<p>Ok, so I have recently been accepted to both my 1st and 2nd choice schools, and they're within hours of each other. My parents are thinking of taking me for campus visits over winter break. Advice? What should/shouldn't I check out? Guided or not?</p>
<p>Any perspective is greatly appreciated!!</p>
<p>you probably won't be able to get a guided tour over break. On my campus, they stop giving tours before our finals and the university closes on the 21st and doesn't open til the 3rd or 4th or january. I'd look into actually calling the schools and seeing when they're open and if you can even get a tour around.</p>
<p>You should definitely take a guided tour and then stick around on your own for your own personal wanderings.</p>
<p>If it's possible, consider postponing these visits until a three-day weekend or your spring break. If the campuses are close to home and you can go now and again later, then that's just fine. This time around, take a guided tour if you're able, and like Sheed30 said, stick around to wander on your own. Ask questions liberally.</p>
<p>Campuses can feel very, very different with students present. Visiting an empty campus is undoubtedly better than not visiting at all, but sitting in on a class, talking to students (not just your tour guide...I highly recommend asking basic "How do you like it here?" questions of lots of students), maybe spending the night, viewing the events and clubs being advertised, and seeing the campus in action are invaluable for "getting a feel" of things.</p>
<p>Enjoy your visits, whenever you make them :)</p>
<p>Walking too much isn't advised. It makes you grumpy and might skew your view of the campus.</p>
<p>Also, ask questions about a lot of the everyday stuff, not just the academics. I'm assuming that you'll be living on campus and if so, you'll run into a lot of other things besides academics, so it's a good idea to ask about some of the more day-to-day stuff.</p>
<p>definetly go when school is in session so you can see all of the students around and get the feel of who makes up the student body. i remember visiting some schools and having students yell WOOO, ____ school is awesome! come here come here! i visited villanova on the day of a big basketball game and the atmosphere was amazing</p>
<p>it might seem weird but you should go up to random students and ask what they think of the school cause tour guides might not always be candid in their responses. go look at the dorms, eat at the dining hall- not a restaurant nearby. </p>
<p>one thing i also liked is that i visited the two schools i was deciding in between in the winter, with ice snow and all. if i wasnt from the northeast i would have been very put off by the freezing weather come november if i hadnt visited in january the first time around.</p>
<p>perfect would be during your psring break so you get to see campus on a typical weekday. and i wouldnt recommend seeing both schools in one day because that can be a little overwhelming</p>