Malia Obama Is Touring Colleges in New York City

First daughter Malia Obama may be eyeing a move to the Big Apple for college.

The 16-year old high school junior was spotted touring colleges in New York City today with her mother, Michelle Obama. The two checked out NYU and were later seen near Columbia University, the president’s alma mater.

According to bwog.com, a Columbia student blog, the Obamas dined at the nearby “Community” restaurant and then toured the campus – the blog’s followers snapped pictures of the Obamas and have video of them leaving the restaurant.

Meanwhile, across the country, the president had his daughter’s college search on his mind, as he delivered remarks at a community college in Indianapolis.

"Malia's now at the age where she's starting to look at colleges, and I said, 'You know, these days I hear everybody's looking for fancy gyms and gourmet food, and, you know, really spiffy dorms, and let me tell you, when I was in college, you know, the college I started at, Occidental College, you know -- it did have a gym, but, but like, the weight room was, you know, it was like a medicine ball, and, you know, you had, you had like--I mean it wasn't fancy,” he joked.

Picking a college is a tough choice for any student, but for the president’s daughter it’s also a delicate one. There are obvious concerns about her safety to take into account and the White House doesn’t want a visit to be perceived as a political endorsement of one school over another.

Malia Obama has already been shopping around and New York has some stiff competition. She has also toured UC Berkeley and Stanford, where another first daughter, Chelsea Clinton, received her undergraduate degree.

The president has already been practicing for the inevitable departure of his eldest daughter. Giving the commencement address at Worcester Technical High School last spring he said, "Part of the reason I’m here is because I’ve got to practice, because Malia is graduating in two years. So I’m trying to get used to not choking up and crying and embarrassing her. So this is sort of my trial run.”