<p>My son, a junior, has expressed interest in checking out Cornell, Colgate, Syracuse, Williams and possibly Bowdoin and Bates. We live in the LA area. S is very adaptable and probably will be okay living in a brutally cold location, but we're concerned about the travel hassles of two flights and long drives through the snow. (S is definitely looking at UMich, Northwestern and some Boston/Phil/DC area schools, but those involve nonstop flights.) Would love to hear from parents of kids from LA who attend schools in remote NE locations - With so many possibilities, should we even bother going to visit?</p>
<p>I will try to get my friends to private message you. I don't think they read CC. They are in Southern California and visited all the same schools with their kids and their son ended up at Syracuse. S2 is choosing a more convenient location, so they are probably relieved. I think the Syracuse student is happy, but it does cut down on trips home.</p>
<p>I don't quite fit your criteria, but might be able to shed some light, as I lived for a long time in Ca and still have a second home just south of the border in Baja. Live now in Maine most of the year and S went to Bates for one semester (Katrina term). So we know the travel scene he'll be facing.</p>
<p>Bowdoin and Bates don't really qualify as "remote," LOL. They are roughly 35-50 minutes from Portland. </p>
<p>Air travel options include LA-PWM (Portland). And, yes, this will always involve one-stop vs. non-stop flights. There are good ground transportation options from PWM to Bowdoin/Bates (Mermaid Transportation). I have to agree with you that non-stop flights make me much happier; but he'll handle the layovers fine if he's going to the college he really wants (as one dad here on cc said about airport layovers for our kids - "they're college students, they're <em>supposed</em> to suffer :D).</p>
<p>He can also take non-stops to and from Boston's Logan (which is what I try to do most of the time). Concord Trailways has a very nice ground transportation service (comfy seats, shows a movie) that goes to Bowdoin, if not to Bates.</p>
<p>I have to admit I don't quite know the other ground transport options from PWM or BOS to Bates/Bowdoin. But I'm sure there are some. I do know that there was a nice "word-of-mouth" ride sharing thing going on to and from Bates to PWM when my S was there. Have you posted on the Bates and Bowdoin forums here on cc?</p>
<p>It's a full day of travel, essentially, each way. But those two schools - Bates and Bowdoin - are really appealing LAC options, imo, that would give him quite a different feel than the others you've listed. I think if your S doesn't want to rule them out based on travel considerations, then I wouldn't rule them out as his mom.</p>
<p>You mentioned several great colleges in upstate NY. What if he flew nonstop LAX to an airport in NYC, then did the rest by bus: I guess a shuttle to Port AUthority (in the middle of NYC), and transfer there to the Greyhound or Trailways bus to any of the upstate NY places you mentioned. </p>
<p>My kid is going to college in Orange, CA and he wanted it so much he figures he'll just read his way through all those travel days. It's his choice and he'll live with it, in other words. He's just a freshman now, so I can't tell you how it's turning out!</p>
<p>Don't be afraid of snow travel if he's on a greyhound bus. Those things are huge and the drivers are excellent. They laugh at the snow. Private car drives are nervewracking.</p>
<p>Have you also looked at some of the other LA airports? For example, JetBlue from Long Beach uses just one layover somewhere to get you all the way to Buffalo; so do they do the same for Syracuse? Perhaps if you drive to a smaller LA-area airport, you'll find routes that are more efficient than starting out from LAX.</p>
<p>timed out... for Williams, it might be almost equal to approach it either from Boston or NYC via a greyhound or trailways bus.</p>
<p>For choosing which of the 3 major New York area airports, if you need to get from an airport to the Port Authority for a bus connection, I much prefer Newark or Laguardia to JFK because those two are closer in; however, JFK can be done.</p>
<p>If he could link right from a NY airport onto the greyhound or trailways system, without having to bus shuttle separately into PortAuthority, that would be ideal. I don't know if it happens; perhpas others do?</p>
<p>Well, Williams is a bit hard to get to by public transportation, but I can say there are a slew of So Cal students there. DS next door neighbor and his next door neighbor are both from So Cal, among many others. I think that after NY and MA it is the most represented state at Williams. The CA students seem very happy there. Actually, I'm rethinking this. Williams is accessible by air. You fly into Albany and take limo/taxi. Under an hour ride. Also bus shuttle from Albany I believe.</p>
<p>neurotic, we live in Southeast Asia and Williamstown was about as far away as our son could travel and still be on the same planet. Transportation from
Albany is easily manageable. From Newark/New York/Boston, it's less convenient but dozens of kids manage. The school runs airport shuttles around holiday times, kids carpool and there are trains and buses. Travel is definitely more time consuming than say Boston or New York, but If he likes the school, he'll work it out.</p>
<p>I moved from Santa Barbara to Syracuse to attend grad school and have never left! JetBlue is probably the best to look at. Transfers at JFK airport are quite easy and JetBlue is affordable.
When I first moved here I thought every snow was a blizzard! In fact once I walked a mile to get groceries only to find when I made it to the store that all the roads were perfectly clear!
On the other hand as a parent with a daughter now 4 1/2 hours away whom I haven't seen since August ... distance does make a difference :(
Good luck to your son!</p>
<p>neuroticparent, I understand your concerns. We also live in So Cal and last year my daughter looked at and applied to many of the same schools that are on your list. We felt that it was all about fit and where she'd be happiest and although I still feel this way, I think with my second D I'll be a bit pushier about the location. With first D she almost went to Colgate but decided to go to Kenyon, which really isn't much easier to get to! The only thing for me, and to some extent her, was that you can get to Kenyon without having to take a small plane and it's pretty hard to do that for Colgate, also true of Cornell. We have relatives in Williamstown where you can manage without a small plane, but it can happen. This may be of no issue to you.
But having a child not only far away distance wise but also logistics wise is uiniquely challenging for both parent and child. My D has been very happy at Kenyon, but there certainly have been a couple of times where if it had been easier to come home for a weekend (and by easy I mean a quick drive and direct flight from a major city) she would have, and I think that would have been great for her and us. So I guess I'm saying it's something to consider. All things said and done, I'm thrilled she's found a place where she is happy, and I'm one of those people (probably because I went 3,000 miles from Los Angeles for college) who thinks for most kids it's better to really go away. Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions.</p>
<p>We live in LA and D attends college in Northampton, MA (20 minutes from Amherst, about an hour from Williamstown). She/we fly in and out from Hartford (Bradley) and it's no problem. Change of planes in either Chicago (usually) or sometimes D.C. </p>
<p>Occasionally the logistics are challenging but nowhere near the level where the would impinge upon the choice of college in the area.</p>
<p>I'll be in the Distinct Minority here on CC, and I have kids 350 miles away in opposite directions from us, but in hindsight, I've realized that if there is a comparable school more conveniently located everyone is happier.</p>
<p>Some of this has to do with what I personally consider the fallacy of the PERFECT school. (And for some reason that school is 2000 miles from home.) I suspect that nearly everyone can find a perfect school within a few hundred miles.</p>
<p>But again, if you have lots of money to move your kids around, and they don't mind travel hassles at holidays, or if they prefer to not be home on holidays, then it's a non-issue.</p>
<p>Just wanted to chime in echoing what paying3 said about snow conditions. Don't worry about snow driving on buses in this area. The road crews in our area have it down! Snowplowing/sanding/salting is a routine, well-oiled machine around here. (Pay no attention to the nightmare stories you read about when it snows in DC, Carolinas etc. - snow rubes down there ;) ).</p>
<p>disagree with the small plane issue. Colgate and Cornell are within an hour bus ride to Syracuse airport, which has full size jet service. Of course, it means a change of planes from the west coast. </p>
<p>While I'm a big fan of JetBlue, I try to avoid New York City airspace, the most crowed in the world, if at all possible.</p>
<p>I have a dear friend in Northern Cal whose son is incredibly happy at Colby. I am under the impression there is a "coastal" draw to Maine from kids who are living in western coastal states. There is a cohort of Californians in all the Maine schools, and some California kids are pretty snow savvy from their own access to ski options out West. I would say Colby is more isolated than Bates/Bowdoin..however, it is also very cozy and convivial as a community. Outdoorsy types like it. The outdoor clubs in all the NE schools have big memberships and you don't have to own any equipment..available to rent for students for free or nominal fees.</p>
<p>Thanks, everyone, for your replies. We're still torn about whether to even consider schools that are two flights away. It's not the snowy bus rides we're concerned about (I grew up in NY), but the killer combo of two flights plus a bus ride. I traveled far to go to grad school and didn't mind long layovers and getting stranded then, but I'm not sure I want that for my son when there are so many other more convenient options. The bottom line is that it takes longer to get to upstate NY from here than to Europe! Just spoke to a friend whose three kids attended WashUStL, Vanderbilt and Penn and she said that because of nonstops, they were all able to come home on weekends, which sounds very appealing. Will think about this more and PM some of you who have generously offered.</p>
<p>You're welcome to PM me if you want me to poll the SoCal kids at Williams. I think there are four on S's hall, exceeded only by NYers. However if your son finds options he likes just as much closer to home or more convenient, I certainly understand your feelings. Keep exploring. It eventually gets clear.</p>
<p>neurotic, I think the key factor here is fit. If your son finds that he is attracted to the ambience offered by a New England rural or small-town LAC, then he's just not going to find that atmosphere in a major city or at a large university. </p>
<p>UMich, Northwestern and any one of a number of schools in Boston or DC are great choices but they are completely different animals from Williams, Bowdoin, Middlebury, Colby etc. Our case was a bit extreme (over 30 hours travel time) but my son was always so delighted to return to the Purple Valley that the inconvenience of travel was in no way a deterent. He had classmates from all over the country including the West Coast and I don't think I ever heard one of them complain about the commute.</p>
<p>For Williams, wouldn't it be easy to fly to Hartford/Springfield (Bradley International Airport)? Yes you would still have the ground transport issue. And yes, you would still have to have a plane change somewhere along the way. </p>
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<blockquote> <p>It's not the snowy bus rides we're concerned about (I grew up in NY), but the killer combo of two flights plus a bus ride.>></p> </blockquote>
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<p>As an aside...DD does the "two flights plus bus ride" trip to college...but in the opposite direction from the OP. We are from New England and she is going to college in CA. There are NO non-stop flights from the airport near her school to here, so she also always has to change planes. As Jmmom pointed out, this means her trips are always full day extravaganzas. We have also found that booking airfares has become a hobby...with us searching online for the best deal well in advance. But DD has never complained about her travels and she (knock on wood everyone) has not had any travel snafus except a couple of delayed flights along the way.</p>
<p>There are a LOT of students attending the schools in the OPs post who are not from within driving distance. I would suspect that there are many who need to get to airports. This might be a question to pose to the schools...how DO the students get to the nearest airport?</p>
<p>Speaking as a VICTIM of an upstate airport -- it stinks basically! We can't get anyplace without transferring at a huge hub somewhere, and our tickets are ridiculously expensive. Everyone says Jet Blue is so great - I disagree. Their so called cheap fares are rarely actually available and we get stuck transferring in Kennedy for just about everywhere.</p>
<p>I don't know thumper, because we don't use the air route. However, the official lit. recommends Albany which is closer than Hartford.</p>
<p>Our routine involves the Port Jeff-Bridgeport Ferry, and I imagine a car in DS's future. We are lucky that someone from our town with a car attends is school (D not happy her little brother is entering her social circle.)</p>
<p>Just food for thought: Air travel involves the student spending most of the travel hours. We have gone up and gotten son by car, and this can be time consuming for parents, so some parents actually prefer air travel where student, not parent is doing travelng.</p>