Why Visiting Colleges is so Important

Those of us living in New England are at an advantage when it comes to visiting colleges. We can be within driving distance of several colleges and can potentially see more than one in a day. For some other locations in the country, it can be much more difficult. That being said, students with the means to visit colleges absolutely should try to do so in the spring of junior year for several reasons, which we will outline in this blog.

Save time, effort and money in the long run

It might seem like visiting colleges before you even apply is a waste of time or family resources, but it can actually prove to be the opposite. Why spend the time applying to a college you don't know if you like or not? Applications these days are harder and more time-consuming than they used to be. They may require several essays and questions to answer. Additionally, college applications can cost upwards of $60-$80 each. For those reasons, it makes sense to try to narrow down your list of colleges before you apply. And the best way to do this is to research as much as possible, which often includes a campus visit.

Gut instinct

A lot of college websites look the same... a smiling, diverse group of students sitting on the grass in the sunshine reading books and laughing. It can be difficult to get a really clear sense about a school from a website. Additionally, asking Aunt June about a particular college isn't such a great idea because things may have changed since she was really in the know about that school. Or, someone may have heard a rumor though the grapevine... also not a good way to judge a school. The best way for most teenagers to judge a school is to step foot on the campus. A teen's gut instinct really kicks in and usually they know quickly whether they can see themselves at that school or not. Culture, activity, and the general feel of a school is hard to get elsewhere.

Demonstrating Interest

You may have heard about demonstrating interest, and it's no joke. Many colleges keep track of whether or not a student visited their campus and use that information when making admission decisions. Colleges want to know that an applicant is really interested in their school and one way to measure that is by tracking visits. If a student lives far away, a college likely won't hold it against an applicant if they can't visit. But, conversely, if a student lives very close to a college and hasn't visited, that usually doesn't look good.

There are many reasons to visit college in the spring of junior year and in the fall of senior year, before a student applies. One of my favorite things to do is help families plan these visits. If you think it could be helpful, I encourage you to schedule a meeting with me.