And kids change, through high school. It’s often said, but when you get to senior fall, most of us see that. Early on, D1 wanted to go as far away as possible. In the end, she applied to schools about 3-5 hours away, a possible drive. I had been worried about the cost and timing of getting to her, if needed. One great midwest college described a flight to Chicago, a connection to the closest city, a 45 min bus ride, then a local taxi to campus. Uh, nope. Add TSA and you’re talking an all-day thing.
We had also looked at one of my all-time favorites in the south- and much as D1 also loved it, she realized how much the area was a culture shift from New England. (With the geo diversity in so many colleges, that’s not a big issue, today. But it mattered to her. She realized that day that she was very much a northerner.)