By Heather Dondis
Director of College Counseling, Lakehill Preparatory School
Having recently returned from visiting four colleges in Utah and five colleges in Massachusetts, and knowing that many families travel for the holidays, I thought that College Visits would be a timely topic to write about.
I highly recommend visiting colleges if time and money allow. Visiting a few colleges before a student submits an application is beneficial because a student can see what the campus is really like and can better imagine themselves there. The experience becomes real. Brochures and guidebooks tend to make most campuses indistinguishable from one another. Experiencing the campus in person and talking to students and faculty help bring a college’s personality to life. With all other factors being equal, many students have reported that “how a campus feels” is what made them decide to apply and attend or not.
So, how does one visit a college? Students should go online to the college’s website and search under admissions/visits. All colleges have an online visit request system. It is important to register online at least two weeks in advance or more, especially if you are visiting during popular school breaks, as tours will fill up. Please also note that some colleges will not be open on national holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.
Most visits will include a one-hour information session and a one-hour tour. You can often request to sit in on a class, eat lunch with a student, meet with a specific academic department, or tour facilities not on the general tour, such as fine arts spaces or athletic facilities. Some colleges will have an Open House where the faculty and staff from a variety of departments are available all day in sessions and workshops, in addition to a tour and information session.
Before your trip, confirm your visit time and map out where you are going. Sometimes colleges will arrange discounts at local hotels if you are visiting campus or they may have a lodging facility on their campus. Arrive ten minutes early to check in. Some colleges will separate parents and students on the tour, but most will combine them. If it is a large group, the tour guides will introduce themselves and you can pick which one to go with–so if a guide is from your hometown or state or shares your major, that would be the person to follow.
When on tour, note the buildings, classrooms, interactions between students, evidence of school pride, notices on bulletin boards, etc. If you don’t get your questions answered on the tour, be sure to ask your guide or an admissions officer after the tour while it is fresh in your mind. If you are visiting several campuses at one time, details will run together, so be sure to take notes on what you like and don’t like about a campus and note interesting facts. It is recommended that you visit no more than two college a day to avoid college visit burnout. If you are spending a day or two in the area, experience the shops and restaurants around campus and try out the transportation systems if available. Campus life often extends beyond the actual campus.
Also remember that even if you cannot travel far, there may be campuses in your city that you can visit any time. You may discover a hidden gem in your own backyard!
Happy Visiting!
