Traveling to my college beforehand would be too taxing for my family - not only would we have to pay travel costs, but we’d also have to pay for somewhere to stay nearby and try to keep a rowdy toddler reined in the entire time. By the time I knew what colleges I got into, I was neck-deep studying for AP tests (still am haha) and I didn’t really think I had time to take a leisure trip anyways. We simply don’t have the money or the energy.
For us, seeing the college in-person before committing was never going to be a valid option, even before the pandemic.