How is your child choosing a college without an in person tour and without seeing real campus life?

[Anonymous]

Dd had been on a few virtual tours. These do not compare to the real thing. We walked on a campus, on our own, in the fall. We saw maybe five college kids walking alone with masks on. Our walk on campus told us nothing.

How are other people making these decisions about where to go to college?

[Anonymous]

Like you. I never saw my college campus before I moved in. You get as much info as you can and make a choice.

[Anonymous]

I'm finding it extremely nerve-wracking. She's OK. Has a favorite and will probably stick with it. She's not an overthinker, which is helpful in some ways. I am an overthinker, so I'm just trying to let go of my desire to control this.

[Anonymous]

DH and I never visited any colleges before picking where to go, because in our home country that isn't done, and we don't expect to waste our time touring colleges for our kids either. So virtual tours are a nice perk!

[Anonymous]

It's not ideal but, honestly, people vastly overestimate the usefulness of the college visit. That "campus vibe" component is hugely based on the tour guide which is obviously a luck of the draw, the difference between what you'd observe on a rainy day vs a sunny day is enormous, they're all going to tell you about extra curricular groups etc etc. Since it's not going to be possible this year turn to your other resources - guides, Niche etc. For what it's worth I think the Niche reviews are interesting to help a kid take colleges off list. It's all subjective "yelp" style reviews of campus life, but it gives you a sense of patterns.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm finding it extremely nerve-wracking. She's OK. Has a favorite and will probably stick with it. She's not an overthinker, which is helpful in some ways. I am an overthinker, so I'm just trying to let go of my desire to control this.

This is true for me and my son, too. We’d done a few tours by the time things shut down last spring, and DS did the rest online, chose one he hadn’t seen in person, and is headed there in the fall. All the angst about that has been mine.

[Anonymous]

Only in the USA - spoiled kids looking for "vibes" when they should be focusing on specific criteria like class sizes, teacher availability, reputation of academic department, and, most of all, finances.

[Anonymous]

We were fortunate to get our tours and visits in before the pandemic (started 10th grade and just got a few in each year). That said, even having toured on campus, you're not really going to know it's a fit. That's why you can always transfer.

[Anonymous]

My kid only looked at schools that offered in-person visits, as he saw it as a signal the school's coronavirus policies wouldn't be too draconian once he was on campus. In the end, he chose a school where he was not only offered nearly a full ride but where campus life appeared more normal than anywhere else we visited. He'll be starting at the University of Alabama in August. Roll Tide!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's not ideal but, honestly, people vastly overestimate the usefulness of the college visit. That "campus vibe" component is hugely based on the tour guide which is obviously a luck of the draw, the difference between what you'd observe on a rainy day vs a sunny day is enormous, they're all going to tell you about extra curricular groups etc etc. Since it's not going to be possible this year turn to your other resources - guides, Niche etc. For what it's worth I think the Niche reviews are interesting to help a kid take colleges off list. It's all subjective "yelp" style reviews of campus life, but it gives you a sense of patterns.

+1

People chose universities without having visited them for decades, and many students who can't afford/don't have the time to make lots of college visits still do. I think that, while a visit can provide useful information, it is really limited, as this PP noted. You can place WAY too much weight on the "vibe," which can really come down to the luck of the draw in terms of tour guide, weather, random events, etc. And you can find a lot of the information online these days in terms of residential options, extracurriculars, academic programs, fun campus traditions, etc. Or by talking to current students and alums, which many colleges facilitate.

[Anonymous]

I ended up going to the one university I didn't visit, it was fine. Only recently has visiting every single college on your list become a thing to do.

[Anonymous]

We just eliminated one choice by driving through and around the campus. Too far for DC, too.

[Anonymous]

I never visited the university I went to. My parents did tours with their oldest 2 kids, but not the youngest 2. Worked out fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dd had been on a few virtual tours. These do not compare to the real thing. We walked on a campus, on our own, in the fall. We saw maybe five college kids walking alone with masks on. Our walk on campus told us nothing.

How are other people making these decisions about where to go to college?

You can go walk around any campus you want.
I agree with poster tho - I never saw my campus in person until move in day. Loved every minute of college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dd had been on a few virtual tours. These do not compare to the real thing. We walked on a campus, on our own, in the fall. We saw maybe five college kids walking alone with masks on. Our walk on campus told us nothing.

How are other people making these decisions about where to go to college?

You can go walk around any campus you want.
I agree with poster tho - I never saw my campus in person until move in day. Loved every minute of college.

Not true, at least if you're still looking. I assume admitted students will be allowed to at least stroll through campus.

Our current senior has visited some of the schools he applied to, but the traditional junior year spring break blitz we had planned got canceled. He applied to some of the colleges anyway, rejected others, and added some he hadn't visited but decided, for whatever reason, he was interested in. If he gets in to the ones he's never been to, we'll at least drive to them so he can see them in person (and in one case see how very isolated it is)