Curator’s statement
Planning college tours can be daunting. Visiting multiple colleges in a short period of time requires navigation, planning and patience. Here is how you can knock out five university visits in four days.
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Day 1: Drive to Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor
Arrive in Detroit, Michigan, on a Monday and drive to Ann Arbor. This is an easy commute whether you decide to rent a car and drive yourself or take an Uber or Lyft. There are many hotels within walking distance of The University of Michigan — including The Graduate Ann Arbor, The Vanguard Ann Arbor and Residence Inn, Ann Arbor Downtown — so there's no need to navigate additional parking and you can walk to your college tour.
Day 2: Tour the University of Michigan
On Tuesday, tour The University Of Michigan.
After your tour, travel back to the Detroit airport for a flight to Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. I would recommend renting a car to drive to Chapel Hill.
Check into The Carolina Inn, The Graduate Chapel Hill or the AC Hotel Downtown Chapel Hill.
Day 3: Tour UNC & Duke University
Duke University
On Wednesday, visit the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the morning, then visit Duke University in the afternoon.
UNC tours are very challenging to secure, so I recommend you plan early! If you do not get a formal admissions tour, don’t fret. You can do a walking tour of the campus and surrounding areas to get a great feel for the campus, student life and amenities.
After your tours, travel to Winston-Salem in the late afternoon and check into the Kimpton Cardinal Hotel, Hotel Indigo-Winston Salem Downtown or Winston Salem Marriott.
Day 4: Tour Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University
On Thursday, tour Wake Forest University. Afterwards, drive back to Raleigh-Durham for a flight to Nashville. Check into The Joseph, Loews Vanderbilt Hotel or
The Graduate Nashville.
Day 5: Tour Vanderbilt University
Nashville
Finish this whirlwind tour at Vanderbilt University. Afterwards, head to the airport to catch a flight home, or perhaps make a weekend out of it and stay in Nashville, enjoying the sights and sounds of Broadway, great food and amazing music!
Need to know
You will have tackled visiting five prospective universities in four full days — an efficient way to narrow your application list!
The goal is to see as many schools in as short of a period of time as possible. There is not much time for “fun,” but create your own by immersing yourself in the city surrounding campus.
Consider the following:
How easy was it to get a flight to where you were visiting — was it a direct flight from your hometown or were connections involved? If so, how many connections were there a day and are there alternative ways to get to and from campus should airline travel fail?
How long is your student required to stay on campus and, once that requirement has been met, are there ample apartments/housing options close by? Will a car ultimately be needed?
Are there a lot of hotel options near campus, or will you struggle to find a hotel room on move-in/move-out, graduation, parents' weekend and other times when you will visit? In some college towns, three-star hotels can run over $1000 a night during these peak periods!
Are there restaurants, shopping, movies and general amenities close by campus, or will your student have to Uber or take public transportation to get to a store to replenish detergent, snacks, shampoo and so on? Yes, I know there are options, but college students tend to run out of things, and even Prime cannot get them deodorant the same day in many towns!
Eat on campus if you can — could your student survive a year, two or three in the dorms eating in the campus dining halls?
This is an exciting and stressful time. Let me help you navigate it!
Travel Advisor
Jenny Merrithew
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