Every blogger I read regularly is either having a baby or sending a kid off to kindergarten or college. There has been talk on several blogs about going on college tours this fall. And by tours, I mean long trips out of state to see 15-20 different colleges.

Have things changed that much? When I was in high school, my parents agreed that I could go to all the roadshows I wanted in Pittsburgh, and that I could visit any school in Pittsburgh (because bus fare is cheap), and schools that were in-state, drivable, and did not require an overnight stay, and then only if I was serious about them. As a result, the only schools I visited outside of Pittsburgh were IUP (with a school group) Dickenson, St. Vincent, and Gannon, which was my ultimate choice.

(I must admit, though, that he also took me to see West Viriginia Wesleyan, mainly because they were offering me a full scholarship based on my grades through my junior year and my SAT scores. Even he admitted that wasn't everything, though, and that I could never live in a place that rural.)

Have things changed that much? Or was I just outside of the norm way back then? Granted, we didn't have a lot of money, and I'm sure that influenced how I approached the whole college search process. And most of the other kids in my class were in the same boat (inner city school and all). I thought only rich kids when and toured tons and tons of colleges, but most of the people I'm reading about are firmly middle-class.

I don't get it.