Draft college visit itineraries: is this nuts?

College Search & Lists
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On the subject of Grinnell, I note they have an automatic $20K/year merit for domestic ED applicants who are actually admitted ED. And you are still eligible for an additional Founder’s Scholarship too. I know people are skeptical about why they would offer anything extra to ED applicants, but apparently they have, and I think that is because they want to make sure to attract as many highly qualified ED applicants in the next round as possible

Of course this is making an already competitive college a little more competitive still (probably not a coincidence). And I would not advocate EDing Grinnell just for this reason.

But IF Grinnell–which of course is independently a very attractive college–happened to end up your kid’s ED choice, that would be nice.

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We did the Ohio portion of your tour, flying from MN on a Thursday night in February, tours and info sessions on Friday at Denison and Kenyon, then tour only at Wooster because they offered a Friday 4 pm tour! This was such an unusual offering that we decided to just do it. Oberlin Saturday morning and then we flew home out of Cleveland. It was a lot, honestly too much with the third tour but it did get my son home Saturday which he wanted. I loved seeing all these schools and I think any one of them would have been great. My son ended up wanting engineering after we toured a whole bunch of schools that don’t have it (because he wanted a smaller LAC)! He is now loving it at Lafayette College (and he is not preppy, fratty or sporty but rather a theater, D&D and martial arts kid).

Are you from Iowa, or just starting your trip there? Because I think that would be an asset for a Lafayette application. It seems they are looking for geographic diversity as most of their students are applying from NJ, NY, PA, CT, etc.

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St. Olaf has 20K guaranteed merit for ED acceptance, too!

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I believe the OP said they were from the west coast, but would be visiting grandparents in Iowa at the start of this trip. They can clarify this.

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What I told S23 when looking at both boarding schools and colleges was that not only did you learn a lot of “how” the school works during an information session, but, more importantly, you learned what they wanted to show you. What the school values and how they want to present themselves, says a lot. What are they highlighting, and just as importantly, what are they glossing over? Do they seem to be overcompensating when addressing areas of weakness? Do they present a “student first” and “user-friendly” approach, or is it all just why they are the best and you’d be lucky to get in?

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I know that you aren’t looking to add schools to your list, BUT, if you are starting in Iowa and you can swing it, I’d add on Cornell College. Cornell College is one of the few One Course At A Time schools. While many of the LACs you are looking at will feel similar to one another, Cornell is completely different. It would probably be a more likely admission than the others on your list and if it does resonate with him it’s nice to have a firm likely on your list.

It also is a good fit for a kid who is on the shy side and tends to forge friendships with those that they spend a lot of time around. Since they are in class with the same small group of kids for 3 1/2 weeks for long periods of time doing interactive activities many “class friendships” develop. It’s much easier to meet people.

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Updating to say this:

It took booking the individual tours at each school for me to realize that actually? this is a little nuts – our projected February itinerary anyway.

I’ve already scrapped the 30-hour winter visit to Iowa, with grandparental blessing (grandfather is going through chemo so exposing him to the teens isn’t actually the greatest idea, and it adds 8 hours of winter driving.) This gives us more time to explore Northfield and have a proper St. Olaf tour (and maybe drop in at U Minn!)

I’m also rethinking the push through Pennsylvania, mostly because I can’t quite figure out how to do info sessions at the four Ohio colleges in two days without
a) risking being late (which is embarrassing) for the afternoon sessions at Oberlin/Kenyon,
b) being stressed (which is no fun for anyone – I start vibrating) and therefore
c) ruining my son’s impression of the schools (and/or shorting him a true experience).

One minor problem: I already got my son excited about reuniting with his buddies from his French summer exchange (who live near New York) and dangled the prospect of a Broadway show in front of our lovely, queer, singing-ABBA-in-the-shower German exchange student. Columbus and Cleveland both have their charms but I don’t know if they can compete.

I also think Dickinson majorly tracks interest level and canceling our visit there probably wouldn’t read well.

I think I have three options:
a) cut out at least one Ohio school (awkward b/c I’ve already scheduled the tours) and try to get to Pennsylvania earlier. I’m not even sure which one to cut (it would be either Wooster or Oberlin).
b) Relax Ohio itinerary a hair by skipping Lafayette altogether and bumping Dickinson to Friday.
c) reschedule the Ohio tours so that we do no more than one school/day and cancel the PA-NY jaunt altogether (this is the conservative/safe option). This will not be popular with my boys in the here and now but might be more relaxing/enjoyable for them when we’re actually on the road (getting on the road every morning by 8 AM not most teens’ cup of Starbucks.)

WWYD? I’m leaning toward option c).

I’m also worrying that if we don’t sign up for the optional interviews, etc., the schools will think we don’t care and it will somehow be a blemish on my kiddo’s record. I don’t think he’s ready, though, to interview – and he’s definitely not going to be at his best when jet-lagged and rushed from school to school.

Put my mind at rest, would you? and tell me that coming out to visit from CA will be meaningful enough without adding all the bells and whistles at every school.

PS: sharing this thinking in excruciating detail in case it is helpful to someone else down the road.

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Check what is going on at the Cleveland Playhouse theaters…maybe there is an excellent show happening there.

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this doesn’t get me off the hook with Dickinson but yeah, checking out live music/theater events in either city is a great idea.

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I’d keep the NY/PA part as it sounds like both kids are interested in that and it will be a great change of scene after all the college touring. I’d release one or more of either the Ohio or PA schools. Lafayette could go, or either Oberlin or Wooster, let your son read about them and see which he’s most interested in.

The schools won’t ding you for canceling, so don’t worry about that. You’re planning a major trip from CA and people’s plans change all the time, admissions folks know that. Also don’t worry about interviewing, he can always do them on Zoom senior year (my D24 did this rather than in person and it was fine).

All in all, you are trying to accomplish a lot, I usually find simpler is better for everyone. My D21 and I did fly from Seattle and tour 7 colleges in 4 days (RI, MA, NY) with lots of driving, in February. Seeing a Broadway show at the end was a definite highlight and I’m glad we made it work. The whole trip was amazing and exhausting.

I knew D24 wouldn’t be as enthusiastic so we scaled it way back when she was looking, visiting as many schools but spread out more so we never saw more than 3 colleges on any one trip. Given your long distance travel, that might not be possible though. We had planned to visit schools after acceptance as a way to get around it. There’s no need to visit every single school before applying, and given your geographic situation, might not even be possible. So let yourself off the hook :wink:

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I agree with this!

You really should keep the NY part. I mean NYC broadway show is going to be a once in a lifetime thing for your exchange student and sounds like your son would like going to meet up with his friends.

Canceling tours are no problem. Especially as you are coming from across the country.

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If it were me, I would do (c). I agree with you about the emotional tone too much travel in a short time and worrying about being late can set. And then Oberlin to Carlisle is a long drive. Then you barely have any time in NYC anyway. If you want to take the boys to visit NYC, maybe just do that separately, rather than try to tack it onto an Upper Midwest trip. It really isn’t that close.

I also would not worry about canceling tours or doing interviews at this juncture.

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But NYC from the west coast is not the easiest thing (for another trip).

IMO it sounds like the best part of the trip :man_dancing: :dancer:

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I agree! Really, going anywhere on the east coast from the west coast is just a pretty huge trip. Of course this is my opinion only, as a west coast resident who lived on the east coast (including NYC) for my first 27 years and on the west coast for the past 18. Adding in the driving, the weather (winter!), and the perhaps sub-optimal interest of all parties involved, and I’d try to get to NYC. The kids won’t care if it’s only for a day or two, it will be what they remember the most. ETA the college tours may all blend together, I had my daughters take notes on their phones after each visit and before we debriefed. My D24 also took voice notes/memos and those were fun and helpful to go back and listen to.

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Based on what you’ve told us about your son’s personality, preferences, etc.: if you have to drop one I’d consider Lafayette.

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Our exchange student has to do a creative project for school and has persuaded them to accept an in-depth analysis of the US college admissions process with observations from each stop along the way – so that should help a bit with the blurring of schools into each other.

I agree: it’s time to let Lafayette go (and they don’t offer tours on Friday anyway).

I’ll see if I can jigger things around a bit to still manage Dickinson and the NYC evening. (I’d tack it onto the spring trip but we’re meant to be in Boston. I guess if we can’t swing NYC this time around, we can replace BOS with NYC, which is probably more iconic/different in the eyes of a typical European teenager.)

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You could just plan a separate (short) trip to Ohio later to cover those schools.

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I think you’re making this really complicated.

Keep NYC- that’s the reward for listening to the tours. Honestly, the schools will not penalize you for canceling a visit this far in advance, so make the trip as easy geographically as you possibly can.

I still maintain that a small rural LAC vs. a big urban university is a distinction worth learning about. But Ohio rural and PA rural-- not too different.

Don’t risk your son throwing up his hands and declaring “I really don’t care”. You may need FEWER schools to maintain his interest, not MORE.

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“I think you’re making this really complicated.”

This is, in fact, my superpower. :wink:

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You are gunning on all cylinders!

How about turn the decisions over to your son? Point out the three or four viable options (balancing costs, distance, winter driving, early morning starts, sacrificing depth for coverage) and let him take the reins?

I found that my family- which typically spent half of our vacations complaining about the itinerary, weather, late dinner/early breakfast, lack of internet-- stopped complaining once we instituted a Googledoc which divided up responsibility for every element (literally- where we’d stop for gas and bathroom break) among all of us.

Kid who picked a bad, crowded restaurant for dinner? Cheerfully told the group “Nobody bats 1,000”. Nice contrast to everyone complaining about Mom and her inability to Yelp!!!

Seriously- point out the options and put him in charge…

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