Anonymous wrote:This is a crazy amount of schools for one trip. On paper one per day seems doable, but the tours are so repetitive, it is hard not to get punchy and tune out.

OP. I would have preferred to split this into 2 trips but DC’s strong preference was one. And these are the schools DC wants to see so we’ll cram it in, but this is also a primary reason for the post. If we have nice places to stay, good things to eat, and a few non-college activities, it will be much less painful.

Anonymous wrote:This is a crazy amount of schools for one trip. On paper one per day seems doable, but the tours are so repetitive, it is hard not to get punchy and tune out.

For some, yes. But it depends on your kid. We did ten schools in eight days last spring break because we're west coast and couldn't swing a second trip. Friends told us they did the same and it went well. It went well for our family too. A favorite memory with our teen, actually.

This is a crazy amount of schools for one trip. On paper one per day seems doable, but the tours are so repetitive, it is hard not to get punchy and tune out.

If you stop overnight on the visit to Skidmore, Saratoga Springs is lovely and we had a really nice stay at the Embassy Suites (best hotel breakfast spread I’ve seen in a while, including a customized made-to-order omelet bar).

For an activity between Bard and Wesleyan, look into Walkway Over the Hudson and Dia: Beacon.

Bowdoin/Brunswick: A beer and lobster roll on the deck of the Sea Dog Brewery if it’s a nice day, the gelato place, and a meal at a Bowdoin cafeteria, which is cheap and delicious.

Anonymous wrote:As you pass through the Adirondacks, towns such as Lake Placid and Saranac Lake offer beauty and amenities.

Seconding Lake Placid and Saranac Lake. Stopping in Portland on the way to Bowdoin would be fun too. Love Portland, lots of good seafood restaurants but I recommend Eventide.

Look on admissions website— they sometimes have hotel suggestions and even discount codes. Also, though not for those schools you listed, I usually stay at one that is walking distance from campus. Makes everything easier.

As you pass through the Adirondacks, towns such as Lake Placid and Saranac Lake offer beauty and amenities.

Anonymous wrote:Where are you starting from? St Lawrence is pretty far away...as is Bowdoin in the other direction.

Assuming all the schools offer tours on the days we would need them (most haven’t posted schedules yet), expected order is:
St Lawrence
Skidmore
Bard
Wesleyan
Connecticut College
Bowdoin

We considered breaking it into 2 trips but DC preferred to just power through in one trip.

We tried to spend a night in most SLAC towns if possible to get a sense of the local scene. From your list, we only visited Wesleyan. We stayed at the Inn at Middletown. It was clean and comfortable - its main feature is walkability to local restaurants and the college. Go to Sweet Harmony in the AM for breakfast - it's a block from the hotel and is filled with locals. We ate an Ethiopian place next to the hotel for dinner, but I can't recommend it unfortunately.

In case others visit this thread interested in Amherst and Middlebury, we loved the Swift House Inn in Middlebury (eat at their restaurant for dinner too) and the Inn on Boltwood at Amherst. Both are also walkable to colleges and town.

Harraseeket is a great, quintessential Maine lobster spot not too far from Bowdoin (and plenty of other options for non-lobster eaters).

For Connecticut, stay in Mystic. Middletown is right up the road and not nearly as nice.

Where are you starting from? St Lawrence is pretty far away...as is Bowdoin in the other direction.

Planning a spring break trip to the following schools with DC and would love recommendations on where to stay, places to eat, and nearby activities that might provide a short break from the college visits:

Bowdoin
Wesleyan
Connecticut College
Bard
Skidmore
St Lawrence

Thank you!