I think driving or walking through a campus when you're near for another reason (vacation, family visit etc) is totally fine and can be fun. My DD was recently in Dallas for a sports event and drove thru SMU with another family. She has no interest in the school, but it helped form her opinion about campus size and location (decided she likes in or near a city), likes a campus with grass/trees and something like a quad (vs more urban campus like GW).

We visited a few in DS's sophomore Spring break, focusing on getting a sense of big schools, small LACs, college town vs urban. This was really helpful in focusing his search in junior year because he came away with a strong preference for a big school in a college town. He's now happy at VT. I don't think a big trip is essential -- you could get at these preferences via some weekend/holiday visits to schools nearby.

DD is a junior and tagged along on those visits and doesn't remember much but does have a sense that she'd prefer a smaller school. VT feels way too big to her so we've done a few LAC visits on days off school this year and will do more focused visits over spring break. Probably won't get to everything she applies to. If they don't fit our roadtrip area she can wait until after acceptances.

We did some tours with our sophomore and it was really helpful for DC both for motivation and to get a sense of what type of college setting they liked. DC may apply somewhere ED, so getting an early start is important. It’s hard to find long weekends in MCPS when the college students are in session. You don’t want seniors frantic at last minute realizing they haven’t visited a school they want to ED. That said, we’re open to revisiting the top choices. If we had a more constrained budget of time or money, we’d wait until junior year.

DD visited a few Junior year, and she didn't get into top choices, tears were shed. With my next one I'm going to have her apply EA to all and then see where she gets in, then visit.

Having said that, I think if you are visiting somewhere when they are freshman/sophomore and it happens to be near a university, by all means casually drive through (no tour) - get them a little psyched up!

I think visits to colleges in the immediate area are fine,especially for 2 kinds of kids. First group is those who have no idea what American college is like--these are often first gen, low income or immigrant kids. Second group is kids who are hyper focused and know exactly what they want or at least think they do. But I think lots of kids can benefit from getting a baseline of sorts to compare colleges later.

One word of warning--do NOT start with the reach schools, whatever reach is for your kid. Start with safeties and a few matches.

Anonymous wrote:I think sophomore spring break is too early. By fall of senior year, those visits will be vague, distant memories. If you happen to be near a college, there's nothing wrong with swinging by for a look-see, even a walk around, though I wouldn't book official tours until later. Most kids that grade are not ready to experience a campus in the same way that they will when they are a bit further along.

Fall of junior year is the earliest I'd do official tours, and even then I'd keep the number of tours down. Spring break of junior year is prime time, when the big picture starts to come into focus.

Of course, it's tough if your kid doesn't have much time off in the fall. Check the school calendar now - president's weekend or any other long weekend can be a great time for tours, though whether colleges will have classes on holidays will also vary.

+1

Never understood the early visits. Makes no sense, and your kid has no idea where they will fit in. Parents push way too hard, to their kids' detriment.

Maybe not a popular opinion, but I think the first visitation tour is good to do early in HS career to get kids interested and motivated. And the next is good to do after acceptances. Unless-- the college cares about demonstrated interest. You can find that out through the school's "common data set." GL.

I have a junior that has not done any visits yet. I personally think sophomore year is too young, unless tagging along on an older sibling’s tour.

Anonymous wrote:DD is a sophomore. I thought maybe see some colleges during Spring Break 2022. Too early?

Depends on how many you plan to visit. DC is a junior and we visited 9 since August this year and will do 7 more before the applications are in. Also, from our experience, my DCs perspective/preference are very different now than what it was during the sophomore year, so starting in your sophomore year might be little too early.

Anonymous wrote:As a teacher, can I suggest not during Junior year? It's a full load often and one of the most important for grades. With COVID, lots of kids did virtual tours and then only visited the ones that they got into - some colleges are still encouraging that.

You can suggest LOL, but junior year is the time for tours. Sorry, earlier does not make sense. Senior year they can hopefully squeeze in a couple in the fall if needed, but that is also a tough time.

Virtual tours are not nearly as helpful as in-person. My twin freshmen are both attending schools they had only seen virtually when they applied. One did not set foot on campus until he started school and while it's ok, it's quite possible he would not have chosen this school if he had been able to visit in person, particularly if he had been able to visit one of his alternatives that he didn't know much about - their virtual tour was terrible and he was not convinced, though I've been there in person myself.

I think sophomore spring break is too early. By fall of senior year, those visits will be vague, distant memories. If you happen to be near a college, there's nothing wrong with swinging by for a look-see, even a walk around, though I wouldn't book official tours until later. Most kids that grade are not ready to experience a campus in the same way that they will when they are a bit further along.

Fall of junior year is the earliest I'd do official tours, and even then I'd keep the number of tours down. Spring break of junior year is prime time, when the big picture starts to come into focus.

Of course, it's tough if your kid doesn't have much time off in the fall. Check the school calendar now - president's weekend or any other long weekend can be a great time for tours, though whether colleges will have classes on holidays will also vary.

As a teacher, can I suggest not during Junior year? It's a full load often and one of the most important for grades. With COVID, lots of kids did virtual tours and then only visited the ones that they got into - some colleges are still encouraging that.

I don’t think so, if you DC is ready and willing to visit. We visited colleges last Spring break because we were not taking a real trip due to COVID. It was something to do and gave us an early sense of what DC liked and did not like. We took say trips, nothing ambitious. Junior year is busy, so getting an early sense while a Sophomore is helpful.

that seems reasonable

DD is a sophomore. I thought maybe see some colleges during Spring Break 2022. Too early?