Touring the engineering facilities at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts
Planning college visits can be complicated, but with some pre-planning you can make the most of what should be a valuable and fun process. Make sure that your list of schools is balanced, with visits to schools that are more solid as well as those in your stretch category. A common mistake families make is to visit schools that are all in the stretch category, but it is equally important to get to know those schools which will be a great fit and also more likely to accept you. Another tool to help plan your trip is our new beta version of CollegeLocations.com, an interactive map of colleges where you can see where colleges are in relation to each other.
Tours and information sessions are usually offered twice a day during weekdays, but it is important to check the college's "visit us" page to make sure they are available the day you are visiting. Check the admissions page for each school and see if pre-registration is required for either the tour or information session.
Many families ask if visiting two colleges in one day is too much, but this depends on the proximity and also the depth to which a student wants to go on the visit. Some families arrive on a campus where they intended to spend a full day, only to have the student decide instantly that they do not even want to get out of the car. This is a sure sign that it should be off the list. Flexibility is an absolute must; don't waste time if the student cannot imagine himself/herself at the school.
Spring is an ideal time to visit most colleges as students will be on campus and you can get a much better feel for the college. Your best resource is often a student from your high school who is attending that college, so make sure to ask your counselor if there are students you can contact at the college. They will be a great source of more candid information. College admissions offices can also give you names of current students from your area who might be willing to meet with you during your visit. Try going beyond the standard programs and consider doing the following:
- Eat at the dining facility (some colleges will give vouchers to families for a free lunch)
- Read the bulletin boards and pick up a student newspaper
- Try to see a dorm that you didn't see on the tour
- Schedule an interview if the admission office is willing to do this
- Wander around the campus by yourself
- Ask a student why he/she chose this college
- Browse in the college bookstore
- Listen to students to hear what they are talking--or complaining--about
- Ask a student what he/she likes/does not like about the college
- Walk or drive around the community surrounding the campus
- Ask a student what he/she does on weekends
