One of the key ways to assess a school’s potential fit for a student is by visiting the campus. This allows your student to envision themselves in that specific school environment; it can also provide eye-opening insights into the campus atmosphere that couldn’t otherwise be determined from online research. In order to make the most of these visits, here are some important things to consider for students and parents.
Timing is (almost) everything.
We always encourage students to visit colleges while classes are still in session. Summer visits will show the physical environment, but the atmosphere is different without the majority of students on campus. Many families choose to visit potential colleges during school vacation because it’s more convenient, but we urge you to prioritize the timing of these trips so they can see the college “in action.” Once students have received their acceptance letters, we also strongly recommend attending Accepted Students’ Day at their top picks—even if they’ve already visited those schools, and especially if they haven’t.
Sign up for a tour.
Most colleges provide prospective students and their families with the opportunity to attend an official campus tour. These usually involve a brief informational session with an admissions officer and then a walking tour of the campus’ main sites, including classrooms, libraries, gyms, dining halls, and the main quad. While on the tour, be sure to make note of things that do and don’t appeal to you and your student. Feel free to take pictures for later reference.
Often a student representative will lead these tours and be available to answer questions along the way. Tours are ultimately designed to function as promotional material for each college, so keep in mind that everything highlighted on the tour will likely be the best version of what the school has to offer.
Ask smart questions.
Asking questions can help you see past the rose-tinted tone of the official tours and get real information about current students’ experiences.
- What kind of student thrives at this school?
- What is one piece of advice you would give to incoming students?
- Did anything surprise you about the school once you were attending?
- What are some things you would change about the school?
And some more specific inquiries:
- Is it difficult to get into the classes you want or need to take?
- Do professors teach first-year classes or do TAs?
- What resources and support systems are in place—both emotional and academic—and are they easy to access?
If your student is planning on living on campus, make sure that the tour includes a visit to one of the dorms. Again, remember that there is often a variation in the dorms available to first-year students and that tours will make sure to promote their highest-quality facilities. Ask your tour guide where they lived their first year on campus and the pros and cons of that location, as well as the process for selecting residence halls and roommates.
Explore on your own.
After the tour is over, you and your student should take the time to explore the campus. Stroll around, try the food in a dining hall, and even use the restrooms available. Take note of things like cleanliness, parking availability, the general surroundings just outside campus, and any other environmental factors that are personally important to you and your student. Does it seem like there are a lot of community events or examples of school pride and traditions? Do the students on campus look content, or do they seem stressed out? Does the area feel safe and easy to navigate?
It’s also a good idea to stick around for long enough to see the campus during the day and in the evening. You will get a glimpse of how students spend their free time outside of class, resulting in a more nuanced impression of the student body’s energy. How noisy is it? What security measures are available on campus to keep students safe at night? Again, take notes and pictures so you can remember specific details later on.
At the end of the day…
A campus doesn’t have to be paradise in order for your student to have an amazing experience there. Even so, many students report feeling most confident in their final college decision after they visited their future school and thought, “I can really see myself thriving on this campus for the next four years!”