Top 7 Things To Make Your College Visit More Valuable

Visiting colleges is the most fun part of the college search and it’s the best way to find your college fit. Every campus has beautiful views, most have some great food, and there are almost always cool perks like free tee-shirts. What’s not to love? But you can easily get swept up in all of the hoopla and lose sight of why you are really visiting. Here are seven college visit tips to make sure your future college home will be a great fit.

1. Call ahead.

Schools are juggling the schedules of visitors, busy faculty and even busier tour guides. So showing up unannounced might mean they didn’t have a chance to schedule a meeting with a faculty member from your major or another significant person like a coach or band director. You may be welcome, but you may not get the best view of the school. Book an appointment and you’ll probably get a more customized visit.

2. Ask for a tour guide that is in your major.

If you schedule an individual visit in advance, some schools can give you this special treatment. Communication majors are naturally great tour guides, but if engineering is something you really want, a communication major probably won’t be able to give you incredible insight about thermodynamics or where the engineers study together. You can also ask what a day in the life is like for your major. Ask the guide what they really do on a daily basis or on a typical weekend.

3. Dress comfortably!

More specifically, wear comfortable shoes. Most likely, you will be walking on your campus tour, and the tour probably will last an hour. If you’re sporting a pair of your 4-inch Louboutin heels, you might end up very uncomfortable. When your feet hurt, will you really be paying attention to the tour? Always use layers for the colder seasons. Campus tours involve both indoor and outdoor portions, so temperatures may change and you will want to be as comfortable as possible to get the most out of the experience.

4. Visualize yourself there.

Checking out the residence halls is essential, but don’t get turned off by the odd paint colors and weird carpeting textures because there isn't a person out there that didn’t come to college with a carload of stuff to make their dorm room feel more like home. The cool part of growing up is creating your personal space. You won’t have to worry about mom laying out your J-Biebs pillow anymore.

5. Take pictures.

It’s amazing how similar some parts of college tours are. It can be hard to remember which college had the game room in the lobby, the Starbucks in the student center or the library that looks like it could be at Hogwarts. You typically choose a college months after you visit. Pictures can really help you recall how you felt at each college and you’ll be surprised how much you forget in such a short time.

6. Don’t get too hung up on the really cool stuff.

Sure, they could have a lazy river, food delivery robots, and a 100-foot rock wall, but are those really essential to your college journey? Will you actually have time to take advantage of them? Instead, take note of the places you could see yourself going to. In other words, pretend you go there already and visualize what your experience will be like!

7. Doing a college search is a lot like trying on clothes.

Everything looks cute on the rack (all college viewbooks), but until you go into the dressing room (visit a college) and try it on for yourself, you won’t know if it’s the right fit for you! Ask to see another residence hall, check out a classroom, try the dining hall “special of the day,” visit the recreation center and most importantly, ask questions. These extra experiences can give you great insight and you’ll know if this school sparks joy for you. Travel safely and enjoy your visits!