“Why should I visit this college? I drive by it every day…”

“My brother went to this college and I visit him all the time, so I think an official visit is unnecessary.”

“I can just do an online virtual tour on the college website, so I don’t think I actually need to visit the campus.” 

      Above are a few of the dozens of reasons that students use to avoid making a college visit. Yet, in reality, a college visit is quite possibly the most important part of the entire college admission process. Students are about to commit one, two, four or more years of their lives to a college; we feel this warrants some serious investigation of the college, including a student actually spending time on the college campus. Students need to get a feel for what actually transpires on each campus. 

     Success in college is all about finding a college that is a good fit, one that meets the students’ priorities and needs. Visits help students find a college that is a good fit, and it eliminates colleges that might not work for a particular student. We suggest that students visit colleges when students are actually on campus; while summer and weekends might be convenient times for a college visit, many colleges take on a different “aura” in the summer when students have all left for the vacation, or on weekends when students are sleeping late. Most high schools allow students a couple of excused absences to visit colleges during the week, so students can actually talk to college students.   Students are the best source of answers to questions like “What do you like about this campus?” “What don’t you like about this campus?” “What works here?” “What doesn’t work here?” Ultimately, students must ask themselves “Am I going to fit into this campus?” “Do these kids have the same values I have?” If students can answer yes to these questions, they have gone a long way toward finding a college that is a good fit. 

     Students can design their own trip, which can include taking a campus tour, meeting with the admission office, meeting with the financial aid office and sitting in on classes. We recommend that students make an appointment; in fact, most colleges will only write students an excuse to take back to the high school if an appointment has been made.   We recommend that students take along an unofficial copy of their high school transcript, along with current SAT/ACT scores if available, so college admission personnel can tell students their chances of being accepted. If students have completed a College Costs Estimator, they can take that report as well for a discussion about the amount and type of financial aid that the college may be able to give them. 

      Finally and if possible, students should schedule an overnight visit, staying with other students in a campus living unit. Students get the real feel for what college life is all about on each campus. This helps students eliminate the mismatches that might occur when they spend too little time on campus. It also might save them some money and some real unhappiness in the long run.