San Francisco Bay Area, CA: College Tour Planning

California’s San Francisco Bay Area is a hotbed of innovation, art, entertainment, fine dining, progressive ideas and diverse peoples. It has the added allure of nearby redwood forests, ocean breezes and mountain trails. In short, the Bay Area has everything a prospective college student could want—and it has some great colleges, too.

The San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco State University, the University of California at San Francisco and the private University of San Francisco are four of the popular schools scattered about the hilly city. UC Berkeley sits atop the famous Telegraph Avenue at the foot of the Berkeley Hills, and red-bricked Stanford University lies south of San Francisco in the peninsula town of Palo Alto.

When working some of these schools into your Bay Area college visit, explore the area with the following tips and suggested itinerary.

Getting Around

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) is the popular commuter train that runs from the San Francisco airport through San Francisco and out to Berkeley and the East Bay. It’s easy to navigate and great for a day trip from San Francisco to Berkeley. Check out www.bart.gov to plot your trip and calculate your fare.

• USF’s Lone Mountain campus offers an unprecedented view of the city.
• Allan Ferguson

As parking and driving can be difficult in the more touristy areas of San Francisco, discover the city with the San Francisco Municipal Railway (MUNI), which comprises an eclectic fleet of historic street cars, buses and cable cars. Plan your journey at www.sfmta.com.

Day 1: San Francisco

Campus Parking

Start out the day at the University of San Francisco, near Golden Gate Park. Founded in 1855, this private Jesuit school is one of the oldest in California. After exploring the pretty, hilly campus, walk to Golden Gate Park or east on Haight towards Ashbury St. to explore the eccentric, hippie Haight district. Duck into Giant Robot (618 Shrader St.), a treasure of comic books, e-zines and Japanese graphic shirts and books.

The University of California, San Francisco, is also very near Golden Gate Park, but in the neighborhood of the inner Sunset. UCSF’s focus is on medicine—from dentistry to pharmacy to biomedical research to nursing. Once your campus visit is over, visit the nearby California Academy of Sciences, or investigate the shops on Irving St. Take your food and drink break at Park Chow (1240 9th Ave.).

• Students relax in a quad on the San Francisco State University campus.
• Orin Zebest

From here, venture to the outer Sunset with a visit to San Francisco State University, on the banks of Lake Merced. The school is diverse in its student body as well as its academic coverage. Start your campus visit at the modern Cesar Chavez Student Center, the campus hub. When you’re ready to move off campus, check out the shopping and restaurants on West Portal Ave., from Fresca to the Manor Coffee Shop. Take a breather at Lake Merced—with space for hiking, biking, boating, fishing and golf.

Creative Campus

One of the oldest schools of contemporary art in the United States, the San Francisco Art Institute was founded in 1871. It’s located on Russian Hill, with fantastic views of the city. Nearby is Lombard Street, often called “the crookedest street in the world,” and North Beach’s bohemian cafés. History buffs may get a kick out of the Beat Museum (1345 Grant Ave.), while art students may just want to hang out at Vesuvio Café (255 Columbus Ave.).

Rest Stops

Good places to sleep in the city that are comfortable enough for parents yet hip enough for the college set include the luxury boutique Hotel Argonaut at Fisherman’s Wharf, the Hotel Rex in Union Square and the W Hotel in SoMa.