<p>Do you guys think that college campus visits are really worth it? Does it really matter <em>that</em> much if you already know you'll be applying there anyway? Has a personal visit ever made or broke your impression of a college? Opinions, anyone?</p>
<p>I think it's very important, but only if you've already researched the colleges you're visiting. You should have a purpose when taking the time to visit, whether it's learning more about a college that interested you, talking to current students, or just getting the "feel" of the campus to see if you feel comfortable there.
The "feel" is probably most important, though; no matter how ideal a college looks online, you won't know if you like it until you're actually ON campus.
You can also visit colleges after you're accepted to limit the number. In fact, the "after-acceptance" visit could be used in your situation, where you say you already know you're applying to a school; use the visit if you're accepted to decide if you're comfortable with it or not.
Overall though, I think that the campus visits are a vital part of choosing a college.</p>
<p>I think college visits are very important. I've been on 6 college visits, and after seeing a couple I decided not even to apply there anymore. For example, I visited NC State 2 months ago and I absolutely hated the campus. It was all clustered in the city and the campus overall looked ugly. I knew I couldn't go to a college in such a "hustle and bustle" atmosphere. I also decided the school I am going to through a college visit. I never had very much interest in Virginia Tech. My grandfather went there and he said I should check it out. When I arrived there, I was astonished. The atomosphere seemed perfect. Not near a city, good size, friendly people, hot girls, and amazing food. After the visit, it became my top school, and I already sent in my deposit and signed statement saying that I will go there. I really do think visits are vital to a college decision.</p>
<p>Prob the most important thing you can do in choosing a college.</p>
<p>OK, but overrated. Consider what you'll see that will impact your decision -
- a tour guide, who you'll like or not like, but whom you're unlikely to ever see again;
- architecture that may appeal to you or not for superficial reasons;
- sales pitches that duplicate material that you could find on the website;
- general impressions of campus hustle and bustle that may or may not be typical of what an average student experiences on an average day.</p>
<p>It's very easy to get turned off or tuned on by something that you saw on a campus visit, that once you think about it really isn't a valid basis for judgment. You need to have a specific set of things you're looking for or things you're evaluating so that those superficial encounters don't color your perception. Personally, I think that Salt made the right choice, but I can assure you that there are just as many "hot" girls at N.C. State as at Va Tech - it probably happened by chance that a high proportion of the first students he saw on the Tech campus were particularly attractive.</p>
<p>Attending a class while you are visiting helps, too. I'd say visits are very important if you spend enough time to get a feel for campus life. But it is important to keep things in perspective and not place too much emphasis on any one aspect of the visit.</p>
<p>You have this important mechanism inside of you called your GUT. Your gut will tell you whether or not you can see yourself going to school on any particular campus. Thus, visits are crucial, IMO. My motto: "Ya gotta trod the sod, dude."</p>
<p>I would highly recommend visiting if you can do so. I would have to say that my D learned even more about herself by visiting schools than she learned about the schools. We visited five schools last summer and she was very surprised to find that she did not like four of them - she applied to the fifth ED and will be attending next year.</p>
<p>I think it's really important to visit a campus, but I also think it's important to narrow down your college choices before you start traveling. I found college videos to be helpful for this. Here is a list of college video sites that can help you with this:</p>
<p>Many LACs (at least the NESCACs) expect students who are able to visit and interview on-site do so. Ignoring this recommendation would impact negatively your application.</p>
<p>Swedefish: That's only true if you interview on-campus. If there is no required/highly recommended interview, then usually the colleges don't keep track of whether or not you've visited campus (unless it's Tufts or something.. lol)</p>
<p>I had my heart set on a school ED.. and then I was invited to visit campus for four days this past fall. I wasn't going to be able to visit otherwise, so I had the same question as the OP. Anyway, once I visited, I knew that it was my dream school. But... you've gotta realize that you're not only choosing a school, but a place to live for four years. You should become as familiar with the area as possible. A campus visit definitely helped me, even though I had already finished my application and brought it with me to the admissions office. I highly recommend it if you can, but if you can't... then it's not the end of the world</p>
<p>Campus tours are not just useful and informative...they're fun! Use these tours as a basis for a fun family trip.</p>
<p>The OP might want to spend part of the winter break reading the book "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell. The book is about how we can make decisions informed by our subconscious impressions practically in the blink of an eye that can be surprisingly accurate. And this includes visiting a college. Read thru this forum some more and you'll find stories from parents who took their kids on visits and had them refuse to even get out of the car somewhere. </p>
<p>I really liked the school I attended, but I did know 2 people from my home town who applied sight-unseen because of its reputation and as soon as they showed up in the fall they knew it was wrong for them; both ended up transferring.</p>
<p>That all being said, I'd only go to significant expense to visit reaches if I was accepted. And there is a midway method (assuming your a junior, not a senior) which is to visit colleges of the types that are out there. Its one thing to romanticize about immersing yourself in a book on the rolling lawn of a rural LAC; its another to be standing on the campus and getting a stronger sense of what it would be like. To some its perfect, others realize its not right for them. I'd recommend visiting a large U and a LAC, schools in urban and rural locations, etc. just to start to get a sense of what broad type(s) may be right for you.</p>
<p>OP...for what it is worth, my daughters dramatically changed the order of preference after visiting. I would recommend avoiding the "cattle call". Visits that are scheduled with professors and deans were much more enlightening for the girls.</p>
<p>I think they are crucial for a sort of aura/cultural feeling that you get from a campus, especially in a smaller school. Not so much the tour because that is a production but what are people wearing, how quiet, location, just general feel. 2 years ago we visited a bunch of schools in SCal. Before the visit, D was very keen on UCLA. But seeing it, although she loved the area, the school was just too big. USC the opposite. We left the tour midway at Occidental (no offense; it's a great school!). She just knew it was too small and quiet. Because of this, I almost didn't take her to the Claremont colleges, thinking LACs are not for her. But she loved them and now she will be going to CMC. </p>
<p>At the same time, realize this is the "emotional" side to it and be rational about picking appropriate schools based on courses of study, FA,, etc. In that sense it might be more rational to apply to appropriate schools and then visit after acceptance. But it really helped clarify things in our case.</p>
<p>Another thing you get from a visit which is often hard to pin down from college websites or viewbooks is where the campus is located in relation to the surrounding community. This may be obvious for schools in a big city, or but for schools in/near a smaller town, we wanted to see exactly how far the school was from town life. Can you walk to a pharmacy? A movie theater? An ice cream parlour? What is the neighborhood like around the campus? And also, how much cultural and commercial activity is there near campus? Will most social life be on campus or are there other options? Is a car necessary or desirable?</p>
<p>Great point, Gitlecoeur--a school's location can make a world of difference in a student's college experience. As a senior at Vanderbilt, I can attest that my last 3.5 yrs have been shaped in large part by Nashville life--the vibrant culture, nightlife, unique local hangouts, etc...</p>
<p>Class</a> Project | Travel for Students, by Students</p>
<p>This website is actually a great resource for information about life in different college towns--fun restaurants, bars, events, etc...Check it out before you go on a college visit, and you can hang out where the students do. I know the Nashville section is incredibly accurate, and I'm sure the other college towns are, as well, since it's written by students!</p>
<p>They are totally worth it. Mainly because it's really hard to find pics and info of the surrounding neighborhood.</p>
<p>Campus visits are worth it.</p>
<p>If money is an issue, sometimes it is wise to wait until you are accepted and go then-</p>