East coast families: did you and your DCs tour colleges in California?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids have *applied* to these schools but we never toured. In my mind, the only reason to tour a school before senior year is to figure out where you want to ED. Those schools weren't in contention so we didn't visit. In reality, the kid will get into just a tiny fraction of where they apply so there's no reason for the time, expense, or frankly getting their hopes up until it becomes a real choice.

OP: I'm interested in this approach. DC is a junior. Do most families here mostly tour potential ED schools? Do you wait to tour other schools after getting acceptance?

How about safeties? Do you tour those too so DC can know there is a safety they would like?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids have *applied* to these schools but we never toured. In my mind, the only reason to tour a school before senior year is to figure out where you want to ED. Those schools weren't in contention so we didn't visit. In reality, the kid will get into just a tiny fraction of where they apply so there's no reason for the time, expense, or frankly getting their hopes up until it becomes a real choice.

OP: I'm interested in this approach. DC is a junior. Do most families here mostly tour potential ED schools? Do you wait to tour other schools after getting acceptance?

How about safeties? Do you tour those too so DC can know there is a safety they would like?

We are taking the opposite approach. To directly answer your question, we won’t visit the West Coast or deep Midwest unless there’s a possible ED, but we feel it’s important also to visit potential safeties and targets. No point in working on tons of apps if they aren’t schools your kid would be happy attending. Planning lots of day trips, long weekends and spring break in the next few months to visit schools on the East Coast or in driving distance.

DC’s school allows for a few excused absences for college visits. By tacking those onto three day weekends you can get a decent stretch of time to visit a few colleges back to back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Son visited Stanford, UCB, USC, UCLA, UCSD his sophomore year (October). He loved all of them. Also looked at Chicago schools. He applied REA to Stanford and has accepted offer.

What are rough stats and profile and how does a regular unhooked kid get into Stanford? I thought they only take Olympians, F500 CEOs' kids or FGLI?

He is none of the above. FWIW, stats get you a seat at the table only IMHO….had a 1530 super score on SAT and 4.6 weighted GPA from DMV. Had a phenomenal LOR from a non teacher (sent to him after he was accepted) that tied in his ECs servicing the community, school and leadership role on sports team (non recruited). I read his essays. Of course I am biased, but I thought they were so well written, and had a unifying thread that told his story. Having my spouse as an English major to proofread and offer suggestions certainly helped.

We didn’t think he would apply to Stanford, but after the California visits he was laser focused on attending a California college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids have *applied* to these schools but we never toured. In my mind, the only reason to tour a school before senior year is to figure out where you want to ED. Those schools weren't in contention so we didn't visit. In reality, the kid will get into just a tiny fraction of where they apply so there's no reason for the time, expense, or frankly getting their hopes up until it becomes a real choice.

OP: I'm interested in this approach. DC is a junior. Do most families here mostly tour potential ED schools? Do you wait to tour other schools after getting acceptance?

How about safeties? Do you tour those too so DC can know there is a safety they would like?

Our MO with DC1 was to take them to see a small, medium, and large school in rural, suburban, and a city location - not really paying attention to ranking, but also making sure they aren’t all highly rejective. We’re on the east coast so that part could be tackled relatively easily by car. After DC figured out what they were looking for, we went on specific east coast college tours. DC wanted to apply to some UCs, we told them we’d go if they got in. They ended up getting into 2 schools a plane ride away so we went to both admitted student days spring of Sr year. Ended up at a UC.

Next kid has had the benefit of being on many college campuses with DC1 and has decided they want a warm weather college town (as does most everyone these days). That’s a little harder to easily tour because they tend to be quite spread out and maybe only have 1-2 per state they’d consider. We’re going all over creation during their spring break and they will probably see each school they plan to apply to except maybe 1.

[Anonymous]

PP again, we also prioritize visiting schools who track demonstrated interest. I

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If so, which ones?

Based just on reputation, it seems UCLA and Berkeley are too large and "sink or swim", the other UCs are too expensive for OOS students, Caltech is too hard and cutthroat, Stanford is too impossible, Claremont Colleges are too small or too niche. What are other schools that east coast families found have to be worth long the trip to visit in person? DC is a high stat junior at a top private; above are schools college counsellor and friends of older kids mentioned for campus tours.

Pepperdine?
Oxy?
But you could probably find those two type of schools on the east coast. If you do, please list them.

But OP said her kid was a top stats student Oxy and Pepperdine make no sense. Also, Oxy experienced a 15% decline in student enrollment this past fall, which should be concerning. https://theoccidentalnews.com/news/2025/11/05/college-adjusts-spending-and-admissions-tactics-in-the-wake-of-enrollment-decline/2916071

[Anonymous]

stanford is hard but worth the try. you miss all the shots you dont take. I say this as someone who didnt expect to get in but ended up graduating from there.

[Anonymous]

Only California school my high stats east coast kid considered and applied to was USC. Kid was interested in business and wanted an urban campus. We meant to visit but ran out of time. But USC admissions had amazing online live webinars and great admissions support for questions. We had detailed questions bc kid was applying to a very specific/unique program. We felt very informed and impressed. Kid was accepted ED elsewhere on east coast. In hindsight, happy kid is on east coast bc they have been able to travel home easily for fall break, thxgiving and parents weekend visit was a breeze. Don't underestimate travel logistics- both time and cost.

[Anonymous]

We visited a few east coast schools— mostly to get an idea of big vs small, urban vs rural, etc. My kid ended ED’ing to one of the Claremont Colleges without ever visiting until drop off but it worked out.

[Anonymous]

My DD goes to college in CA. Yes we visited. It’s easy and quick to drop her off/pick her up from the airport. Lots of her friends go to colleges on the east coast (Boston, Texas, North Carolina, etc) and also fly to their colleges. What’s the difference?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD goes to college in CA. Yes we visited. It’s easy and quick to drop her off/pick her up from the airport. Lots of her friends go to colleges on the east coast (Boston, Texas, North Carolina, etc) and also fly to their colleges. What’s the difference?

The question was visiting as part of the college search, not now that she’s in college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, because I'm not sending a kid to school in California. There is nothing they have there that he can't get closer to home.

Beautiful weather. Experience a different part of country. Entertainment internship.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD goes to college in CA. Yes we visited. It’s easy and quick to drop her off/pick her up from the airport. Lots of her friends go to colleges on the east coast (Boston, Texas, North Carolina, etc) and also fly to their colleges. What’s the difference?

The question was visiting as part of the college search, not now that she’s in college.

That’s why I wrote “yes we visited” lol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If so, which ones?

Based just on reputation, it seems UCLA and Berkeley are too large and "sink or swim", the other UCs are too expensive for OOS students, Caltech is too hard and cutthroat, Stanford is too impossible, Claremont Colleges are too small or too niche. What are other schools that east coast families found have to be worth long the trip to visit in person? DC is a high stat junior at a top private; above are schools college counsellor and friends of older kids mentioned for campus tours.

Pepperdine?
Oxy?
But you could probably find those two type of schools on the east coast. If you do, please list them.

But OP said her kid was a top stats student Oxy and Pepperdine make no sense. Also, Oxy experienced a 15% decline in student enrollment this past fall, which should be concerning. https://theoccidentalnews.com/news/2025/11/05/college-adjusts-spending-and-admissions-tactics-in-the-wake-of-enrollment-decline/2916071

Not true. My kid was a 1540 SAT and 3.9/4 UW GPA, excellent ECs….and yet right outside the top6% in Texas for UT on a small HS class….had basically almost full ride to Pepperdine and took the option….

[Anonymous]

We did a tour during a school break a few years ago starting out in the Bay Area where we had scheduled tours at Berkeley and Stanford, and visited Santa Clara on our own. We then drove down for a scheduled tour of UCLA. This was a very fun trip as we got to see many of the sights along the way, including Monterrey Aquarium, Getty Museum, SF and LA.