unhooked admission at top LACs seems close to impossible

I think staying in the dorms, attending a class and meeting people is good for the student also. If your DD is not in love with any of the places she likes doing that can really help her to make the decision on where to put her real efforts in applying. We went to a prospective students weekend at another LAC in Colorado and while DS loved loved loved it, and DH & I loved it too, we realized that it was not the best fit for DS.