There is limited air service into Lebanon, NH (LEB - http://flyleb.com/) which is very convenient (about 10 minutes by cab), very convenient direct bus service to Hanover from Logan (not THAT long; as an undergrad I did there and back in a day several times -- http://www.dartmouthcoach.com/), and slow but convenient Amtrak service into White River Junction, VT (also about 10 minutes from campus by cab)

I agree, he should have put all his information into the first post.

Why shouldn't he or we care?

OP clearly states that the financial packages will decide what school he would choose to apply. If he did have a more complete understanding of the financial assistance of each school, he probably would have developed a different list of schools to pay a visit this coming April, therefore a different set of travel plans and/or advice.

Don't we all need to learn to prioritize and make informed decisions?

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A couple of other thoughts re: rail travel. Amtrak permits up to three free stopovers (of less than 24 hours each) on regular, one-way fares. So, for example, for the cost of a one-way ticket from Charlottesville to Boston, free stopovers at Washington, Philadelphia, and New York could be included. And checked-baggage service is offered at CVS, WAS, PHL, NYP, and BOS (even if not available on the particular trains one is riding), so one could check a bag at CVS or WAS, and it would be carried on the overnight train from WAS and be available for pick up at BOS the next morning. This could be very convenient if the OP is traveling with more luggage than he needs for an overnight stay en route.

Think about this please...
 

Travel plan aside, you have listed some extremely competitive schools and you are just assuming you will get in? And don't take this the wrong way, but your GPA is good but not all that terrific. And you don't have a credit card but are planning this excursion?

Some think abouts...

1) what is your intended field of study and what schools excel in that area?
2) Look at a map.... the travel between campuses notwithstanding, you need to allot at least 1/2 day for a campus tour.
3) The schools you have listed are drastically different - ranging from public to private, from tier one research institutions to small-ish liberal arts schools to land grant universities and from urban to suburban to rural campuses.

My advice - forget the travel and narrow down your list to 6 or fewer.

Also, does it really matter what the campus/environment is like? Are you just going where you get the best deal financially?

And lest you think I'm talking out of turn... I make my living consulting with colleges and universities; this is my field of expertise! I visit about 20 campuses each year.

Let me just say that when my college student was accepted at Vanderbilt (and BU, The University of Chicago, Northwestern and other top tier universities) a couple of years ago, the schools' definition of "full need" was very different than ours; several tens of thousands of dollars a year different.

"Gonna"?

If you are at all serious, may I suggest plot them on a map then pick a reasonable selection within a defined geographic region.

OP stated he is a New York resident, but he lives in Spain. This just makes no sense. :confused:

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I expect that he is talking about legal residence (domicile). One can be a New York domiciliary while attending school out of state (even in a foreign country).

Agreed. I think he's further saying that he's a NY resident in the sense that he's eligible for in-state tuition at state schools in NY.

Have you ever heard about study abroad programs? Semester and year abroad programs are offered by virtually all US based colleges and universities.

Duh...
Called the state schools and i am still considered instate so worst comes to worst i have fine schools to go there.Forgot to mention i am a first generation student ... not sure if it really helps admission however.Some of the top schools i was looking into had a 33% of admissions with a 3.4-3.5.So i just assumed with a 3.76 i would above then normal chances of getting in.
Also good news!! the list is narrowed down.About 5-6 schools don't want to consider me independent so i will most likely wont apply to those...(others go by the federal definition of age 24 and your independent).Forgot to mention i get a cheapo ticket and i am going in april .I am going to visit gwu,vanderbilt,unc and uva if i get time for uva.
p.s TWA884 you are quite wise!!
to clarify also i called unc,uva,vanderbilt,gwu,rice and some others .they said I do not need to prove i am independent and they will will go by the fafsa automatically.Also to clarify!!! i am studying abroad for one semester in spain.I got financial aid + scholarships to cover 90% of my need!!! so the question of how i paid for it is mute... but thank you all for the interest i really appreciate it.Anyway there is no more need to respond to this thread as i have already decided have my plans are set.