News:Students Are STILL Visiting Colleges

Here's your news flash of the day:

Despite virtual, online options, despite high gas prices and the mother of all recessions, despite everything--students are STILL visiting college campuses!

This is really only news if you believe--as the Boston Globe apparently did--that people will write off their future and skip college entirely during an economic downturn. (full article here) Sorry Globe, apparently not: Many New England schools, including Amherst College, are actually seeing an uptick in visitors.

Waaah? Don't people know there's a recession going on?

“It may be that when things get tough, the real priorities emerge,’’ Thomas H. Parker, dean of admissions at Amherst College, said.

Wait, you mean people can prioritize--and that education beats out another flat-screen TV? Keep this up and you'll rekindle my faith in humanity....

Interesting side note: Doesn't sound like the virtual tour options are doing much (yet?) to supplant the traditional flip-flops-on-the-quad tour experience:

After touring Tufts [University] last week, Spurgeon Carter, 17, said he had tried virtual tours but preferred campus visits, where he can pay close attention to such details as whether students greet one another as they pass.

So to all the aspiring Spurgeons out there counting student greetings, have a fun trip. If you want to make the most of your visit, check out our campus-visit advice here. ----CJ