Going on a college summer look see trip. My OD has her heart set on U of A, but just wanted to show her a few other campuses for her to consider. She is a JR. YS will be along to and he can also ponder these things.

Can't really afford Stanford and that level of school, but would for sure like to check out Santa Barbara, SLO, Santa Cruz, UCLA and a few others. Any particular campus that you would say is a don't miss?

What is your daughter planning to major in?

Try the Claremont group of colleges, they are generally excellent.

Also add UC San Diego to your list.

In northern California, there are UC Berkeley and UC Davis.

Santa Barbara is AMAZING -- some of the student housing is right on the beach, so close to the ocean, you hear the waves! But keep in mind that UCSB, UCLA and UCSC are all very difficult to get into. You also didn't mention my alma mater, UC Berkeley -- another gorgeous campus. Some parts of it (on the hill) have an amazing view of the San Francisco bay.

I would venture to say that she will major in liberal arts. At least for starters.

She is going to a leadership conference this summer at Pepperdine for a week, so she will get to see that campus. And yes, I would like to see Berkely also.

As long as you're in Berkeley, head over to Oakland and check out Mills College.

Very well regarded women's college. They give excellent financial aid packages.