We are from Pennsylvania and my dd21 was also looking to get out of the cold and go south. She did not go on any tours before applying in fall of 2020 because Covid, she did a lot of video tours, and then made plans to do tours in March 2021.
She was convinced she wanted to go to U of SC and had already joined some chat groups looking for roommates. She did not care for Clemson’s location or vibe, loved South Carolina obviously, and did not care for Georgia either which she felt was too spread out and not as walkable as she would have liked. UTK was last on the list to visit, and despite the fact she was in love with SC, she left the tour absolutely more in love with UTK and that’s where she ended up. Yes the food is not the greatest, but there were always some good options. Some of the dorms are older, some newer, but the kids all seem to love and meet lots of others no matter which dorm you end up with. She was a direct admit to the business school. She loves the big school sports and is in a sorority. I like the fact that the airport is 20 minutes from campus and has direct flights to Philly 2-3 times a day, made her first year without a car very easy to get home.