<p>Is this a good idea? Me and my parents are visiting Univ. of Illinois, Univ. of Michigan and Northwestern Univ. next week on a road trip, and we’re flying to California to visit UCLA, USC, Stanford and Caltech. </p>
<p>I suggested that we visit Washington University also on the way to UIUC (I live in Omaha) but they said that I should drive down there with friends sometime if I wanted to. I think that would be fun but is it really a good idea? Because, what about financial aid questions and other parent-type questions that we would need to ask?</p>
<p>It can be fun, but it might be distracting. Personally I know I might be distracted. It depends on your behavior when you are both alone or with your friends. Above all, college visiting is for discovering great schools by paying attention to the info and tour guides. It can definitely be fun but make sure you get something out of it besides hang-out time with your friends :] If you can handle it, go for it.</p>
<p>You ask the financial questions and report back to your parents. Remember-YOU are going to college. YOU need to know how much it will cost and how YOUR parents will pay for YOUR education. You have to be a grown up now. Sorry- the party’s over.</p>
<p>Going with friends would probably be fun. However, I found that I got the most from my college visits when I was by myself, or got to hang out with current students. I don’t even recommend going with your parents unless you’ll have specific times when you won’t be with them.</p>
<p>However, as far as asking questions: ask questions with your friends around, who cares? For the most part, until you actually get accepted, most your finiancial aid type questions will be very general anyways, and can only be answered in fairly general terms. In truth, your parents don’t need to do much for your college applications/admissions except hand over their tax forms (that’s what my parents did for me). If they aren’t going to do that, then they just need to fill out those forms themselves. It doesn’t matter though, because again, when you’re going on a college visit you’ll ask questions like “how does your financial aid work?” and they’ll say things like “we offer no merit-based aid. You turn in your FAFSA and we figure out how much aid you need Based on your individual circumstances” or “There’s these scholarships you can get that pay for half-tuition” etc.</p>