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Post by judy on May 25, 2015 13:14:03 GMT
My son will be a sophomore and we are thinking of doing an informal college visit road trip this summer. I know it may be a little early, but I'm a teacher so with summers off I thought if we could do a few each summer till his senior year, he would have an idea of what he likes.
I'm an Illinois alumni (Go Illini!) and we've been back for various sporting events with him. He loves the campus and talks about going there. It is the only campus he has visited and the only Illinois university he wants to attend.
I am thinking we will try to do Indiana, Ohio and Michigan schools this year. He is leaning toward Big Ten schools but I don't want to dismiss smaller campuses either.
Any suggestions on how to best plan a trip? We have about a week and it's just the two of us driving so that is why I don't want to travel too far for this first trip. We live near Chicago.
I would welcome any tips you have to offer.
Thanks!
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Post by momstime on May 25, 2015 13:46:57 GMT
Here is a good path coming from Chicago off the turnpike...
University of Toledo (MAC)...known for excellence in engineering, pharmacy and an outstanding medical school
University of Michigan (B1G)...the ivy league of the midwest
Michigan State (B1G)...if you can't find it here, it doesn't exist
Central Michigan University (MAC)...must see this school. They designed their customer service off of the Disney model. Students are EVERYTHING and treated like it. Top rated faculty and a huge sense of family among students and staff. Rigorous curriculum and high expectations for graduation.
I cannot in good conscience let you go anywhere near Columbus.
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JustTricia
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Post by JustTricia on May 25, 2015 13:52:12 GMT
My brother lives in Chicago and over I think four days they did Notre Dame, IU, University of Southern Indiana, and Hanover. Granted, they hit three of those because he went to IU and we have a niece and nephew at the other two, but that covered a "in your dreams" school, huge public school, small public school, and small private school, so several options.
I know you said Big Ten, is he leaning towards a major? I think in a ten day trip you could easily cover UI, Purdue, IU, and OSU, then maybe take a different weekend and do the Michigan schools?
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Post by Miss Ang on May 25, 2015 13:52:20 GMT
If you don't object to smaller schools, there is Illinois State and Eastern. If you want to cross over to Indiana, there is Indiana State ( I mention these, because they are all not too awfully far from U of I, which you mentioned. And sidenote: Go Illini!  ) . |
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Post by anxiousmom on May 25, 2015 13:53:49 GMT
I am always slightly envious of parents who get to do college visits. My older son wanted nothing to do with it and just kind of wing and a prayered it in the one school he applied to. My younger son has determined that he will only go to one of two schools-one is the school that my ex and both graduated from so the kid has been there enough for games and whatnot that he says he doesn't need to go back and "visit." The other school is in a town where I have a lot of family so he is familiar enough with that school that he says he is good. No college visits for me. 'Cause you know, it is about me.  Just wanted to say have fun and enjoy your time together! |
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CeeScraps
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Post by CeeScraps on May 25, 2015 14:17:17 GMT
GO!!
We went the summer after our dd's Sophomore year. It was the best. The number of college admin that said while we were there it was a fantastic time period to go. Why? Because the kids start with ACT's Junior year. That helps complete that paperwork. Will your son's mind change? Maybe...maybe not.
It was the best decision we made.
Summer after Junior year was spent getting prepared to complete college applications. I think that process started in August.
It just worked for us as our dd wasn't trying to figure out where she wanted to visit plus complete applications.
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johnnysmom
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Post by johnnysmom on May 25, 2015 14:23:11 GMT
Here is a good path coming from Chicago off the turnpike... University of Toledo (MAC)...known for excellence in engineering, pharmacy and an outstanding medical school University of Michigan (B1G)...the ivy league of the midwest Michigan State (B1G)...if you can't find it here, it doesn't exist Central Michigan University (MAC)...must see this school. They designed their customer service off of the Disney model. Students are EVERYTHING and treated like it. Top rated faculty and a huge sense of family among students and staff. Rigorous curriculum and high expectations for graduation. I cannot in good conscience let you go anywhere near Columbus. Well I disagree, I totally think you should go to Columbus and just skip Ann Arbor  But if you're going to Univ of Toledo (which you should), you should also head south and hit Bowling Green State Univ. You may also want to consider Eastern Michigan as it's right near Univ of Mich. |
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AmeliaBloomer
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Post by AmeliaBloomer on May 25, 2015 14:52:17 GMT
From Chicago, we did a "fit tour" during spring break of junior year. Goal: the specific colleges were not as important as the TYPES of colleges. And I feel pretty strongly about visiting when school is in session to successfully explore fit (observe students, feel the energy, take advantage of visitor events like lunch with a student, etc.). That said, I'm a teacher, too, so I understand the scheduling challenges.
Day One: Took the el to see two Chicago schools. Type: midsize urban private.
Day Two: Drove to Galesburg to see Knox College. Type: Tiny lib arts private in small town.
< drove to Bloomington/Normal and stayed in hotel >
Day Three: Visited Illinois Wesleyan. Type: Small lib arts in medium-sized town college town. Then visited Illinois State. Type: Large "directional" state school in same town.
<overnight in same hotel >
Day Four: drove to U of I. Type: huge flagship state school in college town. Drove home.
Because it was spring break for many high schools, there were tons of extra tours and events. U of I had a HUGE visitor event, with breakout sessions about different topics and lots of rah-rah.
As a result of the Fit Tour, my daughter surprised herself and us and decided she fit best in an urban school. Who knew?!
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Post by judy on May 25, 2015 15:06:01 GMT
You all are the BEST! Love all the awesome advice. We are planning to go mid/late July during his week off from football so I'm going to start making plans.
I never visited colleges and while I bleed blue and orange, in retrospect I should have visited some campuses before deciding on Illinois. However, neither of my parents went to college, I was the only child to go and I didn't receive much guidance from high school guidance counselor about college selection. I actually only applied to Illinois so I'm lucky it worked out for me.
I want my son to have these college visit experiences that I didn't have and looking forward to spending some time with him this summer too.
I like the idea of focusing on the type/size as well as specific colleges too. I definitely see a trip to Chicago in our near future to see Loyola, DePaul, and maybe Northwestern.
Thanks again and keep the ideas coming.
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AmeliaBloomer
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Post by AmeliaBloomer on May 25, 2015 15:38:08 GMT
I definitely see a trip to Chicago in our near future to see Loyola, DePaul, and maybe Northwestern. You might consider doing the Chicago schools in the fall, when they're in session. Colleges are in session on days we have off, like Columbus Day or Veterans Day. Also, for all visits, make sure you reserve (online) ahead of time. It's usually an hour-long group presentation by an admissions counselor and then a tour led by a student. Some of the small LACs substitute an individual interview for the presentation. (I noticed that many parents went in to the interview with their student, but I let my daughter go in alone.) Interestingly, I know people who believe you should wait to visit a college until after you're accepted. That way you're not as disappointed if rejected, and there are more visit opportunities open to accepted students (staying overnight in the dorm, observing a class). Have fun! |
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julieb
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Post by julieb on May 25, 2015 15:57:02 GMT
I agree. Go Illini (dh graduated from there)! I am, however, very disappointed in U of I's acceptance of so many non-Illinois residents and non-USA residents, but that's another thread.  My two sons went to U of Iowa. It is about 3 - 3 1/2 hour drive for us. Oldest ds did not apply to Illinois, as he would not have gotten in. Youngest ds is a senior there. He got into U of I, but not in the Engineering program - he would have to transfer, which is difficult there. He did get into Iowa's engineering program. Several of his friends have done the residency thing at Iowa, but we opted not to go that route because it would have taken 5 years to graduate and the savings didn't justify the extra year. Iowa is a beautiful campus and has a great downtown area and Old Capital mall. A few weeks ago a consulting company invited ds to shadow as a prospective job candidate in a year. The other kids also shadowing were from U of I, Notre Dame & Northwestern, which tells me that companies think Iowa's education is right up there. Also oldest ds is doing excellent in his finance job with his degree, and this is a young man who was on an IEP for several years in grammar school. Couldn't be happier with Iowa's education and the tuition for out of state wasn't much more than U of I. Good luck!! |
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Post by Eddie-n-Harley on May 25, 2015 15:59:29 GMT
What's wrong with the UW-Madison? You could do that trip in a weekend.
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Post by kitkath on May 25, 2015 16:25:14 GMT
I second the vote to visit U of Iowa. Beautiful campus and lots of opportunities. They have a lot of kids from Illinois that attend there. I have one daughter at Iowa and another at Michigan.
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Post by judy on May 25, 2015 16:26:05 GMT
What's wrong with the UW-Madison? You could do that trip in a weekend. I think a Wisconsin, Minnesota Iowa route will be for another road trip. |
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Post by judy on May 25, 2015 16:29:48 GMT
Couldn't be happier with Iowa's education and the tuition for out of state wasn't much more than U of I. Good luck!! I've heard from a few coworkers that Illinois' tuition isn't too much less than some out of state options. In the district I teach in, there are many Iowa natives and Colin, my son has a few friends who have headed that way for college. I think a 2nd road trip to Iowa, Wisconsin and possibly Minnesota will be needed. Thanks for the info. |
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moodyblue
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Post by moodyblue on May 25, 2015 16:33:52 GMT
Well, if you're going to Iowa. stop in the Quad-Cities and check out Augustana College. Small, liberal arts, very good education, beautiful campus.
OK, I'm biased because I went there, but there are a LOT of Chicago area students who go to Augie.
You haven't said what the possible major might be, and that makes a huge difference - some schools are great for engineering, some for pre-med, some for business or music or fine arts. Along with type of environment (small, large, urban, private, public, etc.) you need to see what the best schools are for the intended major.
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CeeScraps
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Post by CeeScraps on May 25, 2015 18:07:34 GMT
Make sure to contact all of the schools you are going to once you have mapped out the order in which you are touring. Set up tours with each one. You will learn a lot from each tour.
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julieb
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Post by julieb on May 25, 2015 18:28:32 GMT
Make sure to contact all of the schools you are going to once you have mapped out the order in which you are touring. Set up tours with each one. You will learn a lot from each tour.
I agree. We stopped at Loras in Iowa for a tour (another great school) and then headed to the University of Iowa. After the Loras tour ds said he was going there. We insisted on heading to U of Iowa and sat in on the talk. While sitting there listening ds wrote on a piece of paper, "This is a waste of time", but we still insisted on going on the walking tour.
After that walking tour ds said, "I'm going here" and he did. It was a crazy day!
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Post by maryland on May 25, 2015 18:34:28 GMT
Way out of your way, but if you want the "best" Big 10 school, I would recommend University of Maryland! I am an alumni, and soon to be "Terp Mom" but an in no way biased! Beautiful campus. |
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Post by betsyg on May 25, 2015 18:40:59 GMT
I highly recommend checking out Miami university in Oxford Ohio. Also MAC and a great mid size school. The campus is gorgeous and the academic reputation is outstanding.
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Post by auntkelly on May 26, 2015 15:32:57 GMT
I think it is a great idea to go on college visits before his sophomore year. it will give him the opportunity to learn what grades and activities he needs to be accepted at different schools. I would go on the official tours at the schools. He'll learn a lot about the schools & they will have a record of his visit which may work to his advantage when he applies for admission to the school. My son just graduated from Notre Dame and loved his four years' there, so I can't in good conscience fail to recommend that you include Notre Dame on your Midwest tour.  |
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Post by Deleted on May 26, 2015 15:46:10 GMT
I second the idea of looking at types of colleges, not so much the specific colleges. DD and DS were both able to narrow their pool of colleges just based on that. Neither one wants a small rural/suburban liberal arts school. That helped us a lot. We looked at a couple big/small, country/city, major-specific/more general schools. DD wanted a city sengineering chool where she had to dodge traffic to get around (which she got in Georgia Tech.) DS was able to narrow his search from stand-alone music conservatories to music schools within universities.
DD didn't visit her school until after she was accepted. But she knew it would be in the running because it fit her major and "type."
I have friends who were able to visit three schools in a day, but DS and I could only fit in one a day without being overwhelmed.
Have fun!!!
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Post by bc2ca on May 26, 2015 16:14:24 GMT
I don't have any advice for a Midwest trip, but don't think you are too early to take a look at the options. DS is just finishing his sophomore year and is working on a list of schools to visit this summer or during breaks next year. At the end of 8th grade the kids here had field trips/tours of the local Cal State and UC schools, but now that he has focussed on a major we can focus on more specific fit with the different types of schools as AmeliaBloomer brought up. At this point he thinks he wants a big, urban school but has never been on a small campus. |
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iowgirl
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Post by iowgirl on May 26, 2015 16:18:10 GMT
What field of study are you looking at? If you are in Iowa, swing down to Ames and check out ISU if you are looking at Engineering
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MorningPerson
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Post by MorningPerson on May 26, 2015 16:38:43 GMT
Way out of your way, but if you want the "best" Big 10 school, I would recommend University of Maryland! I am an alumni, and soon to be "Terp Mom" but an in no way biased! Beautiful campus. Lots of B1G love on this thread! If you REALLY want the best one though, on your way to U of Maryland stop for a visit to Penn State's beautiful campus. Your son won't want to go anywhere else! |
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Post by cmhs on May 26, 2015 16:54:08 GMT
Valparaiso University
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anniebeth24
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Post by anniebeth24 on May 26, 2015 17:38:42 GMT
If he's wanting a big school, be sure to visit Michigan State. The beautiful campus has stolen the hearts of many prospective students, lots of Illinois residents attend there. The ice cream from the on-campus Dairy Store is worth the trip. Yes, I'm a Spartan!
If he likes urban environments, but looking for a smaller school, visit Butler University in Indianapolis.
Grand Valley State University near Grand Rapids has become one of the most respected universities in Michigan over the last decade. The fabulous, brand-new buildings and fancy dorms have moved this school from a mid-level school to a selective school, academically on-par with MSU.
University of Michigan's acceptance rate is very low, so unless your DS is an extremely strong student, might not be worth even visiting. (I'm truly not just saying this because I'm a Spartan - I know LOTS of disappointed applicants.)
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Post by BoilerUp! on May 26, 2015 18:08:08 GMT
Let me preface my comments with "I am extremely biased" , but my vote is to visit PURDUE!!!! I'm not certain what your son is wanting to study (he probably doesn't know for sure yet either) but Purdue is a great academic school! There are many great options in the state of Indiana (just don't visit the southern most campus! haha) We are visiting Ball State and Vincennes University in a few weeks with our son, good luck!!! |
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Post by maryland on May 26, 2015 18:28:18 GMT
Way out of your way, but if you want the "best" Big 10 school, I would recommend University of Maryland! I am an alumni, and soon to be "Terp Mom" but an in no way biased! Beautiful campus. Lots of B1G love on this thread! If you REALLY want the best one though, on your way to U of Maryland stop for a visit to Penn State's beautiful campus. Your son won't want to go anywhere else! We live in PA and I wish our daughter got to see Penn State. My husband and I went to Pitt (him undergrad, me law school) and he hates Penn State. Drives me crazy the dislike/jealousy some Pitt fans I know have for Penn State. My daughter didn't want to go to Pitt because it's too urban for her. She loves MD campus. I want my 15 yr. old to at least see Penn State because if she likes it, it's cheaper than out of state. |
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janeinbama
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Post by janeinbama on May 26, 2015 19:41:53 GMT
No Midwest tour, but agree with seeing urban, rural, large, small, public and private schools.
Only one of our DDs wanted to do tours. Just know that every school you visit is just PERFECT for your child! Due to years of attending team sports camps at several large universities, DD knew she did not want the big university experience unless it was Notre Dame, which she visited during spring break of her sophomore year to visit friends. She did the student tour as her friend was a guide.
Notre Dame is what she measured all colleges against. We would drive on a campus and DD could tell pretty quickly if it warranted a tour. We had toured a small historic Catholic liberal arts college in a large city on a Saturday and she was ready to go. Three days later we went on pre-scheduled tour to a historic public liberal arts college in a small town, but close to a large city. We arrived early and drove around campus - she was sold before our tour/presentation and that only confirmed her feelings. She had a very good Undergrad and Grad experience.
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