Beyond the tour: Your guide to getting the most out of a college visit

College visits are a tried and true way to get a taste of campus life. Depending on the campus location, it can feel like a feat just to show up, but once you are there it is crucial to gather all the on-the-ground information that you can find! College visits are ideal during junior year, but can be done at any point during high school (especially if family travel already brings you near a campus of interest). Here are some helpful tips to make the most of your college visits.

Set up a campus tour with admissions, but don’t stop there!

Admissions offices are friendly and helpful, so be sure to coordinate your visit directly with them whenever possible. Many colleges track “demonstrated interest,” so it is important to officially register for a tour or information session to begin to build your connection with the school. The tour will take you to the highlights of the campus — the prettiest buildings and most scenic photo ops. The newest dorms and most up-to-date classrooms are well worth seeing, but once the tour is done, be sure to do your own exploring. Which dorm do freshmen live in? What academic building would your major be in? Walk the dorm-to-class and class-to-dining hall commute to get a taste of what a day in your life would look like. Most college campuses are public so don’t feel shy about scouting on your own. While you’re walking, stop and talk to a few current students! Unlike the admissions staff, it is not their job to positively market the school; they will tell it like it is. No college is perfect, but satisfied students who are happy to talk about their school are a strong indicator that the college is flourishing.

Be prepared for rose-colored glasses

Admissions is on your team, but keep in mind that a large part of their job is marketing. Any admissions office worth its salt is trying to market its school in the best possible light. This can be a helpful introduction, but you will need to get beyond the shiny brochures to see if the school is truly the right fit. A dynamic admissions presentation almost always makes you feel enthusiastic about enrolling. Remind yourself that visiting a campus in the dead of winter will naturally be less appealing than visiting on a perfect sunny spring day. Take extensive notes throughout your visit so that you can keep details straight and rely on more than an optimistic feeling. You’ll be grateful for your notes, especially if you plan to tour many campuses. College campuses have a way of blending together in your memory, so take photos and organize notes so that you can reference them in several months once you are ready to make a commitment.

Vibe check the campus culture

Find a central location on campus, like the student union, and do some people-watching. How are the students interacting with each other? Are they interacting at all, or is everyone walking along with headphones on? At the dining hall, are students eating in groups or alone? What events are on the bulletin boards? Are there any you would attend if you were a student? Is this a commuter campus or do students live on campus all four years? Find the campus ministry office to get the inside scoop on their resources and programming. Remember, you are evaluating the campus for “fit.” There is no correct answer for what the campus vibe should be like, but you should reflect on how easy it would feel for you to get plugged in and find community. When a student finds the right school, they often describe the campus as feeling like home. After all, “alma mater” means “nourishing mother”!

Sit for a class or two

Many admissions offices are happy to let you sit in on a class. If your schedule allows, try to sit in on multiple classes to get a broader sense of the academics. Try a freshman-level core curriculum to see a real class you would be taking next year, but also sit in on an upper-level course in a major of interest. Try to chat with a few students after class to ask them about their experience. Do the students give the same kinds of answers? Or has their perspective changed significantly during the course of their time? How are students dressed for class? Are they engaged in the content? Were they on time for class or did they wander in partway through the lecture? What is their relationship with the professor? Are any classes taught by TAs? You want to find an academic setting that will be engaging to you but challenging enough that you can be confident it is worth four years of your time.

The true test: Are you ready to answer ‘Why us?’

A common supplemental essay question on college applications is essentially “Why us?” Why do you want to attend this college/university? Keep this question in mind during your campus visit. If you do not feel you have enough information to answer the query, keep exploring. Talk to current students and ask them how they knew they wanted to enroll here. Talk to a professor and see what their perspective is on the student body. You may still be early in the college search process, but if you are planning to apply to that college, you should have at least a fundamental answer to this question by the time you finish a campus visit.