Day 1: Sunday, March 25

Today, I woke up at 4:30 a.m., drove to the airport, and boarded my flight to Baltimore, Maryland with the rest of the students at around 7:00 a.m. After arriving at the hotel in Washington, D.C., and attending the orientation with Bill, our tour leader, we were free to explore the city in small groups at about 7:00 p.m. We stopped for dinner at an Italian place called Flavios and walked back to the hotel, concluding our tiring, but exciting, day.

Day 2: Monday, March 26

At around 8:45 a.m. this morning, we left the hotel and made our way to Georgetown University for an information session and tour. After Georgetown, we reconvened in the bus and talked about what we liked and disliked about the school, as we would do after every school. Venturing on, we arrived at George Washington University for lunch and a tour, then driving about two hours to Carlisle, Pennsylvania to visit Dickinson College. It took another two-hour car ride to drive to Philadelphia, where we had free time to discover the exciting city!

Day 3: Tuesday, March 27

Our first stop today was at the University of Pennsylvania’s information session and tour of the campus. Afterward, we ate lunch and checked out UPenn’s bookstore during our break. We then made our way to Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania and took a tour of its campus. This excursion concluded our time in Pennsylvania, and it finally came time to depart for New York City, the place everyone was extremely eager to visit.

This night was thrilling, as I had never been to New York previously; I had an idea of what the city was like from TV shows – all the taxis swerving through traffic, the incessant honking, and the crazy pedestrians stepping onto the street before the walking symbol lit up with its white light. Actually walking among the crowds of people, seeing the bright lights of Times Square, and waiting for our subway as others zoomed past us was a very new, exhilarating experience that confirmed my previous notion of the city. I, along with my friends, really enjoyed the energy of New York City but wished we had more time to truly explore the city.

Day 4: Wednesday, March 28

We started the day with a visit to New York University, savoring the bustling presence of the lively metropolis one final time before departing to Vassar College. This college was the antithesis of NYU – it was small, quiet, and in the heart of a slightly smaller town called Poughkeepsie, New York, with an overwhelming population of 30,000 people. It was interesting to contrast the two colleges and the differences in their location.

After our visit at Vassar, we traveled to Hartford, Connecticut. Bill advised that we stay inside the hotel and order delivery service since there was not much to do in the area. We ended up ordering Chinese food (pro tip: DO NOT make the same mistake as us – stick with a safer option like pizza!), and playing games in our hotel room until curfew.

Day 5: Thursday, March 29

Today was jam-packed with college visits. Our busy itinerary began to take its toll on us; nevertheless, we attempted to visit each college, starting with Trinity College, without bias. Despite our best intentions, fatigue ultimately prevailed throughout the trip and did influence our perspectives on some of the colleges later in the day, such as Connecticut College. Reflecting back on this, I would advise those attending the college tour next year to take naps on the bus, stay hydrated, and snack occasionally to stay in the best possible mood to tour campuses. By the end of the day, we felt exhausted, but had just enough energy to walk to the nearest Cheesecake Factory for our final dinner together in Providence, Rhode Island.

Day 6: Friday, March 30

Ah, the last day has come to an end. Earlier today, I nostalgically reflected on the informative yet amusing nature of the tour, and I felt sad to realize that it was coming to an end. However, we still had two more colleges to tour before departing for the Boston Logan Airport. Our first stop was Brown University in Providence. Despite the light drizzle of rain, we were able to personally scope out the stunning Ivy League campus and learn about the traditions and unique features of Brown. After our visit, we ventured on to Boston, Massachusetts and ate lunch at Boston University. Later, we took a quick drive to Boston College, where we walked around the campus and concluded our college visits.

Unfortunately, the time had come to part ways with the East Coast, and everyone boarded the bus wishing to stay just one more day. We all checked in at the airport, said our goodbyes to Bill and the chaperones, and departed for LA.

Overall, the Spring Break college trip was an eye-opening experience combined with a much-needed break from school. I highly recommend participating in this college tour next year because it helps you decide what you like and dislike about many schools on the East Coast. I feel much more confident in my college search, and I now understand what I should look for in a school. As one of our tour guides said, the college application process is a time to be selfish – you get to decide where you go based on what you like. So, take this opportunity to explore, to learn, and to envision your future.