4 Unique Ways to Make The Most of Your Spring College Visits
While admissions tours and information sessions are a solid way to get a taste of what a college has to offer, the truth is that these experiences are carefully designed to make sure you leave impressed by the school’s campus and eager to apply in the fall. They’ll highlight the newest, shiniest dorms (even though most freshmen end up in the Brutalist concrete ones built in the 1970’s), feature tiny classes (despite the fact that most underclassmen end up in giant lecture-style courses), and talk about special opportunities to travel abroad (without mentioning that only 1% of students who apply are selected)
No matter how many curveball questions you throw at the admissions officers and student tour guides, it’s likely that you’ll hear many of the same catchphrases at most schools:
…At X Institute for the Arts, we’re collaborative, not competitive.
…Here at Y University, students work hard and play hard.
…There’s a low student-teacher ratio here at Z College, so you’ll always be able to talk to your professors.
So if you get back from visiting half a dozen schools and find yourself struggling to differentiate the campus cultures – you’re not alone. Believe it or not, there are entire consulting companies designed to strategically ensure that you leave with the best impression of each college you visit. These firms know exactly what families and students want to hear, and train student tour guides and admissions officers to deliver on the promise of a friendly and engaging undergraduate experience.
While that’s great for colleges looking to boost their reputations and application numbers, these perfectly-tailored college visits can make it difficult for students and families trying to figure out the best fit for the next four years. If you’re using the precious time, energy, and resources to spend a spring break trekking from school to school, you want to leave each visit confident about whether or not the school could be a good option for you.
Note that it’s NOT crucial or necessary that you feel like a college is a perfect fit when you visit — this shouldn’t be the purpose of your junior year visits. Your initial focus is just to have an authentic, genuine experience that prompts you to think about whether you could see yourself on campus for four years. So don’t worry if you don’t find a school that feels exactly right the first time around — we’ll talk in later blog posts about how to revisit schools as you work towards picking options for ED I and EDII.
Here are four of our favorite ways to get the most value out of your visits:
Step 1: Sign Up Early for Special Visit Experiences
The easiest way to move beyond the general information you’ll get from the typical tour and info session is to look for opportunities that colleges offer to go beyond these standardized experiences. It might take some digging, but it’s worth your time to do some deep research and ask your counselor for help finding hidden gems. Look for schools that offer special visit days, the opportunity to check out a class, and chances to do meet and greets with students in your areas of interest.
For example, Bucknell hosts a seasonal open house where you can spend all day meeting professors, learning about financial aid and the various colleges and programs – with a free lunch and waived application fee as a bonus. Vanderbilt’s admissions office maintains an extensive list of classes open to high school students. And many colleges host fly-in programs for underrepresented populations that allow students to stay with a host and get a real taste of campus life.
Step 2: Reach Out to People You Know
Don’t be shy if you have a personal connection to a school via a family friend or former classmate. Ask to have lunch with them and learn more about their real experience on the campus you’re visiting. You’ll want to take their perspective with a grain of salt (a student in the middle of midterms or coming out of hibernation after a long winter might not provide the most neutral perspective), but you can ask harder questions that will allow you to get a stronger sense of what their institution has to offer. And a bonus is that having this more personal conversation will make Why College essays so much easier.
Ask questions like:
How did your college help you with the transition from high school to college life?
What are some of your favorite traditions at your college?
How do you spend your free time outside of class?
Do students actually visit the city/town often, or is it hard to access?
Have you ever had to use university healthcare resources? What was your experience?
What was easier than you expected about college? What was harder than expected?
Step 3: Tour Beyond the Tour
Your mileage may vary depending on the level of campus security (some schools have open academic buildings and student centers; others might require ID access to most or all buildings), but if you can, spend some time looking around campus after your tour. Have a meal in one of the dining halls not featured on the official tour, poke into academic buildings, or plan to attend a reading or talk that’s open to the public.
Is there a school on your list known for great game day vibes? Plan a visit on a day where these events are happening to get a true taste of what sitting in a 50,000 person stadium feels like. Drawn to a campus because they have a state-of-the-art theater facility? Reach out to the student rep to see there’s a undergrad willing to show you what it’s like backstage.
And don’t forget that there’s more to college than campus life – depending on how far you’re willing to travel from home, you may be living in a new town, city, or state for the next four years. So don’t hesitate to do as the locals do and explore with intention. UChicago’s Admissions Office offers suggestions for art museums and bike rides around Hyde Park.
Step 4: Don’t Dismiss The Virtual Options
In this era of virtual experience burnout, it might feel easy to dismiss the value of online tours. While not all virtual tours are created equal, there are some colleges that have worked to create robust online experiences that are engaging and accessible to all. Especially if you’re not able to visit a school for logistical reasons, make some time to check out the more tailored online offerings a college might provide – you might be presently surprised.
For example, Davidson College has Admissions Intensives, which are topically-organized deep dives into various elements of their admissions process. Syracuse University offers virtual classes that students can sit in on from thousands of miles away. And Colgate offers the chance to have a one-on-one Admissions Conversation with a current student.
While the college tour process can feel daunting, focusing on the elements that matter to you will make it easier to get the most out of your precious time.
Still trying to decide whether or not now is the right time to visit schools? Check out our thoughts on Effective College Tours to learn more.
