Anonymous wrote:We did a couple of tours long before my first kid was applying ( her request) and it was nice to do it with no pressure. I wouldn’t start flying around the country with a freshman for that purpose but f you’re there anyway then why not?

+1

Anonymous wrote:You have to take an extra flight? No. Admissions rates are so low, it only makes sense to me to spend the time/money on it after admission.

I think OP meant the school is near the location of the family vacation, which is a flight away, making it harder to visit in the future if they don’t do it while nearby on this trip.

You have to take an extra flight? No. Admissions rates are so low, it only makes sense to me to spend the time/money on it after admission.

When driving my 14 year old through Flagstaff, Arizona, he proclaimed that "this is where I want to go to college (Northern Arizona University)". Things change. Ended up at a top 10 National University.

OP: Of course, you should visit if in the vicinity of a possible target school which is a plane ride away from your home. Also okay to buy the hoodie and t-shirt, but too early to get the tattoo as things change rapidly during one's high school years.

I would definitely go. We took our (now college senior) son to a couple of colleges in 9th grade when we were otherwise in the area. It was fun to walk around and give him a bit of an idea of what different campuses are like.

We started touring since 5th grade, and irs worked out tremendously! Go for it OP!

If your kid is into it, I’d tour. If they’re not, I wouldn’t force it.

We toured a school we thought was directionally the sort my kid would like the summer after 9th grade while we were nearby on vacation. Although he toured/liked/applied to many others, he’s now attending that first school.

Anonymous wrote:We did a couple of tours long before my first kid was applying ( her request) and it was nice to do it with no pressure. I wouldn’t start flying around the country with a freshman for that purpose but f you’re there anyway then why not?

This. We started looking at various schools when we were in the area to give him a feel for college campuses (big, small, urban, rural...) Some of them we ended up touring again junior/senior year when he was looking at schools more seriously/through a different lens.

As others have said, if it's a flight away, I think no harm in casually walking around or doing a self-guided tour.

We haven’t done a formal tour but always make a point of driving or walking around college campuses when we are traveling. Like PPs have said, I wouldn’t do formal tours or serious visits, but it’s not a bad thing to begin to give them exposure to the idea.

9th grade DC has seen about half a dozen schools in the last year this way. The only really strong reaction was on the campus of a very large state flagship. DC’s priorities might shift by 11th or 12th grade, but had a very visceral reaction against a campus of that size.

I would do it if you’re already there. Busy kids have trouble fitting in college visits.

We regularly toured colleges starting summer after 9th grade if we were in the area. Occasionally, we canceled the tour if our kid really wasn’t feeling it. But the experience was invaluable. He figured out early on that he wanted a larger school with a walkable town and with a defined campus (not GW for example).

I would definitely do it. You wouldn’t believe how busy summers and spring breaks get with other obligations. If you’re already nearby, take advantage!

I would definitely do the tour! Why not? If you are already in town -- I took my kids touring, if I happened to be near a college -and it helped make the process easier by the time they were in 12th grade -- it's not pressure unless you make it feel like pressure. A short tour, well, I had my kids go on the college tour while I was at a work meeting nearby - so we all maximized our time!

Anonymous wrote:My kids were DISinterested in the tours until a few months before 11th gr.

This. We broached the idea of casually looking at some schools the summer after 9th, and DC was adamantly against it. Would have been counterproductive to force the issue. Now halfway through 10th and HS’s CCO has started talking to the students and the kids are chattering about it a bit, and DC is open to visiting schools this summer, so that’s what we’ll do.

OP, if your kid is interested and you’re there anyway, go for it. Otherwise don’t worry about it yet.