@ECmotherx2 - no, he isn’t what I’d call an “outdoor” kid. He fits the stereotypical tech geek profile (in a good way!). So maybe that would be a saving grace if he did go upstate NY. The only thing he really does outside on a regular basis is to go for a run (and right now it’s so freaking hot and humid down here that that’s tough). He enjoys the beach but doesn’t “live” there.
ETA: Also my son is very, very fair skinned and the Florida sun has been hard on his skin, even with lots of sun block through the years.
ETA2: I bet your daughter’s BF was in shock at first! We have relatives in Boston and I just truly do not see that happening.
Just speaking as someone who grew up in the north and now lives in Florida. I cannot imagine going back.
If I were you I would draw the line right where you drew it – the Maryland border. Those middle states will still have four seasons and a decent winter, but nowhere NEAR what the northern states get.
Whenever it gets super gray down here in Florida (as it has been for the past 10 days, most unusually!) I think, “looks like HOME!” Meaning my hometown in the north, which was gray 70-80 percent of the time, seems like.
There are plenty of quality schools that are not in the north.
what is not to like—suiting up to go out and freezing …getting to class where the heat is on sweating, even after taking off most of your winter clothes and than suiting up again now sweating and going back into the cold all sweaty. the dry skin from the heating system is an added bonus.
p.s. a lot of the school up north have no AC so you bake in your dorm the first 5-6 weeks of school and the last 5-6 weeks of school.
that said if RPI is the school for him he should go for it. he will move back to south florida as soon as he graduates (very very good chance)
I suggest visiting for an accepted students day, if not earlier in the winter. I spent four years in Troy. Despite global warming, winters get pretty brutal (and I’m a Massachusetts native). The city itself is quite dreary, but it’s accessible to pretty areas and some decent skiing, along with attractive areas like Saratoga, Williamstown, Bennington, and Lake George. You can get to NYC or Boston within 2-3 hours for a long day-trip or a weekend getaway. RPI is a terrific college for STEM. Beware of the jail-bait at the boarding school up the hill, though.
“Despite all I have seen and experienced, I still get the same simple thrill out of glimpsing a tiny patch of snow in a high mountain gully and feel the same urge to climb toward it.”
NASA2014, It is not true that NYC is the only place in NY with decent weather. The areas near the coast are also wonderful. Westchester and LongIsland have generally decent weather-Loads of sun, 4 moderate seasons. If you are within about 30 miles of the coast, the weather is moderate. When people from those areas think about winter snow, they often image sun reflecting off beautiful white hill tops. Forget that. If you want an accurate image of winter weather In the Southern Tier, image no sun and gray drab skies from October to May.Spending time outdoors does not mean you are spending time enjoying the sunny snowy days. It is drab, gray, brutal.
@SouthFloridayMom9 - I would posit that coming from the flat state of Florida that your son would have more difficulty with the hills of Troy than the cold of its winters. You truly get four seasons there. The autumn is gorgeous and you really appreciate spring when it arrives.
I went to high school in NC and moved to NYS for college. I don’t do well in intense heat, but I don’t care for cold much either. I love NYS. Fall is beautiful and a great time for taking walks to see the amazing show put on by the fall foliage. Winters are cold, but manageable if you dress well. We have great skiing and snowboarding, and many towns have ice skating rinks. If you live on campus, you’re not shoveling & you don’t have to worry about driving either. Springs are generally warm and a great time for bird watching. Summers, if you stay for internships, can get hot, but we have many lakes and rivers.
We also have hills, while FL, if I remember correctly from visiting family over the years, has none. So that would be a change. But walking them is great exercise.
So maybe that would be a saving grace if he did go upstate NY. The only thing he really does outside on a regular basis is to go for a run (and right now it’s so freaking hot and humid down here that that’s tough). He enjoys the beach but doesn’t “live” there.