Our tour guide was terrific here and really made the place–and its many many opportunities–shine. My son wants to apply, despite the elitism (or maybe because of it. 
)
Clark University: The best tour guide of our entire trip. She really made Clark and its possibilities appealing, especially for my DD. The tour guide had just been awarded admission into the college’s free stay-for-an-extra-year master program, something she said about a third of the students take advantage of. She described a vibrant campus life where Improv groups and other clubs took the space often filled by Greek life as well as a deep commitment to social outreach/social justice by the students. The classroom buildings looked great and the library seemed like a comfy place to study and hang out. However, the dining hall (a former gym) and the student center were underwhelming. More problematic was the neighborhood near Clark, which seemed depressed and maybe even unsafe. We drove over to look at the brand-new Triple A baseball stadium (a selling point!) and even that part of Worcester was clearly struggling. My DD wants to apply, but we parents are unconvinced.
Bowdoin: A huge hit for my DD, who wasn’t even sure why we were bothering with Maine before we went. With the large number of pine trees, the campus reminded all of us of northern California. And even though Bowdoin rivals Amherst in admission rates and wealthy students, it felt different – homey and welcoming instead of posh and elite. The admission director talked repeatedly about how kindness and heart were critical to what the school looks for in its applicants, which set a good starting tone. The program where students can get matched up with a local family was also a great touch, especially for students like ours who might be far from home. Hits here: the massive Outing Club, which has almost a fourth of the school as members, the big organic garden, the pre-orientation trips, the “very nice and friendly vibe,” the sense of collaboration among students. So Bowdoin will be my DD’s reach school (I ran the NPC and those numbers are possible, even if admission remains unlikely.)
Conn College: Another surprise winner, this time for both kids. Conn was an unknown quantity before the trip, a place we were mostly visiting because someone we trust recommended it. Despite a lackluster tour guide, the school made a deep impression, especially on my DS, who promptly added it to his list as a match school. What my DD liked (quoting from her notes): core requirements exist, but they are broad; lots of interdisciplinary opportunities; free music lessons for nonmajors, four Lyft passes/month; giant green space in middle of campus; awesome views of the water; greenhouse and small farm on campus; free laundry; homey feel to dorms. Conn College was the first (maybe only?) place we visited where the newest building on campus wasn’t a science center. Instead, we toured the super impressive Center for Global Study and Engagement. Big thumbs up from my son for that combo.
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Great job of reviewing the schools!
A few thoughts . . .
They don’t often mention it on the tours, but Amherst has taken over the old fraternity buildings across the street from the main campus for student housing. I’ve been told that these are reserved for senior housing and that every senior gets a private room because the expectations for the senior capstone project are high and this is the college’s way of supporting the students so they can do their very best by having their own space and a personal schedule. I don’t know if this is true, but it’s worth asking about if you develop more interest.
Your comments about MHC matches my take on it. Great college, beautiful campus, lively setting. But the 5-college consortium with that distance? I don’t think so. Maybe if there’s a “must have” course that’s not offered on campus it’s worth the time, inconvenience, and disruption to the rest of the schedule, but otherwise I can’t see it. The 5-C Consortium works very well as a partnership between Amherst and UMass, but I’m not so sure how the others benefit. I do know that the shared observatory is a great resource for Astronomy majors. Maybe the colleges find a way to make it work, but I’d definitely have questions for students and administrators if I were considering MHC or Smith.
It sounds like you didn’t take a look at Northampton? I’ll bet that your son will be even more likely to apply Amherst when he sees what a fun town nearby Northampton is.
Clark certainly gives its students the opportunity to learn about poverty, doesn’t it? I think that the college tries to embrace the community as an asset and that students do a lot of volunteering there.
I had the same reactions my Tufts tour as your kids did. Nothing memorable. But Tufts has a lot to offer and I’d recommend it in a heart beat.
Conn College has even more to offer than first meets the eye. There’s not a lot going on in New London other than that it’s a transportation hub for trains, buses, and ferries, which means that students can get to a lot of other places from there. But for a quiet part of Connecticut there’s a lot to discover. Ten minutes up the road is Mohegan Sun Casino. I don’t encourage gambling there, but it’s a great spot for restaurants, entertainment, and women’s professional basketball. There’s a regular schedule of free concerts. The basketball arena also hosts state high school tournaments, occasional college games, and sometimes the Big East women’s basketball tournament. There are Long Island Sound beaches in New London and other nearby town. There are very good ocean beaches just over the state line in Rhode Island although it helps to have a car to get there. There are a surprising number of quality museums in New London County. There’s lots of boating in the area, giving the coastal towns a sense of vibrancy and bustle. Nearby Mystic and Stonington have great restaurants, historic homes, interesting shops, an aquarium, and the historic Mystic Seaport museum village. It’s where the Amistad was built and where the 60 year old replica of the Mayflower was restored for Plymouth’s 400 year anniversary. Noank is a little peninsula that’s a treasure where Abbott’s outdoor lobster-in-the-rough at water’s edge is to die for. On top of it all, Conn College has done amazing things with their curriculum. If you haven’t already done so, look at their curriculum, organized around “connections” and “integrative pathways”. Just a great educational experience.
Enjoy your ongoing search.
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