Big Smiles

 What a great pictures for the final day of June 2023. 

Staining the Deck

 Think I misjudged - and ended up with more tint on the stain than I anticipated. Thankfully, it does look nice! 

 

Brother & Cody

 Jason and Nicole's house is absolutely amazing!  Such a great place - and fun to get to spend time with them, including a whole lot of laughter!

Shopping

 Nothing quite as funny (according to the girls) as I tried to read my book while they were shopping for make-up.

Family Silliness

 Getting together resulted in quite the laughter - and feats of strength - from those assembled.  It was hilarious.  

And somehow, written last in permanent ink, is the memorable Reeve v Tracy dart board game in the basement. 

Enjoyable Walks

 The girls enjoyed a nice hike and walk.

Good fun to get to be there and have a chance for the girls to hang out together.

 

Boston Freedom Trail

 We enjoyed walking the Freedom Trail as part of seeing Boston.  From Quincy Market to Faneuil Hall to The Old State House to the site of the Boston Massacre, and lots more, there is sure a massive amount of history packed in such a short space.  We only covered a bit of the trail, and it was a memorable afternoon.

We finished up back in Boston Commons - near Emerson's campus and where we had parked our car earlier that morning.

Boston University

 Rania really enjoyed going to Boston University, and it was another great tour and presentation.  Rania had been there two years ago when Gabi did the tour and saw three Boston schools in a day.  Due to Friday and full slates, we had a different itinerary with Emerson in the morning and Boston University in the afternoon - and sight-seeing in the afternoon / evening.

Emerson

 The first stop, after staying outside of Boston and getting a nice breakfast that was part of our hotel package, was heading to find parking under Boston Commons.  We decided to get the day parking (it isn't cheap!) and then use public transportation for the rest of the day - to get to Boston University. 

The tour at Emerson (not sure that I took any pictures) was definitely an urban campus.  The dorms and the buildings were tall building with things on every floor.  Combining the fact that theatre, film, etc often want to have control over their lighting, there sure wasn't much connection to nature - compared with yesterday's tours in Poughkeepsie. Having a mouse run through the dorm during the tour - and having our tour guide be from SAS, and the focus on performance, sure made Emerson very unique in terms of comparing it to other schools that we've visited.

Marist

 Right on the Hudson River, Marist was quite impressive, both in its presentation, as well as its location.  Quite a bit larger (and significantly less selective) than Vasser, it was good to get to visit and learn about it.

Before the afternoon tour, we got to spend a bit of time right down by the river, at the edge of Marist's campus.  After the visit, we made our way to the Hertz dealer, as our rental car has quite a rattle when going over 45 mph - which may be due to a missing lugnut on the front right tire.  We were able to swap cars - for an older, less glamorous, but smaller car.  It runs smoothly - and should be great for the rest of our time.

Vasser

 After being in Philadelphia yesterday, we spent the afternoon driving north to Poughkeepsie, New York, in the Hudson Valley.  What a picturesque location - and just the last stop on the commuter train from Grand Central Station.  

And Vasser - wow - what a stunning campus! With the massive arboretum, and the historical library, it was sure an incredible place.

Haverford

 Quite the transition in tone, location, size, and feel - moving from Drexel to Haverford.  What an impressive tour guide!  There was a very light rain - and it was good to get to hear about what makes Haverford so special.  It is quite intriguing. 

We did not have an interview, which is an important part of the process at Haverford, scheduled for today, so Rania will see if it is something she wants to pursue further.  Being only able to apply to a maximum of 10 schools, and the uncertain financial picture for many of them, sure makes for some really tough choices.

 

Philly Food Trucks

 The Philly Food Trucks scene was evident during our tour around Drexel.  Before heading to our next appointment, we were sure to try one of them.  We had to say goodbye to Mark, Marta, and Micah, as we were heading north, so today we were on our own - driving to Philadelphia for today before moving farther north for tomorrow's visits. 

Drexel

 Rania, having grown up in KL, is quite interested in a city campus.  Drexel in Philadelphia, was our first stop on the trip - and a very different model, with a heavy emphasis on maximizing resources, using summer for classes and co-ops, and really trying to get at least one, if not two co-ops done during four years, over four quarters each year.  It was quite a model, though the idea of summers being educational rather than re-charging, was something that Rania wasn't as keen about. 

It was certainly an urban campus - and different than others we've looked at.

Villanova

 It was off to Villanova for a very impressive tour.  A really great presentation and a really beautiful campus.  Great to see Rania and Micah considering possibilities for next year - and such different places with so many similarities. 

Lunch

 After the Franklin & Marshall tour and before heading to Philadelphia area, we went nearby in Lancaster for some Philly Cheesesteak and lunch.  That is some cheese!

College Tours - Franklin & Marshall

 We did arrange our college tour college visit, East Coast version, with quite a few busy days.  Lots to see and day one allowed us more time with Marta and Micah.  This included a visit to Franklin & Marshall to start our trip, and a rather (very cold) and humorous start with the presentation, before going on the college tour. 

It is interesting to observe what sticks out most for the kids while they are touring. 

Nationals Game

 With the Nationals in town - and quite a hot day - Mark did a great job of getting us shaded seats in the right field outfield - and a good chance to watch a baseball game, even if the Nationals are not too competitive this season. What a great setting near the Naval yard.  A fun evening and great to be there. 

Bonsai Pavilion

 The bonsai pavilion at the National Arboretum was so cool!  Definitely do not have the right terminology, but the trees that have been 'in training' for decades, and in some cases centuries, were really, really cool. What an amazing place.