Is visiting in cold weather a problem?

[Pizzagirl]

OK, this wasn't my thread purpose, but we're drifting here, so what the heck. Bostonians / Massachusettsians (?), how would you reco seeing these places (in what order, etc): Tufts, Brandeis, Wellesley, possibly BU, Clark, Smith, Mt Holyoke? And please don't add in Harvard or MIT or Amherst. I know those places exist but they aren't on our radar screen, LOL.

[hawkette]

p'girl,
Sorry to get this off-track---my earlier comments were intended for the more urban campuses of the Philly area. I'm with you on Bryn Mawr and Haverford. Very pretty schools in Philly's best suburbs and each with easy access to the city via commuter train. I'll be interested to read your impressions.

As for the schools that I mentioned, I would concur with the thought that places like Duke, Vandy, UNC, are typically not places that share applicants with places like Bryn Mawr and Haverford. Davidson, however, is. Wake might and it is less reachy and has something of a LAC feel to it.

BTW, I think you're smart to visit these schools during the year and during periods when the weather may be most objectionable. Your Tulane discovery is a perfect example of that and helped you cross it off the list.

mythmom,
Sorry you child is unhappy in Atlanta. As major cities go, it's ok, but overall not an especially attractive or charming city with a nice urban center like you'd find in Boston. Atlanta is definitely much more spread out. I have heard your complaint before, particularly from Northerners looking for something resembling things back home. Hopefully, things will improve for her.

cadence,
If late Feb/early March in DC is spring for you, then I guess you must've found April positively balmy and June/July/August uninhabitable. I think you're about a month early. Average DC hi in March is only 56 with average low of 37. I guess folks have different thresholds for weather, but mid-50s, often with blustery winds, is not exactly shorts and sandals weather.

[PRJ]

Pizzagirl - check out this recent thread Help with Clark/Brandeis/Tufts visit. it doesn't include all the schools you want to visit but might give you some insight into distances, order of visits, etc. my only contribution to the discussion was that I underestimated the travel time (and amount of traffic) on the Mass Pike going from Clark to Brandeis, and D was late for her interview

[Pizzagirl]

[

As for the schools that I mentioned, I would concur with the thought that places like Duke, Vandy, UNC, are typically not places that share applicants with places like Bryn Mawr and Haverford. Davidson, however, is. Wake might and it is less reachy and has something of a LAC feel to it.

Yes, niece goes to Davidson and I've asked them to consider it. Wake's a perfectly nice college, but it doesn't have anything that isn't already more than covered in their lists, and I don't see a need to add a southern school just for the sake of having one be southern. It needs to fit criteria and make sense.

BTW, I think you're smart to visit these schools during the year and during periods when the weather may be most objectionable. Your Tulane discovery is a perfect example of that and helped you cross it off the list.

I sometimes think I must post in Swahili :-). My concern was never that the weather at any of the Northern schools would ever be "objectionable" (these are Chicago kids!) or that it would misrepresent a campus to have them visit it in warm weather when for a good chunk of the year it's cold. *That's not a concern.* My question was whether cold weather would inhibit or impede the ability to get the full feel of the campus.

If late Feb/early March in DC is spring for you, then I guess you must've found April positively balmy and June/July/August uninhabitable. I think you're about a month early. Average DC hi in March is only 56 with average low of 37. I guess folks have different thresholds for weather, but mid-50s, often with blustery winds, is not exactly shorts and sandals weather.

Right, but shorts and sandals aren't signs of spring either. That goes by the name of summer :-).

[my-3-sons]

Of course it's always nice to stroll around a campus when it's sunny, 72 degrees and flowers are in bloom, but the only thing that will be different from a winter visit will be the scenery. The programs will be the same, the students will be the same and the facilities will be the same. In a nutshell, hearty Chicago kids should not have their ability to get the feel of a campus impeded by a winter visit. The feel of the campus in winter is probably much more representative of the true campus culture and and will give a better sense of student life. Unless it's blizzard like, you'll be able to walk around outside, explore and get a sense of the campus atmosphere. Since the weather will be nothing new to them, your kids should be able to look right past it and see the school for what it is and get a real feel of life there. After a few minutes on campus, I don't think grey skies will be a factor. You can never predict the weather and oftentimes spring in the northeast means rain and mud, not very appealing either.

Two of mine chose schools they visited under much less than desirable conditions, one of which was during a freak spring mini blizzard with pelting sleet! Sometimes you just have to go, when you can go. Have this same discussion with your kids and express your concerns. I'll bet they say it won't be a problem. Remember, these visit are just to window shop, buying will come next year. Your kids sound great, enjoy the visits and your time together.

[mythmom]

Hawkette,

That's sweet of you. I think it's good for her. It's her BF's hometown and she wanted him to move to NY which terrified him, but I think he would have. However, they couldn't make the money work.

He got offered a wonderful, one year fellowship with the CDC, and I'm glad to see she can compromise for him. But here's a girl who lived in London for six months and missed the urban environment of NY!! She complained that she couldn't do her shopping at 2 am in London, so I am thinking she might have a "New York or nothing" mentality.

Flexibility is a key character trait so I am keeping fingers crossed. I haven't seen her since she's "emigrated."

[cathymee]

pizzagirl
sorry I guess i was reading in swahili!
I would imagine Chicago kids would be pretty weather impervious...cold/wind/snow/ice resilient..maybe heat and humidity would knock them right out!
The only downsides I can see to winter weather campus visits would be the "hanging out on the quad" type views you might be missing and like I mentioned before, the actual logisitcs of weather interfering with flights,driving schedules and the like.

[tk21769]

>>But here's a girl who lived in London for six months and missed the urban environment of NY!!

Oh, is that possible?!
"The man who is tired of London is tired of life" must not apply to American college women. Goes to show how quirky people are, what we like and don't like.

[marite]

Please note that both Tufts and Brandeis are on hills. In winter, Brandeis trays used to disappear from the cafeteria and could be seen again carrying students down hills.

[cadence76]

Sorry Hawkette, but compared to a New England February, mid-50's IS balmy! That's when we break out the T-shirts around here, but it doesn't get to those temperatures 'til April. And, yes, July in DC is uninhabitable--that's why I'm a *happy* New England transplant!

[Knights09]

The area Emory (and the CDC) is in is much more neighborhoody than city.. That could also be part of your daughter's issue.