From Adelphi to Stevens: A Whirlwind Tour of Northeast Gems

College visits can feel like a blur — campus after campus, admissions rep after admissions rep — but my recent whirlwind tour of TEN nearby schools left me energized and impressed. From Long Island to the Hudson Valley to the Capital Region and beyond, here's what stood out.

We kicked things off on Long Island with Adelphi and Hofstra, two mid-sized schools that punch well above their name-recognition weight. Adelphi's Center for Psychological Services is nationally recognized, offering all students, including those on the ASD spectrum, real learning and mental health support. Hofstra's career placement numbers are quietly stellar, with strong employer connections that translate into jobs and internships fast, especially in the health fields, sports management/broadcasting, and communications. Both campuses had a welcoming energy and happy students.

Heading north into the Hudson Valley, Manhattanville, Pace, Marist, and Bard each offered something distinct. Manhattanville's Portfolio System — where students design their own academic journey — fosters the kind of self-directed learning that employers love. Pace's bucolic Westchester and busy New York City campuses give students an unbeatable professional playground, with internship pipelines into finance, media, and tech. Marist consistently ranks among the top schools for its renowned learning assistance program and graduate outcomes, and its riverfront campus is genuinely gorgeous. Bard, meanwhile, is in a league of its own for creative and intellectual culture — if your student loves deep thinking and spirited debate over a cup of coffee, this is their place.

Further north, Rensselaer Polytechnic and Union College brought serious academic firepower. RPI's research output and STEM career outcomes are exceptional, and its robust counseling and wellness programs show that the school takes student wellbeing seriously alongside rigor. Seeing RPI’s quantum computer (only one in the Western Hemisphere) in a 100 year old church was a study in contrasts and incredible beauty! Union's tight-knit Greek and club culture means students rarely struggle to find their people, and its trimester system keeps academic life dynamic. It was my third visit to RPI and my fourth to Union, and I am never disappointed–they taught me everything about all types of engineering on my last tour.

We also stopped at SUNY Purchase, known for its thriving arts conservatory and fiercely creative student body, Purchase has a social culture unlike anywhere else on the tour — think open mic nights, student film screenings, and impromptu gallery shows as a normal Tuesday. But it's not all art for art's sake: the school offers solid academic support services and counseling resources that help students navigate the intensity of conservatory-style learning. Graduates go on to impressive careers in the arts, media, and beyond, backed by a passionate alumni network that actually shows up for its own.

Finally, Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken closed out the trip on a high note. With a near-100% career outcomes rate for engineering, business, and computer graduates and a green, tucked-away campus perched above the Manhattan skyline, Stevens offers students professional momentum and a cool social scene boosted by proximity to one of the world's great cities.

Ten schools, one common theme: incredible opportunities hiding in plain sight, right in our backyard. See my photos as they are posted in Instagram and on the Notes for each college. Why not plan your own trip?

Read This!

I often tell parents to not focus so much on acceptance rates because they do not separate out the admit rates for more selective majors. However, in a world where colleges are receiving so many applications, its yield, and how it's evolved the past few cycles, that truly explains why to look past those acceptance rate numbers.

From Jeff Selingo, Author of Dream School:

Families often obsess over acceptance rates when judging a college’s popularity or quality.

But inside admissions offices, another number matters even more: yield, or the share of admitted students who actually enroll.

Yield rates have steadily declined at most colleges over the past two decades as students apply to more schools.

That creates a ripple effect. When yield drops, colleges have to admit more students the following year to fill the same class. That means acceptance rates rise.

But here’s where families get tripped up: If we treat selectivity as a proxy for quality, we assume a higher acceptance rate means a school is getting worse. In reality, it often just means students have more choices.

The result is a widening divide in admissions: a small group of colleges with rising yield rates that can count on most admitted students showing up, and everyone else trying to predict a much more uncertain market.

Bottom line: Acceptance rates don’t tell you nearly as much about a college as you think they do.

Pre-med admissions experts recommend high-impact activities that don't necessarily demand a high price

Hospital Volunteering: Seek out a patient-facing volunteer role. Real-world clinical exposure is one of the best ways to show commitment to medicine.  Everyone agrees that this experience (and self-driven research with a mentor) is the most valuable for student applications.

Basic Science Research: Students could talk to their school's science research coordinator or science leaders at your school. Engaging in research is a major "differentiator" for pre-med applicants, and it could lead to entering prestigious competitions like the Regeneron Science Talent Search. Research companies like Polygence, Pioneer, and Lumiere offer mentored opportunities at varying costs.

Leadership as a Camp Counselor/Daycare Assistant: These jobs are actually an outstanding pre-med credential. It proves a student can work in teams and be responsible for the health and well-being of others and react well to emergencies, crucial skills for doctors, and (if interested in pediatrics) shows  passion and patience with children.

 Specific Program Recommendations at Universities

• The Duke Neural Integration and Sensory Pathways program was recommended for neurology.  There are other courses listed under "psychology and Neuroscience" to examine too; "Medicine" as well.  

• Harvard Medical School Online offers courses that provide college credit, which is a very tangible outcome for applications.  Depending on a student's perspective, it's a pro or a con to be able to stay home and do this work; it could allow them to stay local and complete other activities simultaneously. Check out Wake Forest’s online program too. https://wfuonline.precollegeprograms.org/med-programs

• The "Mini-Med" programs at Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, (Harvard) HMS MEDscience,  University of Rochester, and Tufts come highly recommended for their immersive environments. However, spending more will not guarantee a higher return.

• If anyone wants opportunities abroad, the following was shared: there are destinations in Nepal, Spain, Peru and Tanzania for the summer through this site and Spain has some incredible med schools as well.