lcuy

I'm sitting here with my good friend who wants to take her daughter on a college tour later this month.

They're flying into NYC to see Columbia & NYU, then plan to visit Providence RI, New Haven CT, Middleton CT, Amherst, Boston and Poughkeepsie, NY. Also want to visit Philadelphia (U Penn & Swarthmore), then fly out of NYC.

She's on a very tight schedule- 5-6 days max. Would driving be the best bet for this, or would parts of it be done just as easily by train or bus?

If she drives, are there any roads to avoid? And is it best to rent a car somewhere outside NYC to avoid the city traffic?

All recommendations appreciated.

Nancy - on Lucy's computer

Anonymous

Ten or more schools in 5 - 6 days is ridiculous, even if there were virtually no travel time -- you won't get a good idea of any of them, and they'll all blur together. I suggest that you try to narrow down your choices before the trip. These schools are in all different directions, there simply isn't time to do more than the 1-hour walk-through tour if you try to do so many.

Realiztically, you could drive up Route 95 and hit New Haven, Providence, and Boston.

lcuy

Unfortunately, they are flying from Hawaii and this is the "narrowed down" list.

Obviously, they will have to just do quick visits at some of the schools. The student is still a junior, so this quick tour will give her at least some idea of the colleges and locations.

Hoping to get ideas on routes to accomplish their trip.

Thanks!

KathrynT

I think they'll need a car except in NYC in order to cover so much ground in so short a time. I have been advised (as I'll be visiting New York and renting a car soon myself) that if you leave the city after the morning rush hour, the traffic won't be too bad. New Yorkers, is this true or do you have better suggestions?

rkkwan

Since you're going to New Haven anyways, take the train there, and rent the car from there. It'll be cheaper and less hassle than renting it in NYC. Do a circular route from New Haven - Providence, Boston, Amherst, Middletown, Poughkeepsie, to Philly. Drop off the car there and train back to NY.

If you can't do one-way rental, then perhaps return the car in New Haven after Middletown. Do a day trip to Philly by train. A half-day trip to Poughkeepsie by train.

BTW, I agree with others that this is really not the best idea. Waste of a plane ticket and the time flying from Hawaii to just look at the outside of the buildings. I don't think one should choose a college based on "how the school looks like".

mclaurie

Well I'll agree with everyone else, this just isn't doable in 5-6 days and don't forget about jet lag. But trying to be helpful, I'd depend on public transport for the first few days to avoid the tension of driving. You could theoretically see both Columbia and NYU in one day, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon, despite the fact that they're at opposite ends of the city. And you certainly don't need a car in NYC. I think you can do the same in Phil. I'm not sure how far apart U of P and Swathmore are. Phil is an easy train ride from NYC.

You can then take a train, bus or plane to Boston from NYC. They all seem to take the same 4-5 hrs. and you don't need a car in Boston. There's a luxury bus called limoliner.com that sounds good. Then I think rent a car in Boston and hit RI, Ct. and Poughkeepsie on the way back to NY to fly out.

Yes, Kathyrn, it's true driving out of NY mid morning is not terrible.

mclaurie

As to the question of roads to avoid, I just know I 95 which is the major road connecting New Haven to NYC is murder. If New Haven is the last stop before NYC and you're coming back to the city (rather than heading straight for the airport), if you can dump the car in New Haven and train back to NY, that would be better. You could save Poughkeepsie for last and go from New Haven to Poughkeepsie and then NY, avoiding 95. Otherwise, just try to avoid rush hour on 95. BTW, there's also train service from Poughkeepsie to NYC, if they wanted to drop the car there.

mclaurie

Just happened to find, really by accident, this Amtrak offer. HS kids looking at colleges can take one parent for free on Amtrak. This would apply for you NY to Phil and if you decided to train NY to Boston.
http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/Conten...84285&ssid=224

Lois_L

This itinerary borders on the physically impossible. I agree that it is a waste of airfare and time to zip through these colleges and just get a glimpse, instead of a more thoughtful 2-hour tour. They will be burned out and confused. Due to the tour schedules, you can't "do" more than 2 colleges per day. If they only have 5-6 days, they need to narrow their focus. They have to understand they will be driving through heavy traffic areas, so that may slow them down. Forget train or bus--they wouldn't have any time for waiting whatsoever. All in all, their plans are sort of unrealistic. Also, it's usually a good idea on college tours to include a few that are a little less challenging to get into.

Anonymous

Save your travel money and watch the videos! Seriously, these preview tours might help them narrow down their focus. Admission to the ivies (New Haven, Providence . . . ) and even the little ivies (Amherst) is such a cr*pshoot even for highly-qualified kids, it might be better to visit after seeing where she's accepted!

http://www.collegiatechoice.com/

yoonny

I love challenge!

I will definitely rent a car at the NYC airport since it will be burdensome to navigate all these cities with luggage. Get a weekly rate.

Day 1 - Visit Columbia & NYU, drive to Phila after 7pm through Holland Tunnel and avoid rush hour (~2.5hr drive), sleep

Day 2 - Visit Phila schools daytime, drive to Poughkeepsie, NY at night (~3.5hr), sleep

Day 3 - Tour Poughkeepsie in the morning, drive to Middletown, CT (~2hr), visit school, drive to Amherst (~1.5hr)at night. sleep

Day 4 - Visit Amherst in the morning, dirve to Boston (~2hr), visit BC and other schools in the afternoon and check out night scene at cambridge, sleep

Day 5 - Drive to Providence, RI (~1hr), visit school, drive to New Haven (~2hr), visit school, drive to Foxwoods or Mohegan Suns (~1hr), gamble and experience what some college kids do on weekends (optional), drive back to NYC (~2.5hr), check out night life around NYU

Day 6 - Check out NYC schools again if time permits. Return car, depart to Hawaii, relax at the beach.

Tips - Contact schools for tours and lodging suggestions. Eat meals at the school cafeterias. Find lodgings closest to the school that will be visited next morning, don't book in advance. Print out driving directions from internet.

Have fun!

Anonymous

"Day 4 - Visit Amherst in the morning, drive to Boston (~2hr), visit BC and other schools in the afternoon"

LOL!

michelleNYC

It think you are more than a little confused re: distance/drive time.

cheapbutnice

Please reconsider this plan.You're looking at a brutal loop in the Northeast. I wold suggest that you reduce & cluster the schools and make the travel 1-way. You could fly to Harrisburg, PA & visit Franklin & Marshall or Gettysburg, Swathmore, Penn; then travel north for a cluster of 3 in NYC and then another group of 3 in the Boston area; leaving from Manchester

lcuy

Thanks for the useful information. The good news is that Nancy got open jaw tickets. FF at this last minute from Hawaii!! Is that a good omen or what??-

They're flying into Philadelphia on 3/22 and out of Boston on the 29th. This will eliminate a bit of backtracking.

For those who say it can't or shouldn't be done, we know that! The problem is that this student has only visited California and Oregon and has lived her whole life in Honolulu. She can research schools to death in the college guide office and on the internet, but without seeing what an east coast school or city looks like, its hard to even narrow down the schools.

When you are completely in the dark, a fast college tour can be like a short vacations, better a taste than nothing at all!

lauracohenromano

Ok, I love a challenge too, and I grew up in Philadelphia, have lived in Boston, and now live in Connecticut. For years I took public transport everywhere, now I both do that and drive. I of course agree that this is crazy but here we go!

I'm assuming the worst on time of arrival, that it is evening. If it's not, just use the time for sleep!

Arrive Phila. eve. of 22nd. Rent a car(you definitely need to do this for this trip!), sleep somewhere and wave hello to my mother near the art museum

Morning of 23rd, tour UPenn. Then drive to Swarthmore (I think it's about a half hour by car but it's been many many years since I did it, so look this up)and tour there in afternoon. Have dinner with some students, grill them, and then drive to NY when rush hour is over.

Morning of 24th tour NYU. Afternoon, tour Columbia. The NY day is the part of the trip where it will be a pain in the butt to have a car, so get advice in advance about where you might park.

In the evening drive to Poughkeepsie. Stay at a nice B&B if you like that, and tell them what you're doing so they feel sorry for you and make you an extra nice breakfast.

Morning of 25th see school there. In the afternoon drive to Amherst. Again, many nice B&Bs. Hang out in area, again, talk to students, don't be shy.

Morning of 26th, see Amherst. Then drive down to Middletown and see what I assume must be Wesleyan in the afternoon. Either stay in town (new hotel, nice, there) or drive the 20 minutes to New Haven and stay there.

Morning of 27th tour what I assume is Yale. Drive to Providence, tour Brown in afternoon, and stay in Providence, hanging out with the locals in the evening.

Morning of 28th, drive to Boston. Settle in, have lunch, and see a school or two. Hopefully you have the am of the 29th before you leave to see a Boston school so you don't have to do two right when you arrive.

All of this assumes you book tours ahead and make sure the morning ones are 9am ish. Also, there are a couple places where this plan could be tweaked if need be, but I think they're probably obvious...

The daughter will probably be fine with all this...good luck to the mother!! Drink lots of caffeine and enjoy. Let me know if they want someone to meet for dinner in Middletown (my husband and I live 15 minutes away, and he lived in Middletown for years).

Anonymous

Speaking as a Boston resident who frequently travels to Providence and NYC, who has even been to New Haven recently; who has a daughter who is a freshman in college hundreds of miles away; who has visited Amherst, Poughkeepsie, New Haven, Providence, and points past and in between as college visits with various offspring:

You friend will get twice as much out of her trip if she visits half as many colleges, and has a chance to see some of them in depth. Her unfamiliarity with the Northeast and the college ambience here is all the more reason why she cannot judge them in quickie visits and needs to spend some time.

To continue your analogy of "better a taste than nothing at all": I am recommending three square meals rather than repeated snacks of chips and cupcakes, which is what the quickie college tours are.

Regardless of what you choose to do, be forewarned that the campuses, particularly the urban ones, currently look their worst. We've had a really rough winter with near-record snow which is now melting, leaving behind potholes and drumlins. Even by the 29th, there won't be much green!


Have you checked on whether any of these schools will be on Spring Break during that week?

Anonymous

OK, I"m going to express one more concern, and then I'll shut up. Given the specific schools and cities you've mentioned, this looks like a tour of most of the Ivy League, with Vassar, Amherst and a couple other selective schools thrown in. If your young visitor has been doing research, she knows that the Ivy schools admit about 10 or 15 percent of applicants, and turn away droves of valedictorians and kids with perfect SAT scores. Are you sure the choice of schools visited is realistic?

robhart

I'm sure you're getting the gist: this is a tough challenge. Although yoony's itinerary is amazing, if you're not used to driving in the Northeast, it could be disastrous. Driving here is extraordinarily stressful; the roads are narrow, not well marked, and everything goes at top speed. My experience driving in Hawaii was far different ... Use Amtrak as much as possible between cities (Philly to NYC, and Amtrak or Metro-North to New Haven) Only rent a car once you're out of the NYC area. Good luck! (I teach at NYU, by the way.)

rkkwan

Let's assume this is a top student that has a good chance at the top schools.

A better way to do it is to only visit the ones in the big cities, and forget about the car.

Philly, New York, New Haven, Providence, Boston. There are more than enough schools to fill a 5-6 day itinerary. Skip the other ones.

Amtrak and various commuter trains can bring you to all these locations, and the girl can rest on the train between cities. Like others have said, if they have never driven in the Northeast, it's often not a pleasant experience. And snow is uncommon in late March.