<p>Hi all, S#2 is a rising senior, and we're working on a one week college tour of the above colleges next week. We will need lodging in both Saratoga and Amherst. Ouch. Not cheap. Well, I'm willing to bite the bullet with the wallet a touch to give kiddo a sense of the off-campus atmosphere he would enjoy if he were to be admitted/attending Skidmore or Hampshire. Because of this, I'd like to stay as close as possible to "downtown" (Saratoga for Skidmore, and Amherst or Northampton for Hampshire? I think?). Any suggestions? </p>
<p>Of course the most important part of this trip are the tours/information sessions/interviews at all these schools. Even though we will not be staying overnight by Marlboro or Sarah Lawrence, the kiddo finds what he has read about these two schools intriguing. </p>
<p>Oh, and any suggestions about where to eat? Any "do not miss!" suggestions?</p>
<p>The order of "appeal" before this trip is Hampshire ~> Sarah Lawrence ~> Marlboro ~> Skidmore. I'll let you know what he thinks upon our return!</p>
<p>Any comments at all about these schools for a quirky, honest to a fault uberliberal with a dark sense of humor who has dreams of becoming a history professor?</p>
<p>Skidmore sounds like a good match for your son's interests. We live in the region, and my D has attended programs at Skidmore for the last two summers.</p>
<p>There are lots of accomodation choices in Saratoga Springs at all price points, but good thing you are going now! Saratoga's high season kicks in with the arrival of the New York City Ballet over July 4th weekend. Here are some ideas for downtown (depends on how much of a splurge you're planning): The Inn at Saratoga, Adelphi, Saratoga Downtowner Motel, the Saratoga (attached to convention center), Holiday Inn downtown. Farther afield (1-2 mi): Hilton Garden Inn, Courtyard by Marriott. LOTS of B&Bs....</p>
<p>Some things to do: explore the downtown on foot, it's a Victorian gem. Visit the National Museum of Racing, take a tour of the Saratoga flat track (if it's open), have a picnic in Saratoga State park. You'll find lots of restaurants to choose from, and there are shops both high-end and crunky/quirky to discover. If your son wants to be a history professor, he will LOVE the Lyrical Ballad (a gem of a used book store with marvelous treaures). Cafe Lena has folk music (not sure of the schedule). The Last Vestige is a funky music store that carries vintage vinyl albums and other hard to find music.</p>
<p>I visited Marlboro a couple of times. Once during summer to attend a concert and one during the academic year to visit some friends. The area is full of artists. We once bought a lovly vase from a local sculptor who exhibits in NYC and other big city galleries.</p>
<p>I can't remember where we ate. I believe it was at Max's and the food was very good. Marlboro is an oddity. It is literally a former farm with odd shaped buildings. It's very small (300?). I'm told that many seniors go off to research their senior theses, thus reducing the number of students on campus. The faculty is very informal and students call their profs by their first names. The students seemed very bright and committed to their studies.</p>
<p>Orchestramom has given good tips about Saratoga. During summer, Skidmore is host to a variety of summer programs, including CTY which my S attended.</p>
<p>If going from Sarah Lawrence to Skidmore (or visa versa) might want to drop by Bard...it's on the way...and similar to the other schools on the list.</p>
<p>Lord Jeff Inn is right in Amherst. A number of chain hotels on the outskirts of Amherst and Northampton. Check the Smith, Amherst and UMass websites for places to stay near their campus.</p>
<p>And look at the calendars at the 5 colleges (Smith, Mount Holyoke, Amherst Umass, Hampshire). All have museums and summer programs -- so there might be events tied to those museums/programs.</p>
<p>Honestly I wish I could help with accomodation requests in Amherst and Saratoga Springs, but DW and I have friends in both places who love to cook! Oh, and my ten bucks says the list will be ordered very differently upon your return. Enjoy the trip!</p>
<p>There are tons of places to stay in Amherst. We are going end of Aug, and staying at the Holiday Inn Express, which is near both the college and Umass and is fairly cheap and clean. Oh, and has breakfast, which we like.</p>
<p>Do a google search for SS, and then check Trip Advisor. We have stayed all over the US at hotels we'd never heard of, and actually been pretty pleased, for the most part.</p>
<p>I read somewhere (don't remember exactly) that via the PVTA (free bus transportation between the 5-colleges) that from Smith it is 15 minutes to Hampshire and 45 minutes to Amherst/UMass. That may mean that it may be more likely that he will visit Northampton more often than Amherst. You may want to try to stay in Northampton close to downtown.</p>
<p>Yes, I was thinking Bard & Wesleyan too. Also Bennington, with a campus that is simply stunning, is very similar to the profile of the schools you are looking into and also near to your path.</p>
<p>BTW Bard has a nifty & unique EA program; if you like Bard check it out.</p>
<p>My D really liked Skidmore. Though it is artsy and liberal, it has a much more conventional feel than, say, Hampshire & Bennington. (H & B were a little too oddball for her, at least then.)</p>
<p>Our guides were candid: Hampshire is very loose with the curriculum and consequently lots of kids seem to take more than 4 years to graduate. You need to be very self-motivated there. Just something to consider.</p>
<p>There is a good book called "Visiting College Campuses" that has excellent info on hotels, restaurants, maps, & drive time from place to place. Might be good to get a copy.</p>
<p>If you do decide to visit Bennington (it's not very far from Marlboro, not as small or isolated, and you can take classes at Williams if you are enrolled at Bennington) The Best Western New Englander Motor Inn is pretty nice, not too expensive and very close to campus. The Blue Benn is a GREAT little funky diner right near there, it is legendary. Also, in Amherst, check out Emily's B&B, it is charming and at least it used to be affordable.</p>
<p>If your son is interested in Hampshire and Marlboro I would definitely suggest you visit Bennington too! They are all very close to eachother both geographically and philosophically. The professors are incredible at Bennington and the percentage of students that go on to graduate school is very high. I have taken some incredible history classes and have been very happy socially and academically. I can't wait to get back in the Fall!</p>
<p>Thanks, I'm going to tell son about Bennington... I hope we can squeeze in at least a tour there while we're nearby at Marlboro. I had mentioned Bard to son previously and he had something negative to say about it that he had heard from a friend of a friend, he is <em>not</em> interested, yadda yadda, you know how it is. :/ I hope I can convince him to at least agree to tour the campus as we'll be nearby in our travels from Hampshire to Sarah Lawrence. </p>
<p>Thanks for all your feedback! Please keep it coming. We're leaving Tuesday. :)</p>
<p>TheDad-I'm not sure what you mean by that, but in terms of the student body, I have not found that to be true at all. I have some friends at Smith and have spent a lot of time both there and at Hampshire. The Students are really not so different. Both campuses are very liberal and have a variety of types of people, from freaks to nerds, political types, scenesters, etc. Not too many rah rah jocks at either school, but believe me, some of the women at Smith are much more "unconventional" than some of the Hampshire students!</p>
<p>jjsmom-I know this might be difficult, but once you and your son have visited the schools you mentioned, and he gets a feel for the campuses, has taken the tour, learned about the academics, etc. you may want to go back to the ones he liked best when all of the students are there before he makes a decision about where to attend. There is certainly a similarity to all of these schools, but there are some differences in the students. As I said above to TheDad, there will be all kinds of people at all of those schools, but I visited all of the schools you mentioned plus Eugene Lang, Bard and Vassar. They are all somewhat "alternative" very liberal schools, but it was (along with the beauty of the campus) the student body, and the feel I got from them, that helped me to make my decision to attend Bennington. Initially I visited some of the schools when the students weren't there, but I ended up going back when school was in session and am very glad I did. I won't go in to my impressions of the people at the various schools unless you are interested, but they did feel somewhat different to me, and that became an important variable for me.</p>
<p>Agree with visiting Bard. Wesleyan is a much more competitive school than the others. Son (and his parents) were turned off by Sarah Lawrence. Limited to 3 courses a semester (each 5 credits). Your child wants to take any more they actually will charge you thousands more dollars.</p>
<p>If you want to stay in Northampton, the Autumn Inn is a good bet. It's a couple of blocks past the Smith Campus. There are hotels in on SR 9 (Quality Inn, etc.) in Hadley that are closer to Hampshire.</p>
<p>My D was very interested in Hampshire--until we visited. She ended up applying to Bard (accepted) and Wesleyan (wait-list). We were going to visit Sarah Lawrence, but didn't, because we got lost and it was the end of the day. Vassar we spent 21 minutes at, and that might have been 20 minutes too long.</p>
<p>I mention this because after she started college, my D said (indignantly) "why didn't I visit Bennington?" (Because it was two hours the wrong way, that's why.) She'd heard a lot about it from friends of friends who were there, and thought it might have been a contender. So I will second the people who say "add Bennington and Bard" to your list. </p>
<p>I would stay in Northhampton rather than trying to be near the Hampshire campus. For one thing, it makes it possible to go to Herrell's for late-night ice cream sundaes, which are a truly wonderful experience and made me want to move to Northhampton myself.</p>
<p>I just had to add this, a post of mine from an old thread on search criteria and first impressions, about my D's reaction to Bennington...</p>
<p>"My D's shortest campus visit ever had to have been Bennington. The drive to the College was Currier & Ives perfect (apple season & fall colors; winding country roads and clapboard churches & antique stores...) and the campus was just gorgeous. She and I leapt out of the car!</p>
<p>We went directly to the dining hall for lunch (on a Sunday), and upon entering a look of horror, as though we were in the bar scene in Star Wars, crossed her face. </p>
<p>Those students not wearing tattered pyjamas and un-brushed hair had either some version of army navy surplus or odd, artsy ensembles like prom dresses worn with wellington boots. There were a few "Pats" of indeterminate sex. Many clearly post-coital couples. Many facial pierces, technicolor hairdos-- you get the idea. I actually liked it; how comfy to wear pjs; nice counter culture vibe; it reminded me of RISD. </p>
<p>It reminded my D... never to apply there. Of course, we were hungry so we ate. There was one very straight, fashion-magazine-looking girl that my D sidled up to at the salad bar-- the girl reminded me of Marilyn Munster she was so out of phase with everyone else's style-- & of course she was an international student who had never visited the campus (though she seemed perfectly happy.)</p>
<p>I thought it looked like a fun scene but after lunch D was like a cartoon character whose feet run in place they're in such a hurry to peel out. It didn't help that we had to exit through a cloud of cigarette smoke by the door..."</p>
<p>It can be very dicey whether the kid's first impression is at all accurate.</p>