<p>We are East Coasters! And we were in LA last week for another reason: it took 8 hours with a plane change, and 5.5 with a direct flight to get there. Given that the programs begin early in the morning, the only way to arrive same day would be to do an overnight flight (hard to find) and then our students might be too tired to be at their best. The interview is on the second day, but still we want them to take full advantage of the sessions, so I would recommend going the day before. We are tying to get a direct flight on the Wednesday before his Thursday session starts. A tip: if Southwest is in your area: they allow ticket changes with NO fees, so if you book now and see a lower price later, you can rebook at the lower rate with no cost. And bags are free!</p>