College Visit Tips

[Anonymous]

I disagree with 19:26 and 19:27.

Visiting before making a short-list of college was essential for my child, otherwise he might have ended up stuck with schools he would not have liked to attend. He needed to see the places to decide where to apply.

Selective universities are not necessarily more welcoming or attractive than less selective ones in terms of college visits, at least for the realistic student. DS did not particularly appreciate Princeton or Dartmouth, but did like Williams and Swarthmore, for example.

[Anonymous]

4) Take advantage options the school offers for prospective students in addition the admissions session and tour. For example, have the student reach out to see if a department visit may be possible. Most schools also offer a prospective students' day which is more robust than the standard tour, though these tend to be only a few dates each year.

OP, your list is great. I especially like the advice to have your kid take notes during and immediately after the visits. And I picked this one in bold to give it a resounding second.

DC got in touch with departments at two colleges. At one college, the head of department (who also is a professor) reached out immediately and suggested DC come and take two classes that day. DC ended up taking one class, then the professor/department head took DC on a one on one tour of the department and sat down and asked if DC had questions. DC then went to see the administrator at another department DC had contacted, and ended up being taken on an hour-long personal tour of that department's whole facility. Guess where DC is at college now? Yep, the one that took so much time to treat DC that way. DC was treated not just as some random student but as someone the college would like to have there. (Yes, it's a SLAC, not a huge university, though I'll add that DC also got great treatment in a department visit at a much larger state university.)

Tip: The student, not the parent, reaches out and asks to come by the department and sets it up. DC handled all these contacts at two different colleges and that experience alone was good for DC.

And OP's mention of prospective student days is spot on. Parents, these are NOT the same as "accepted student days." These prospective student days are full-day events aimed at students who haven't even applied yet. Look for them on websites but be aware they may have different titles at different colleges. We attended these days at three different colleges and they were invaluable. A typical one has things like student panels (where current students at the college answer questions and talk about student life), professor/departmental panels, panels about specific majors, financial aid panels (yes, a lot of parents at those), general tours, specialized tours focusing on things like specific departments (science lab tours, performing arts department tours, library tours etc.). Students might be invited to pick a class or two to attend from a list of classes open to them that day. You get to eat in the campus cafeterias and tour dorms in more detail.

I'm always surprised how many families don't know these full-day events exist and base everything on a quickie, general tour and a short "information session" and nothing else.

The prospective student days tend to fill up quickly, well in advance, so I strongly recommend that parents -- yeah, parents, not just their HS students -- seek these days out. Your kids should drive the college search but these specific days can be hard to get into and take some advance planning since they fill so fast, and they are NOT always very obvious to find on college websites. I dont' think a single one we attended was labeled a "prospective students day" in those exact words, so it's fine to help your DC find these things and see what they offer. I hope colleges are back to doing them fully again. They really were far more informative than "tour College A in the morning, College B in the afternoon and repeat every day for a week" surface tours. Of course you can't do these for every college on a list but if your DC is pretty focused about what types of colleges and what majors he or she wants -- these days are immensely useful if you can get to one.

[Anonymous]

"Visiting before making a short-list of college was essential for my child, otherwise he might have ended up stuck with schools he would not have liked to attend. He needed to see the places to decide where to apply."

How does visiting before applying solve this problem??

If you are choosing schools based on substantive things like whether it has robust Greek life, whether they require everyone to take the same classes first year as part of their curriculum, whether it is one where you have a shot a joining its D3 sports teams, then silly things like not liking the dorm bathroom set up or the personality of your tour guide won't matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Visiting before making a short-list of college was essential for my child, otherwise he might have ended up stuck with schools he would not have liked to attend. He needed to see the places to decide where to apply."

How does visiting before applying solve this problem??

If you are choosing schools based on substantive things like whether it has robust Greek life, whether they require everyone to take the same classes first year as part of their curriculum, whether it is one where you have a shot a joining its D3 sports teams, then silly things like not liking the dorm bathroom set up or the personality of your tour guide won't matter.

I agree that a tour guide won't make or break the application decision, but actually being to the town and thinking "wow - I cannot see myself living here for four years" will.

[Anonymous]

I'll add a tip.

Have your DC walk into the Student Health Center and the Mental Health/Wellness Center on each campus. Gets them used to it and opens conversations about how to use each, how to advocate for oneself, what the protocols are and how these places are judgment-free and attuned to the the needs of the age group they serve. My DCs are both in college now and this has paid dividends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Visiting before making a short-list of college was essential for my child, otherwise he might have ended up stuck with schools he would not have liked to attend. He needed to see the places to decide where to apply."

How does visiting before applying solve this problem??

If you are choosing schools based on substantive things like whether it has robust Greek life, whether they require everyone to take the same classes first year as part of their curriculum, whether it is one where you have a shot a joining its D3 sports teams, then silly things like not liking the dorm bathroom set up or the personality of your tour guide won't matter.

New poster and not the person to whom you're replying but if you don't "get" this it's not easy to explain to you. Visiting is not merely about what you label "silly things like not liking the dorm bathroom setup." And most intelligent college-bound high schoolers can adequately separate a bad tour guide's personality from their choices about the school itself.

Schools that appear perfect on paper, and ideal with all the information about (your choices here) Greek life or course structure or sports teams etc. etc, can turn out to be the wrong schools when you are physically on their campuses.

DC visited one college that claimed to be a short distance from a major city when it...just wasn't, in a real sense of logistics and transportation realities. Also, the campus looked run-down and uncared for in ways that spoke to the overall attentiveness to detail at the college.

Another college that looked like a simply terrific option on paper etc. was struck off the list very quickly after a day-long visit and not because of bathrooms or tour guides but because DC felt there was an overall vibe, from the buildings to the layout to the classes DC observed to the things on display in the academic building hallways, that made DC say it seemed more like a high school than a prestigious small college. .

But at another place DC visited, seeing inside the classroom buidlings really sold DC on that college's facilities for DC's major in a way that looking at pictures online couldn't.

DC didn't waste time and energy applying to the two schools where visiting turned her off.

But if you don't understand the idea of visiting as adding key information about day to day "fit" that websites, brochures and pictures can't add -- what I just said won't move you. I just hope that if you have a kid who wants to do visits before applying, you'll consider facilitiating that even if you don't get it, because for some people, and at some colleges, visits really do make a difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'll add a tip.

Have your DC walk into the Student Health Center and the Mental Health/Wellness Center on each campus. Gets them used to it and opens conversations about how to use each, how to advocate for oneself, what the protocols are and how these places are judgment-free and attuned to the the needs of the age group they serve. My DCs are both in college now and this has paid dividends.

What are they supposed to do once they "walk in?" These places are very busy and often do not have enough time to adequately serve the students that actually go there. Please do not encourage this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'll add a tip.

Have your DC walk into the Student Health Center and the Mental Health/Wellness Center on each campus. Gets them used to it and opens conversations about how to use each, how to advocate for oneself, what the protocols are and how these places are judgment-free and attuned to the the needs of the age group they serve. My DCs are both in college now and this has paid dividends.

What are they supposed to do once they "walk in?" These places are very busy and often do not have enough time to adequately serve the students that actually go there. Please do not encourage this.

You're an idiot. These places have lobbies, they have lots of posters listing types of help available, receptionists who are used to kids walking in, some tours even take you there. Your poor kid, with that attitude.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'll add a tip.

Have your DC walk into the Student Health Center and the Mental Health/Wellness Center on each campus. Gets them used to it and opens conversations about how to use each, how to advocate for oneself, what the protocols are and how these places are judgment-free and attuned to the the needs of the age group they serve. My DCs are both in college now and this has paid dividends.

What are they supposed to do once they "walk in?" These places are very busy and often do not have enough time to adequately serve the students that actually go there. Please do not encourage this.

You're an idiot. These places have lobbies, they have lots of posters listing types of help available, receptionists who are used to kids walking in, some tours even take you there. Your poor kid, with that attitude.

Wow. You are disgusting. Placing your kid's desire to gawk at those with actual illness above the health of students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'll add a tip.

Have your DC walk into the Student Health Center and the Mental Health/Wellness Center on each campus. Gets them used to it and opens conversations about how to use each, how to advocate for oneself, what the protocols are and how these places are judgment-free and attuned to the the needs of the age group they serve. My DCs are both in college now and this has paid dividends.

What are they supposed to do once they "walk in?" These places are very busy and often do not have enough time to adequately serve the students that actually go there. Please do not encourage this.

You're an idiot. These places have lobbies, they have lots of posters listing types of help available, receptionists who are used to kids walking in, some tours even take you there. Your poor kid, with that attitude.

I've been on dozens of college tours in 7 different states; large public, small private and everything in between. NONE have actually brought the group inside the health center or mental wellness center. ZERO of the tour guides have encouraged students to "walk i" and ask questions of the staff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'll add a tip.

Have your DC walk into the Student Health Center and the Mental Health/Wellness Center on each campus. Gets them used to it and opens conversations about how to use each, how to advocate for oneself, what the protocols are and how these places are judgment-free and attuned to the the needs of the age group they serve. My DCs are both in college now and this has paid dividends.

What are they supposed to do once they "walk in?" These places are very busy and often do not have enough time to adequately serve the students that actually go there. Please do not encourage this.

You're an idiot. These places have lobbies, they have lots of posters listing types of help available, receptionists who are used to kids walking in, some tours even take you there. Your poor kid, with that attitude.

I've been on dozens of college tours in 7 different states; large public, small private and everything in between. NONE have actually brought the group inside the health center or mental wellness center. ZERO of the tour guides have encouraged students to "walk i" and ask questions of the staff.

+ 1

And with Covid, you can’t just wander into buildings. They want pre-registration for the tour, which might not even go into most buildings. You can’t just freely wander into buildings anymore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do NOT under any circumstances take seniors to visit schools that you cannot afford or that they have a low chance of getting into. BEGIN any visits with their safety schools. Once you've visited Stanford or Princeton nothing else looks very good.

Or just prep your student for the facts about each school and make sure they know that anything with admission rate under 20-25% is a crap shoot. So pick one for ED, if it's truly a top choice, but don't get focused on dream schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Visiting before making a short-list of college was essential for my child, otherwise he might have ended up stuck with schools he would not have liked to attend. He needed to see the places to decide where to apply."

How does visiting before applying solve this problem??

If you are choosing schools based on substantive things like whether it has robust Greek life, whether they require everyone to take the same classes first year as part of their curriculum, whether it is one where you have a shot a joining its D3 sports teams, then silly things like not liking the dorm bathroom set up or the personality of your tour guide won't matter.

I agree that a tour guide won't make or break the application decision, but actually being to the town and thinking "wow - I cannot see myself living here for four years" will.

However, I love the schools that have 3-4 tour guides for each scheduled tour and allow families to pick whom to go with. Typically they have a variety of majors (1 engineer, 1 bio/chem/premed, 1 humanities, etc) . My DC toured their college twice. Both times there was a ChemE as the STEM choice (my kid wants CHemE). While any engineer would have helped, it definately helps to get a vibe for what students in your major are like. Esch tour we could immediately tell who all the STEM kids were, as they joined the engineer.

[Anonymous]

The best advice I got before my DC was a senior was to do lots of online research before spending time and money doing visits.

"DC visited one college that claimed to be a short distance from a major city when it...just wasn't, in a real sense of logistics and transportation realities. Also, the campus looked run-down and uncared for in ways that spoke to the overall attentiveness to detail at the college."

This is the sort of thing that anybody could discern with about 15 minutes of online research.

Approach it like you would an Airbnb you're considering renting for a 1-week vacation stay. You pull up Google maps and check to see what it's close to and if it's a safe area for walking around at night, right? Apply the same skills here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'll add a tip.

Have your DC walk into the Student Health Center and the Mental Health/Wellness Center on each campus. Gets them used to it and opens conversations about how to use each, how to advocate for oneself, what the protocols are and how these places are judgment-free and attuned to the the needs of the age group they serve. My DCs are both in college now and this has paid dividends.

What are they supposed to do once they "walk in?" These places are very busy and often do not have enough time to adequately serve the students that actually go there. Please do not encourage this.

Agree.

Why would someone want to intrude on other students' privacy in a medical center ?

Why would a touring student want to expose themselves to students who are sick ?