Anonymous wrote:Please help me plan the trip with Junior DS, a younger sibling will tag along
We will fly to Boston for 3 days and I believe we need to rent a car
Where should we stay which colleges to include?
He is unsure about major, (1580 SAT) open to top 60 schools, especially those that give merit aid.

Shouldn't you identify colleges and *then* plan a trip?

Very few schools in New England award merit aid. Off the top of my head, Clark, Northeastern, BU, WPI do. But if he doesn't know what he wants to major in, I don't know that the larger schools (especially Northeastern and WPI) are good options.

Look to the Midwest for merit aid.

Three days isn't really enough time to see a bunch of schools using Boston as your hub. I'd just stick to Boston and tour all (or most of the schools) and enjoy walking around the city a bit.
BC
BU
NE
Tufts
MIT
Harvard

If you don't want to see all the Boston schools you could add in Providence, RI and see Brown and/or Providence College. UMass Amherst might be another option.

I don't recommend more than 2 schools a day having done this with a couple of kids now.

We just did this and stayed by the North End taking Ubers or using the T. Mine wanted to do some of the Freedom Trail, pretty cool to walk to dinner and come upon major historical locations.

Not sure Boston will be for my DC but we had a great time.

If you're flying in, you don't really need a car to visit most of these schools. The T will take you everywhere except Brandeis and you can always Uber there. I'm a Bostonian originally but driving (and parking!) can be more trouble than it's worth. Stay downtown and you can jump on either the red line (MIT, Harvard, Tufts) or the green line (BU, BC, NEU.)

So you just randomly picked Boston? You seem very unfocused.

Just an FYI - check Coronavirus protocols before deciding when and where to visit, as it may impact what you are able to see and do.

DS and I went spent a weekend last fall in Boston. Stopped by New Haven on the way up and toured Yale. Arranged tour at Northeastern and walked through MIT and Harvard. Stayed at a hotel connected to Prudential Center. Had a great time. Now he wants to apply to all 3 Boston schools.

If you are looking for top 60 and merit aid, you are somewhat limited in the Boston area. Schools that fit that criteria are BC, BU, Northeastern and Brandeis. Tufts recently stopped offering merit aid.

Anonymous wrote:I'd rent a car and stay in Newton, good hub to visit BC, Harvard, MIT, BU. You could also drive up to Dartmouth if you wanted, or out to Amherst

Neither Harvard nor MIT give merit aid. OP said no to liberal arts or too small so Amherst isn't a good option. Plus they don't give merit aid either.

Should consider Tufts as well.

I'd rent a car and stay in Newton, good hub to visit BC, Harvard, MIT, BU. You could also drive up to Dartmouth if you wanted, or out to Amherst

Plan it like you plan any other trip. Congrats to your kid and you know as well as anybody that every school is fair game with those stats.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please help me plan the trip with Junior DS, a younger sibling will tag along
We will fly to Boston for 3 days and I believe we need to rent a car
Where should we stay which colleges to include?
He is unsure about major, (1580 SAT) open to top 60 schools, especially those that give merit aid.

I can name them all but you gotta give us something to go on - are they interested in liberal arts? Science? Business? Anything?

No liberal arts, no premed, not too small

Anonymous wrote:Please help me plan the trip with Junior DS, a younger sibling will tag along
We will fly to Boston for 3 days and I believe we need to rent a car
Where should we stay which colleges to include?
He is unsure about major, (1580 SAT) open to top 60 schools, especially those that give merit aid.

I can name them all but you gotta give us something to go on - are they interested in liberal arts? Science? Business? Anything?

Please help me plan the trip with Junior DS, a younger sibling will tag along
We will fly to Boston for 3 days and I believe we need to rent a car
Where should we stay which colleges to include?
He is unsure about major, (1580 SAT) open to top 60 schools, especially those that give merit aid.