We may be in that same boat. Admitted student day Saturday and we specifically decided to fly home Sunday evening so D26 could explore Atlanta a bit as she contemplates if that is where she wants to be. Now, it may be sleep in a bit, brunch in Decatur a head to the airport by early afternoon. With time difference no chance we will want to get up early to explore.
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They’re not updating the TSA site with wait times, unfortunately. It’s supposed to be a little better today, but no idea if it will be bad by the weekend again.
I might pick one thing you want to do in Atlanta and try to do that on Sunday before heading to the airport – that will hopefully make it feel like you got one thing accomplished despite the airport chaos. The aquarium is absolutely worth it (largest in the U.S., only place to see whale sharks, and the Ocean Voyager exhibit is really spectacular). The National Center for Civil and Human Rights is also really cool if you’re history buffs. You could head to Centennial Olympic Park which gives you a bit of the flavor in the middle of the city, then walk to one of these things. You definitely won’t have time for both.
The World of Coke and the College Football Hall of Fame are also right there, but I’d venture that neither is worth it unless you happen to be HUGE fans of either or want to taste 100 sodas from around the world, lol.
My favorite place in Atlanta happens to be the Marriott Marquis – the architecture inside the atrium is just really cool. It’s been used in a bunch of movies. (Walking distance from Centennial Olympic Park.)
If you want to eat and shop, the central food hall at Ponce City Market is pretty great. You could walk along the Beltline for a bit and look at the public art, then end up there.
It’s supposed to be beautiful here this weekend – 68 and sunny – so I hope you do get the chance to walk a bit and take things in!
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Saw a report on CNN saying that airport wait times at Atlanta are way down.
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Thank you for these great ideas. I will float some with the family and see what they choose. I know Coca Cola and hall of fame will be out. I’ve been to Centenial park but D26 has not.
The Atlanta Breakfast Club across from the aquarium is delicious!!!
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I wish we’d had you for advice on our “I don’t want to actually tour Emory after all” visit to Atlanta with D19 
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That sounds a lot like S24’s visit to Skidmore. 1/2 way through, while on a tiny tour: “Do we really need to be here?” Uhhhhh…unless you have a way of making us invisible??? 
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Did you decide mid-way it wasn’t a good fit? Or did you make the arrangements and a better fit school came through?
She hated the campus on sight (remember this kid liked urban colleges). I made her sit through the admissions schpiel but we left before the tour. She’d already fallen in love with NYU by then.
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I’m kind of hoping my daughter falls in love with the first place we visit (one of my favorites -but shh– don’t tell her that!) 
It will probably be the 4th visit though!
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There has recently been a daily thread on Reddit for sharing of info related to airport wait times in Atlanta. I’m guessing you could also find info (or ask for info) there about the effect of pre check. Just search for ATL TSA on Reddit and then find the thread for the day. Hope you all have a great Decatur/Atlanta visit (during the yellow-pollen-on-everything-season).
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It’s funny, D22 actually liked Emory’s campus because she was tired of seeing red brick buildings at every other school. But it was the only tour that I didn’t go on because DH went with her – so I’m not familiar with Emory’s campus at all. (I did visit the tiny Emory Oxford campus twice, though, which is a totally different vibe.)
Thank you for this! Reddit is so useful sometimes. 
I LOL for real at the post complaining about people using leaf blowers during pollen season, though. (Ugh the pollen is so gross right now.)
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OMG SAME!!! I kinda liked it (all the gorgeous trees), but it was definitely NOT a fit for my D26!!
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My D26 fell in love with a school we just visited for the first time last weekend - which neither of us expected, by the way! I am hopeful 
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I liked the campus. My sister went there and loved it. It was always going to be a big reach for D19 anyway.
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PSA for those who believe that vaccines save lives (if you don’t, feel free to scroll past). Some of you may have heard about the meningitis outbreak in Kent, UK, as well as periodic but deadly outbreaks in colleges the U.S., including Santa Clara, UCSB, and Princeton, University of Oregon. Many colleges require the MenACWY vaccine, which covers strains A, C, W, and Y. It does not usually cover meningitis B, which requires a separate vaccine. The MenB vaccine is not part of the routine childhood immunization schedule, which contributes to lower population immunity and the potential for severe outbreaks. For optimal protection, the MenB vaccine is given as a 2-dose series six months apart. There is also an accelerated 3-dose schedule at 0, 1–2, and 6 months for adolescents entering college or military where they will be living in close quarters when there is a less than six months gap for optimal immunity. Check with your insurance plan, but in our case the vaccine was covered 100% at our pharmacy.
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C26 has read about the outbreaks and already asked about a vax - which we need to do for college anyway, but I didn’t know all the details about B, so thanks for that info. They actually have a doctor visit this week anyway, so we’ll ask about that.
My father almost died of combined meningitis and encephalitis when I was about 6 months old. We got lucky.
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My wife just informed me that at his last checkup our Dr suggested he get the vaccine and he will have his 6 month shot in August. Turns out when he went for a physical to do track and field they suggested it for him.
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Pretty good day over here. D26 now has a roommate group with 3 other students. She & the roommates/suitemates have figured out that D26 will end up with the earliest “pick your room” time, so D26 will end up being the person to pick the dorm & room and then the system automatically brings in the other people in your roommate group.
In the meantime, they’ve all now had a group video call together and they’ve been talking about all of the things that a parent would want their kids to compare notes on. Sounds like it’ll be a pretty multicultural group, which I am really happy about.
The dorm they’ll be in is suite-style, so 2 double-occupancy rooms will share 1 bathroom. The 1 bathroom has 2 sinks and long countertops for each sink + lots of bathroom storage. 1 of the suitemates said she’ll bring the shower curtain. I told D26 to offer to bring a Costco mega-pack of TP. 
(you have to supply your own TP + clean your own bathroom in the suite-style dorm rooms)
For a short minute, they all thought that they’d be able to survive with 4 girls sharing 1 mini fridge.
D26 seems happy and relieved to have made some connections already. I can tell that she’s getting excited.
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