Why visit colleges before getting accepted?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Saw a school that looked wonderful on paper- said all of the right things, with so many cool perks. Decided to visit and tour. We were two blocks from school and shook our heads and said “no way.”

Total ghetto.

A friend had the same experience at another “popular” East Coast school.

This is why you visit.

We saved application time and money by visiting first."

This makes no sense to me. How could you not figure this out using the internet like you do when booking a hotel for your vacation? (I won't go into whether I agree with turning down a school like Yale because it's adjacent to a low-income area.) Besides discussions in various online college sites about campus safety, why couldn't you just pop the address into Google Maps Street View and take a look around? My assistant did this for me back when I'd travel for work and went on site visits and it helped him determine whether to advise me to take a cab or just walk.

You couldn't have saved money by not applying vs. visiting unless you can travel to the school and back for less than the $50 application fee. And would you really have spent 48+ hours writing the school's supplemental essay?

LOL I have an assistant too but I don't make her do this You Need to Take Care Of Me BullS%&^. I google for myself.

We crossed the pond from the UK to visit schools over the course of two weeks during the UK's "Term Break", -- we were making the trip back home anyway - saw family in Boston, then BC and Northeastern. The visit knocked off Northeastern. And really, we wouldn't have made the determination to knock it off the list from just a google spin - it wasn't until DC attended the meeting, went on tour, really saw the kids, and felt the vibe of the campus. Then we bopped down to DC, saw Georgetown. Then we went to Miami for vacation and stopped by UMiami. both stayed on the list. It was a fun vacation, we covered a lot without it being too stressful, and it helped DC solidify want they wanted in a college experience. My view - If you have the means to do it, and you can do it without stressing too much, why not?

[Anonymous]

We’ll do two over spring break because we’ll already be in that area visiting family. I may do a weekend with my child in the spring or fall and for me it’s just an excuse to spend time with my son before he’s off at college. It’s a college tour, yes, but also a time for just the two of us.

[Anonymous]

Why visit before applying?

To see if you want to go/if it is worth applying. 3 kids, 2 currently in college, 3rd is a HS junior and we are visiting schools now.

- some schools they ruled out just walking around the campus (didn't like the vibe, or, was a great school they liked, but in a rotten location that they did not like or vice versa)

- some schools they didn't bother applying to after the admissions schpiel and tour and eating in the cafeteria (this was allowed in 2019 and earlier, and this past Fall, we are finding some schools are not allowing this again now)

- some schools became EA schools, and one became an ED school, after a visit. It is such a crap shoot these days, that what once were matches are now reaches. If you can know where you want to go and apply ED, you are at a huge advantage.

Not all small urban areas or large rural campuses feel the same, and you need to try the shoe on before you buy it so to speak.

[Anonymous]

Why not?

[Anonymous]

The college visits I’ve taken over the last two years with my kid would have been worth it even if she didn’t apply to a single college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The college visits I’ve taken over the last two years with my kid would have been worth it even if she didn’t apply to a single college.

+1 You get to co-envision your child's future with them and just have that time together. You don't have to bust the bank on it, but if it's within the realm of affordability for you it's pretty lovely and memorable. We linked "side trips" on family trips and made a few purposeful road trips to visit handfuls in areas of interests. We never flew anywhere just for a college visit. You're likely not going to get to travel easily with your college-bound child after this point.

[Anonymous]

I think there might be a divide here between people who feel "busy and important," and see the world in terms of "return on investment."

Some of us want to hang out with our kids before they leave home. To have a window onto the most important decision most of them will have taken on up to this point. It is a happy, exciting time in their lives, and we savor going through it with them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The college visits I’ve taken over the last two years with my kid would have been worth it even if she didn’t apply to a single college.

Ditto. DC loves food, so I would always pick out restaurants in advance, ideally near the campus. Able to have a more casual conversation as DC was relaxed and enjoying the moment - important as DC found the college process stressful for sundry reasons, so anything sparking a little joy was worth it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think there might be a divide here between people who feel "busy and important," and see the world in terms of "return on investment."

Some of us want to hang out with our kids before they leave home. To have a window onto the most important decision most of them will have taken on up to this point. It is a happy, exciting time in their lives, and we savor going through it with them.

I agree, but I can now because I can afford it. I took no college tours when in HS as my parents had neither the money nor time to do so. I've always felt a bit on the outside when my friends reminisce about their own college tours when in HS. But it is what it is. I have felt fortunate that I've been able to do with both kids.