<p>I live on the West Coast, and I am not planning on taking a vacation to the east, or to the central part of the United States any time soon. However, many of the colleges that I am considering are just that - eastern or central. Should this be part of my decision making process? Should I single out a few of these colleges, so that I make sure I visit them before applying, or should I consider all of them, forget the visits, and opt for an interview in my home state? Any help would be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>If there are one or two Eastern or Central colleges that you have your heart set on, you should DEFINITELY go visit them and figure out if all of the traveling you’ll have to do is worth it. You’ll have to fly back and forth to start your freshman year, and then go home during vacations, so decide whether or not you’re willing to do that. If not, you’d probably be better off sticking closer to home. I attended undergrad 900 miles away from home, and thank goodness my father worked for an airline! If he hadn’t, I’d have chosen a different college. Good luck!</p>
<p>I’d visit the college(s), but only after you’ve been accepted, have the FA package and know all of your options. In general, visiting after you’ve been accepted saves time. If you visit a college and aren’t accepted or given a good FA package, that’s basically time wasted. It comes down to which is less, the time it takes to visit a college or the time it takes to write an essay or two for the college. 2 days vs. 4-10 hours over the course of say a month.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the suggestions. I think I will apply to a balance of both. I figure that if I get accepted, with a good Financial aid package, from an Eastern Coast school, I will make the trip over, as well as visiting any in-state schools I decide to apply to. Any other helpful suggestions would be appreciated, but thanks to all of you that have chimed in! Greatly Appreciated, indeed.</p>
<p>I have another inquiry, if anyone could be of some aid. If applying to schools, which, for the most part, are too distant for me to visit, would it be reasonable to apply to over four schools on another coast? What I mean to say is, if I do end up applying to colleges in the East mainly (i.e. 4 or more, I am looking at mainly Liberal Arts colleges, which, with the exception of Pomona, California is a little scarce on) will I have time to visit them all before deciding on which I will attend? I know that colleges give you time limits, and if I got accepted to three or more, what would the travel situation be like? And do colleges offer any sort of aid if you are accepted, and want to visit? Also, I was invited by Amherst, and by Williams, to apply to their all-expense-paid visiting trips, should I jump on those? (I do have interest in both colleges).</p>
<p>Of course apply for an all expense trip if you are interested in the schools!</p>
<p>That does seem quite obvious, doesn’t it? Yes, I suppose the sentence was perfunctory. Still the other questions stand legitimate in their purpose.</p>
<p>As an Alaskan, visits are obviously difficult. I’m waiting until after decisions are in.</p>
<p>I hear you, and have sympathy noimagination. I feel so funny, living in California, in which the godly UC system exists, and complaining on the lack of educational opportunities. Yet, I do not wish, necessarily, to attend a giant university, where your class sizes are huge, and your learning experience is mainly independent. I enjoy having a teacher/student relationship, and having a close sense of community. The UCs are great schools, but they don’t sit well with me for a ton of reasons (and one that particularly bothers me, is there is no chance in hell I am division one sports material! At least, currently.)</p>