Best Time to Tour Colleges

[Anonymous]

My daughter, for cost reasons, is pretty much set on attending a Virginia college or university. I have let her know what we can afford, and have told her she can consider private or OOS schools provided the net cost comes out about the same as a Virginia state school or she knows how she will make up the difference. In any case, she will be a high school sophomore next year. I was thinking of starting to do some college tours around Virginia so she can get a flavor of the various schools. We would not, or course, visit them all, but I thought I would break it down something like this:

I - 81 Tour

Harrisonburg - JMU
Blacksburg - Va. Tech
Charlottesville - UVA
Radford - Radford U.
Lexington - W & L

Tidewater/Central Virginia

William & Mary
VCU
Christopher Newport
Old Dominion

National Capital Area

University of Mary Washington
George Mason University

When do you think would be the best time to visit some of these schools. Over the summer, during school year breaks?

[Anonymous]

First, you do know that W and L is private? I think it is also expensive.

[Anonymous]

There's no perfect time. Summer is different--as far as the other kids around. Teacher work days are frequently a good time as is Spring break--frequently it is different from the colleges.

[Anonymous]

You could do CNU and WM in one day. Although touring more than one in a day can be a little mind boggling.

[Anonymous]

You could do CNU and WM in one day. Although touring more than one in a day can be a little mind boggling.

Same for Tech and Radford.

[Anonymous]

How close is your daughter to graduating from high school?

[Anonymous]

Three years. WL is private, but aid is generous.

[Anonymous]

I just got back from touring W & Lee. It's bloody hell expensive and wery few minorities (General Lee is lying in state there in the chapel). It's difficult to get into (although I don't know why after touring). What goes unsaid is that 80% of the students pledge to a frat or sorority and those are VERY expensive, so, according to a professor friend, you wind up with a skewed population of the very rich who can afford to go there AND pay for the rights to belong a frat or sorority versus the kids who are there on generous financial aid packages and cannot pledge a frat, or sorority. There is also a serious off-campus drinking problem. A girl recently died when she was in a car with 11 (article says ten, but faculty told me 11) kids in one car returning drunk from a frat. party in the country - the girl was sitting on someone's lap and she's no longer with us. The young man's life is over too - he's up for manslaughter charges which will be followed by a civil action. However, if you are AA, I think W&L will bend over backwards to get you because so few AAs attend because General Lee and Traveller are very much a fixture on campus. My kid was really turned off. I was turned off. http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/washington-lee-university/1585713-w-l-tragedy.html

[Anonymous]

Great! It's good to start early.

[Anonymous]

I just got back from touring W & Lee. It's bloody hell expensive and wery few minorities (General Lee is lying in state there in the chapel). It's difficult to get into (although I don't know why after touring). What goes unsaid is that 80% of the students pledge to a frat or sorority and those are VERY expensive, so, according to a professor friend, you wind up with a skewed population of the very rich who can afford to go there AND pay for the rights to belong a frat or sorority versus the kids who are there on generous financial aid packages and cannot pledge a frat, or sorority. There is also a serious off-campus drinking problem. A girl recently died when she was in a car with 11 (article says ten, but faculty told me 11) kids in one car returning drunk from a frat. party in the country - the girl was sitting on someone's lap and she's no longer with us. The young man's life is over too - he's up for manslaughter charges which will be followed by a civil action. However, if you are AA, I think W&L will bend over backwards to get you because so few AAs attend because General Lee and Traveller are very much a fixture on campus. My kid was really turned off. I was turned off. http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/washington-lee...rsity/1585713-w-l-tragedy.html

That's interesting, but I don't know if I would trust the source: college confidential. My son has a friend who is a grad from there. She's a very nice person and she loved it there.

[Anonymous]

I am just wanting DD to visit a variety of campuses - public and private - to get a flavor for some of the different colleges from large state to small liberal arts. I am looking at the net price using the various net price calculators and if the net price of a private or OOS falls within our range, DD can consider it. Where would a child attending a top Fairfax County High School from a solidly middle class family (both parents are professionals) fit in. She is artsy, excels at English and writing (barely tolerates math), has her own unique style of dress, plays on the softball team. Most of her friends are artist and musician types and they have a garage band. She may be LGBT. Where would should best fit in?

[Anonymous]

I am just wanting DD to visit a variety of campuses - public and private - to get a flavor for some of the different colleges from large state to small liberal arts. I am looking at the net price using the various net price calculators and if the net price of a private or OOS falls within our range, DD can consider it. Where would a child attending a top Fairfax County High School from a solidly middle class family (both parents are professionals) fit in. She is artsy, excels at English and writing (barely tolerates math), has her own unique style of dress, plays on the softball team. Most of her friends are artist and musician types and they have a garage band. She may be LGBT. Where would should best fit in?

She could find her own niche in lots of colleges. I understand that VCU has lots of artsy kids. If she is not an excellent, top tier student, don't bother with UVA or WM.

[Anonymous]

UVA or WM may be reach schools for her, but we will see what happens in the next three years.

[Anonymous]

She sounds like a very cool kid by the way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am just wanting DD to visit a variety of campuses - public and private - to get a flavor for some of the different colleges from large state to small liberal arts. I am looking at the net price using the various net price calculators and if the net price of a private or OOS falls within our range, DD can consider it. Where would a child attending a top Fairfax County High School from a solidly middle class family (both parents are professionals) fit in. She is artsy, excels at English and writing (barely tolerates math), has her own unique style of dress, plays on the softball team. Most of her friends are artist and musician types and they have a garage band. She may be LGBT. Where would should best fit in?

William & Mary and Mary Washington sound like the best bets in Virginia. I'm hard pressed to think of a private school in Virginia (vs. so many places in the Northeast and Midwest) that would be a great fit.