<p>Hi all, I am normally on the music majors thread but am interested in the schools being visited. My D is a classical singer, soprano. We seem to be doing all the things everyone else is doing - got the driver’s license, scheduled for summer opera camp, studying for SAT in June, and busily visiting colleges. She is focused on the conservatory route so we are meeting teachers and taking lessons. We homeschooled this year so that she could focus on her voice and theatre at a performing arts program here in SC. Good luck to all you moms who are putting your visitation trips together.</p>
<p>There’s no overlap in S1’s and S2’s picks - so not much deja vu. We’ll probably go up to Boston for a couple of days - Tufts, Brandeis and maybe Clark or BU. It really depends a bit on whether my brother will be around to put us up. Alternatively we might go and spend a couple of days with my DC area sister-in-law and look at a couple of schools there. My dh’s theory is to apply more places and visit less. I’d like to get a few more impressions from S2 before we go that route!</p>
<p>The DC/MD schools are local for us. Makes that part easy. S2 has been to Georgetown several times for MUN, but has not sat in on classes.</p>
<p>Travel arrangements: S2 is flying out to UChicago via Midway on Sat. 4/4 to spend part of the weekend with S1, who is a current student. DH will fly out Sunday am and get a small, cheap rental car. They drive to MN on Sunday afternoon, visit Mac and Carleton Monday. Drive the 4.5 hours to Grinnell that evening and see the school the next am. They drive back to Chicago, S2 spends the night with S1 again and goes to classes at Chicago on Wed. They return the rental car, fly to Manchester, rent another car and do Bowdoin, Tufts and BU. Fly out of Manchester to Philadelphia. I drive from DC to Phila, pick them up and we continue to northern Jersey to my BIL’s for Passover. Return home Sunday am.</p>
<p>Not surprisingly, we call our family vacations “death marches.”</p>
<p>DH drove 2200 miles in five days with S1 two years ago. DC to CMU, UMich, Cornell (via a shortcut from Mich across Canada), MIT, Princeton and back to DC.</p>
<p>jackie: IIRC, Mac and Grinnell, possibly Carleton.</p>
<p>My S has to return to HS after 1 semester in TAMS. Already half of second semester is completed. He was a LEAP student and already has Algebra and Pre-Calculus at TAMS.</p>
<p>Any experiences on returning to HS and suggestions please …</p>
<p>Forgot if I saw this here on CC or got an email, but this event got our attention, since four of the schools S2 is considering are on the list!</p>
<p>[Eight</a> of the Best, One The Road, Admission, Claremont McKenna College](<a href=“http://www.claremontmckenna.edu/admission/ontheroad/8ofbest.php]Eight”>http://www.claremontmckenna.edu/admission/ontheroad/8ofbest.php)</p>
<p>CountingDown…OUCH!!!</p>
<p>Those are some trips.</p>
<p>thanks CD- I was wondering if it was fly or drive between the schools. Also good to know on the interviews, the ones D may be visiting in that time are not starting interviews until May.</p>
<p>I also attended 8 of the best last year 
Unfortunately, D was a bit under the weather and still had unfinished hw so didn’t enjoy it as much. And I thought that sitting through the 8 dog and pony shows, and then the general questions, was a bit looonnng. If we were to revisit this one I would hope we could do it on a less hectic and crowded day.</p>
<p>CountingDown:</p>
<p>Great find - some wonderful schools on that tour. I’ve bookmarked it for April (not sure why you can’t register interest and get an email - that would be much easier.)</p>
<p>DH has been doing these big spring break marathons. I have been doing the local and regional trips. Getting S1 to college last September has become a legendary tale at his office.</p>
<p>scumalum,
Three years ago, all the Claremonts except Pomona did a dog-and-pony show around the country, which we attended since S was looking at Mudd. (This was his soph year and we had not visited yet, but three people who knew S well suggested Mudd was a perfect place for him, so we went.) I don’t know if the Claremonts still do this – but Scripps organized it, so if you are interested in any of those, check on their site. We found it funny when S1 got a nice invitation – from Scripps! :)</p>
<p>Countingdown–I’m incredibly impressed with that trip planning. We’re just driving and I can’t seem to face the online search for hotels. It’s helpful to see how your handling the Midwest visits in case D decides to visit Macalester and Carleton in addition to Chicago (all that will be in the summer or fall round, so I have time!)</p>
<p>Re: places to stay in Chicago –
We stayed at the Wooded Isle Suites near campus for move-in. This time, DH is going to stay at International House, which is next door to S1’s dorm and is $70. Will let folks know how that works out!</p>
<p>We’re starting to wonder if D is really happy with her list. In the last couple of days, she’s expressed interest in Colgate and Connecticut College. Do you guys know anything about those schools, particularly whether they’re too reachy for D? She doesnt’ want to apply to any schools for which admission is like hitting the lottery.</p>
<p>CD- that is some crazy trip you have planned for your DH and S2! I’m sure they’ll have a great time, but WOW! I am in awe of your trip planning skills!</p>
<p>Tokenadult - thanks for posting that link.</p>
<p>Jackief - thanks for the warning about the 8 of the Best being looooong. D isn’t especially interested in any of those schools, so I think we’ll pass.</p>
<p>archiemom - I understand - we find ourselves in situations like that all the time. We’re lucky because it’s sort of understood at her school that juniors will use at least part of their April break to visit colleges, so as long as D is home for a few games, she should be ok.</p>
<p>DougBetsy - glad to hear Batman is doing so well. What a good puppy.</p>
<p>DD and I already made a trip down to the Claremonts - she loved Pomona and Scripps and was so so on Claremont McKenna. Mudd and Pitzer weren’t really of interest. </p>
<p>My interest in 8 of the best was really the other schools - which are harder for us west coasters to get to.</p>
<p>zoosermom, I’m not familiar with Conn College. Five years ago, my cousin was waitlisted at Princeton and attended Colgate. Now I’m curious about their admission stats…okay, just found this at their website:</p>
<p>applications 9,415 (50 states, D.C., 119 countries)</p>
<p>accepted 2,251 (23.9%)</p>
<hr>
<p>Admitted students</p>
<p>SAT middle 50% 660-740v 670-760m</p>
<p>ACT middle 50% 31-33</p>
<p>average GPA 3.74 out of 4.0</p>
<p>percentile in class (available 81% in top 10%; 93% in top 20%</p>
<p>for 41% of admitted students)</p>
<p>public/private high schools 69%; 31%</p>
<p>There are two schools that S is really interested in that going to be on tour nearby (four hours away is nearby in Texas.) Both days are days that S is already booked to perform the play. Of course. </p>
<p>I was on base today and ran into a friend whose son is a senior. His son has been admitted to two good schools but is still waiting to hear from 1st and 2nd choice plus waiting on scholarship info. </p>
<p>Anyone else want to run away with me next Spring? We’ll come home once the kids have made their final decisions.</p>
<p>Sounds like a plan, pugmadkate…lol.</p>
<p>zm- I did raise my eyebrows when you first mentioned Colgate, I did not see it as a fit for your D. But let us know how it goes. It is on our potential visit list, also Hamilton which is closeby (but not in Hamilton NY, where Colgate is)… We visited Conn College in the fall. I do not think it would be a reach for your D. They have some good programs esp in interdisciplinary areas, including some abroad programs, I think they give free music lessons. Honor code, schedule your exams at your convenience. I know I reported either in this thread or an actual college visit report. I am seeing it as a match/safety for D, which doesn’t seem right from the status above, but has very good results from our school where she would be in the upper right quadrant. Friend of D’s is a freshman and really likes it, and a teacher at their school is a recent (fairly, maybe 10 years ago) grade.</p>
<p>CD- we are staying at i-house (hopefully… they called me back to say they were confused with my reservation, and haven’t answered my follow up messages) we splurged for a private bath but will fall back to the guest rooms if the reservation got messed up.</p>
<p>
Me. Will there be sun, alcohol and good food involved?</p>