<p>Visiting colleges definitely can help winnow down the number of schools to which your S will apply. Sometimes the vision presented by a website or within a prospective student’s mind differs sharply from the reality gleaned from an actual visit, e.g., campus setting in relationship to large city/small town, vibe gotten from meeting students.</p>
<p>Having just driven from Boston to Cleveland, I would recommend driving Boston to upstate NY (RPI, Cornell, RIT) and then on to Cleveland. It’s a good 12 hours from Boston to Cleveland.</p>
<p>Good luck, and have fun!</p>