<p>p’girl,
I’ve stated before that I’m not a big fan of Philly. I think it’s going to look crummy there no matter when you visit. Hard to put lipstick on a pig. I wouldn’t worry too much about when you go.</p>
<p>As for your comment about 4 seasons, I’m sure you know that nearly all of the northern climes that you’re looking at won’t give your kids 4 seasons. Depending on how far north you are, spring arrives in mid-April or later. In other words, your kids won’t have much spring beyond the occasional nice day here and there. A good clue to this is when the colleges play their home openers in baseball. I know that you have no interest in attending, but it is telling when a school won’t schedule any home games til late March or later. </p>
<p>Finally, a slight appeal for some geographic balance in your search. Looking at some colleges in the Sunbelt might be a good contrast with what they are seeing in Philadelphia and other glamourous spots in the Northeast. Ever thought of visiting Texas (Rice) or Tennessee (Vanderbilt) or Louisiana (Tulane) or Georgia (Emory) or North Carolina (Duke/Wake/U North Carolina/Davidson)?</p>