<p>Igloo – I agree that Bard will be deathly quiet on a Sunday morning, but unfortunately Bard does not offer tours – except for the self-guided type – on weekends. As for traffic, I don’t think that’s likely to be a major problem on Sunday of Columbus Day weekend. How were you thinking of getting from Vassar to Middletown? Via the Taconic Parkway and I-84 or by way of Route 44 to Hartford? Either route has its scenic perks, but the former will certainly get you to Wesleyan sooner.</p>
<p>According to the website, Bard will be starting their Fall break Columbus day weekend. If my D likes it, we’ll have to come back. I know it’s not ideal. </p>
<p>Hudsonvalley, Probably via Taconic Pkwy. We’ll see how much time we’ll have. Route 44 looked more interesting tho.</p>
<p>PRJ, Thank you for the link. It has everything I need on one page. Superb summary.</p>
<p>glad to help Igloo. your D’s list is very similar to my D’s (Vassar, Wesleyan and maybe Bard), so I will be very interested to hear your impressions.</p>
<p>the CDS is a great resource for any school. some are easier to find than others - if Googling “(school name) CDS” or “(school name) Common Data Set” doesn’t work try “(school name) institutional research”</p>
<p>I don’t know much about Vassar. Where exactly is Poukepsie New York? Is it near a major airport?</p>
<p>I always assumed it’s in the Adrondecks, in the cider country as glido mentioned. I don’t know if there’s a major airport. </p>
<p>Nothing like fresh pressed cider. glido thank you for the tip. Google search shows a mill right in Red Hook where Bard is located and another in Poukepsie. I am really looking forward to this trip now.</p>
<p>Poughkeepsie is not in the Adirondacks. It is the Hudson valley, a couple of hours north of Manhattan. You can take a train ride (longish) from Grand Central Station. The only airports would be regional ones. Dutchess County is a weekend destination for many city dwellers. Apples and cider can be found all over this part of NY State. Have fun, it’s beautiful in the fall.</p>
<p>Okay, then Vassar is NOT going on DS’s list. Basic rule for plane ride schools is that they must be near a major airport.</p>
<p>Igloo: IJustDrive, This shows my true color; What should I want to set up?</p>
<p>I was thinking of tours and/or info sessions, perhaps a look at facilities for a department of interest (especially if there’s a special tour). But I tend to respond well to structure, so I don’t find it as satisfying to just go wander around a campus.</p>
<p>My D is the opposite. If I drag her to too many info sessions, she will refuse to go on further. Campus tour will be nice but too much hassle trying to fit it in. Humanity kid here not much facility needed, pencil, paper and library. She may care wee bit how fast their internet connection is. We will walk around to get the feel of the place, sit in the cafeteria, student union.</p>
<p>Seiclan: Vassar is a wonderful school (as is Marist), so don’t count it out too quickly. Poughkeepsie is easily accessed via Albany or Newberg Int’l Airport and it is only an hour or so from Newark International. There is a Dutchess County Regional Airport right there, as well.</p>
<p>agree with glido. if Vassar is a good fit, I wouldn’t rule it out over distance from an airport. the only school with which I am very familiar is Grinnell (my alma mater). it is an hour from the Des MOines Airport but the college runs regular shuttles to and from the airport at break time. I expect most non-urban schools do the same.</p>
<p>No way is Vassar an hour from Newark Airport (by car anyway). It is more than 100 miles from Newark Airport to Poughkeepsie. There is Stewart Airport in Newburgh NY, which for all I know might have flights to florida (for Seiclan’s son) since a few of the smaller airports do go to florida from NY (there is a market for that)maybe Jet Blue. That is probably within an hour of Vassar. I don’t travel out of there, but I spent some summers in my teens in Dutchess County, and I am from NY originally, so I know it is not so short a ride to NYC from the Hudson Valley.</p>
<p>By the way for any travelers who have time, I love to visit the Vanderbilt mansion and Roosevelt’s home in Hyde Park in the Hudson Valley, and recommend both.</p>
<p>Yes, I’d say 2 hours. And you have to prepared for Poughkeepsie, which is a sad, run down little city in the midst of all the beauty that is Dutchess County. But Vassar itself is gorgeous and of course a wonderful school.</p>
<p>We may have to give up sightseeing this time around except getting some cider. Where would you recommend us to stay overnight, New Haven or Middletown? Coming from Poukeepsie, we could go to New Haven first or Middletown. Travel time seems about the same. Where would we find convenient lodging? That would be Sunday night probably arriving late in the evening.</p>
<p>D is a freshman at Vassar…she’s been there a month and loves it. We visited Wesleyan, too, but not Bard (too rural for her). Feel free to PM with any q’s.</p>
<p>S just signed up to take the PSAT’s in October…is this really happening again?</p>
<p>I know, psychmom. It’s deja vu all over again. At least for me, D’12 is a whole lot more engaged in the process than S’10 was. Maybe that will make it feel a little less like dragging lead through sand or herding cats or (pick your cliche).</p>
<p>;)</p>
<p>Where did you stay when you were visiting Wesleyan? Or was it a day visit?</p>
<p>I’d rather herd cats. This is my first and only. It feels like walking with eyes closed.</p>
<p>When we visited Yale last summer, we stayed in New Haven at the Study at Yale, which was more pricey than I was happy with, but a really lovely hotel. (Cookies in the lobby.)</p>
<p>Thank you. That looks great.</p>
<p>Your options for lodging around New Haven will be infinitely greater than around Middletown.</p>
<p>Re: distance from Poughkeepsie to Newark Liberty Airport. It is actually a little under 100 miles from Newark to Vassar (which is technically located in the Town of Poughkeepsie rather than in the City of Poughkeepsie). You can also take the train from Newark Airport to Poughkeepsie (via Airtrain, NJ Transit and Metro North). From the Poughkeepsie train station you can take a taxi to Vassar, which is located about 3 miles east of the Hudson River.</p>