With so many different ways to engage—from official in-person tours to virtual visits to walking around campus with a friend—we get a lot of questions about the “right” way for families to get to know a potential college. What “counts” and what doesn’t? And how can parents help (or hurt) the college visit process?
Today, we have a blog post for the whole family—students and parents—because college visits are usually a family experience! Here are 5 tips to make the most of your college visit experience!
SCHEDULE THROUGH THE COLLEGE WEBSITE
Schedule your visit to campus through the college’s website whenever possible. This way, the college has a record of your visit (which is extra helpful if they track demonstrated interest). We recommend official visits where possible, but these can fill up fast! Especially during popular times of the year like school breaks.
If your family is unable to schedule an official tour, you might consider a self-guided tour. Many colleges offer self-guided tour maps on their website, you might walk through campus as a family on your own, or you might have a connection at that college who can show you around.
If you are doing a self-guided tour, see if there is a way to sign up for one through the college’s website. If this isn’t an option, consider reaching out to your admissions counselor to let them know you will be on campus, tell them a little bit about yourself and your interest in their school, and ask any questions you might have ahead of your visit.
Pro Tip: If you are doing a self-guided tour, I recommend doing a virtual information session if one is available before you visit (you schedule these through the college's admissions page) so you can learn about the college and get the information you would have gotten on an official tour.
BUILD A BALANCED TOUR LIST
Just like your student should build a balanced college list, I encourage your family to visit schools that have a wide range of qualities like: selectivity, size, location, etc... That way, you’ll see a lot of options and learn both what you like and what you don't. Maybe you’ll learn that urban schools are a perfect fit after visiting college outside of a city! Maybe you’ll learn that the large schools that sounded great on paper are actually too large once you have smaller schools to compare them to.
Seeing a wide range can help students figure out their best fit. Remember—it's still a successful college tour even if you didn't like the campus you visited because you’ve learned something valuable for the next one!
And please include likely and target schools in your tour route! So often, families will only visit the most selective schools on a student’s college list and leave out others. Not only does this keep students from getting to know great schools, but it can also send the message that only certain colleges are prioritized, desirable, or acceptable.
PACE YOURSELVES!
It's tempting to try and cram as many college visits in as you can. Especially if you’re taking time off of school and work to fit in a college tour or if you’re visiting an area with a lot of colleges. But think quality over quantity with college visits!
Try not to visit more than 2 campuses in a single day. This will let you prioritize official visits where possible as many colleges only offer 1 or 2 official visit time slots per day.
And any more than that, and they're all going to start blurring together (“Wait, did that college say they had a 3-story rock climbing wall or a 3-story dining hall? And did that other college say they had small class sizes or a small chance my professor will learn my name because class sizes are large?”).
LET YOUR STUDENT LEAD
If college visits are a test drive, then students are in the driver's seat!
Parents, sit back and enjoy the scenery!
I encourage you to have family discussions about each college you visit, but let your student react, respond, and share their thoughts first. Respect your student's opinions and try to stay neutral even if you really want your student to feel the same way you do about a particular school!
MAKE VIRTUAL TOURS A FAMILY EXPERIENCE
You make campus visits as a family, so if virtual tours and information sessions are your only option because of distance, availability, or accessibility, treat these like as much like an in-person visit as you can.
Pop some popcorn, and watch the information session and virtual tour together. Ask the same questions and have the same conversations about likes and dislikes that you might have if you were visiting in person. And follow the advice in tips 1-4!