Myth #17
“It’s incredibly expensive to visit colleges that are far from home; I could never afford it.”
Well, only half of this one is myth. It is expensive . . . but probably not so expensive that you can’t afford it . . . providing you think creatively and plan carefully. For instance, incorporate college visits with vacations. Thinking about visiting Boston or New England sometime . . . maybe that time is now! Then, build in visits to area colleges. By the way, use common sense . . . everything in New England is more expensive during foliage season so visit during the Spring instead.
Consider a day trip. For instance, it’s expensive to spend time in New York City but the airfare to get there is relatively cheap. Fly up in the morning and fly home the same night. Be careful, this tip works with well within the same time zone but gets tricky if you move more than one zone from home. If you must stay overnight in New York City, plan your visit for a weekend in the summer and avoid the weeks from Thanksgiving through Christmas. New York City hotel rates are lower than average during the summer and higher than average during the holiday season.
Travel with a friend or two interested in the same college but only bring one parent as a chaperone. Next visit switch off and use a different parent. So, if 3 friends tried this system for 3 visits . . . during 2 of the visits there would be no expense except for the student . . . no parent travel expense. Split up the expense for hotel, rental car etc. This system also makes it easier for parents to arrange schedules.
Ask the hotel if they offer a discount for families visiting the college. In order to maintain good “town – gown” relations and build future business, most off campus hotels offer fantastic deals for visiting students. For example, the fabulous Ritz Carlton in downtown Atlanta offers rates of about $190 per night for families visiting Emory University a few miles away. That’s more than a $100 discount from their typical rates. You’ll find these special arrangements all around the country.
Visiting a city college . . . then get out of town! Well, at least plan on sleeping out of town. Downtown hotels almost always cost much more than suburban motels. Consider driving a few minutes outside town for a less expensive room rate, no tipping and free parking!
Eat on campus. It’s a great way to get a feel for the campus. It’s also a good way to check out the quality of food and atmosphere first hand. The benefit? Since, drinks and desert are always included, most campus dining halls offer abundant food at very reasonable prices for campus visitors. Make your campus meal the big meal of the day!
The key to saving money during college exploration is planning . . . so do it. Plan and then plan some more. By searching for the lowest airfare, comparing rail fares, carefully choosing the right hotel and a host of other tactics . . . many families are able to cut the cost of a college trip to less than half of what other families spend to visit the same campus!
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