I live in NW PA, and am looking at the University of South Carolina. I am not sure if the 12 hour trip is worth it. Any opinions?
If you don’t visit make sure to do a lot of research about it online, watch YouTube videos, do the virtual tour, etc. It’s not crucial to do a visit, but you do have to do your due diligence. If there’s a factor about the Univeristy of South Carolina that you’re not sure about try to visit a couple schools closer to home that are similar. For example visit a similarly sized school, a school in a similar location, etc.
For what it’s worth the college I’m attending in the fall I never visited. My first visit will be this Sunday for orientation!
Lots of schools may look good on paper, but “boots on the ground” can give a very different impression. Ideally, a visit is a good thing; but you can wait until after acceptance, or perhaps you can line up several other schools within driving distance to visit in addition to U South Carolina so that you can get more “bang for the buck”.
Is there a particular program you’re interested in, or are you just interested in the “feel” of the campus?
I would do it if there are other campuses that you might like to visit on the way. Though, it might make sense on its own, especially to see how long that 12 hour drive really is and if it affects your opinion of the school’s desirability!
You are likely to get more “bang for the buck” if you visit when classes are in session, if possible.
We are flying down there next month. We are about 15 hours away. We went last summer and my daughter took it off her list after seeing it. We even canceled the tour. A year later and more research, we are headed back for a full day and a half of tours. I think if it is at the top of your list, it is really important to go down and send some time to see if it is a good fit.
Can’t you plan ahead and look for some cheap flight options from Pittsburgh or Cleveland?
College visits can’t hurt, but I don’t think they’re critical.
I would say it is good to have visited some colleges so you can develop a sense of what you are looking for. If you apply to a few additional faraway schools and wait until you get a decision before visiting that is perfectly fine. If you don’t visit I"d read up on the school using guide books (ex. Fiske College Guidebook is my favorite but I also like Insiders guide and Princeton Review) and check out the school website to be sure it is worth an application. I would certainly visit before you decide to attend but that is way down the road.