<p>sorry if this has been asked too many times before, but it seems like I'm missing out on something here:</p>
<p>when students go for college visits, they are always asked to stay the night in the dorms? What are the parents' roles in this situation? Where do they stay? Do they not come at all?</p>
<p>dooit, I think it is best to get the total experience with the college visit, so I would encourage spending the night and going to class the next day. My DD just had two overnight visits this past week and she learned much from them both. I think the parent's role is really dependent upon the school. Some admissions counselors like to speak with the parents, some don't. I've pasted a thread below that tells of our experience this past week. I very much encourage you to make overnight visits to the schools in which you think you are really interested. Good luck!</p>
<p>On the other hand, we toured 8 schools in the months before my son applied last year, and he did not spend an overnight at any of them until after he received his acceptances. That's a perfectly valid strategy also, and probably a lot more realistic in terms of time, if you have a number of schools you want to consider.</p>
<p>There have been several threads about visits. You can use the CC "Search" function using the word "visit" and you will get more ideas and opinions than you can use. Attending an info session and taking a tour with your S/D is fair game. Otherwise, it's a good idea to stay out of their hair and let them attend classes, socialize, etc. with students and other prospects unhindered.</p>
<p>Now, I am a fan of the second set of eyes/ears theory, ambling about the campus on your own. I think that taking a meal or cup of coffee in the student center and eavesdropping can be useful. Otherwise, find something to enjoy yourself with. When D was visiting Wellesely, I had lunch with a CC parent, visited two museums, and had an exquisite dinner in Boston. If you're at a college in the boonies, it might be fun to try to answer the question, what <em>is</em> there to do around here?</p>
<p>I think it really is up to the student and family to choose how the visits will be done. My daughter is currently traveling on her own to visit colleges - she is visiting 4 colleges this week and will do an overnight at only one. I stayed home - she's entirely on her own for the visits. She arranged interviews at all campuses in advance; she also attended a class today at one of the colleges and will attend several at the college where she does the overnight. </p>
<p>I know that many campuses welcome parents, but I honestly don't see that my presence would be helpful. I can't think of any questions I would ask that I can't find out the answer to online or by email, and I really don't care about issues like campus atmosphere, since I'm not the one going to college. For what it's worth, my daughter and I have very different tastes and preferences, so my idea of a perfect college might not even be on the same planet as hers. </p>
<p>Obviously, d. traveling on her own saves money. It is workable because d. wants a college in or near a large urban area, so in her case it is easy to get everywhere she needs to go by flying into major airports and relying on local public transportation. I also feel that gives her a better sense of what it will be like to be on her own at the destination college -- different from the experience a teen gets if they are simply driven from place to place in the parent's car. </p>
<p>I don't recommend this plan for everyone - it works because my kid is very independent natured and already well-traveled.</p>
<p>We only toured colleges S accepted at (it was last minute decision to apply). In one city, I went off with 2 parents in rented car, toured the area. Sat in at classes next day as 2nd set of ears. (None of us really liked the city, and no one's child ended up there)
In another city, I was able to provide stress relief, like tickets to a show and good sushi meals. Inbetween the overnights, S could catch up on sleep on planes. If its April already and a decision has to made, I'm glad I was there to listen and support.
If S had waited to apply as a senior, it would have been fun to have long weekends in various cities, like Phila and Boston. There are colleges where he has friends, and I would have encouraged him to visit those schools and stay with his friends. I guess I would have liked an ecletic approach, not the shot-gun (5 flights) one we took.</p>
<p>IMO staying the night in a dorm is something that can wait until a student has been accepted and is making up their mind. I think that it's unrealistic to plan to do this at all places that a student is considering. In fact, I think that there are many colleges that do not arrange overnight visits or that arrange them for only top candidates. This particularly may be true at large public instituitions.</p>
<p>If the parents come along, the parents stay in hotels. They should check with the admissions office to see if there are any hotels nearby that give discounted rates to visitors at the college (though those rates may be higher than if one Priceline's a rate or goes to an economy hotel).</p>
<p>For many it is difficult to get to a college once let alone twice so because of that my kids did the overnight on their first visit which sometimes was after seeing acceptance and aid. If it is feasible to return then I agree with Northstarmom. Sitting in on a class tells a lot as well.</p>
<p>My son did not do visits until after accepted and then he went alone. He preferred it that way, and it was MUCH cheaper, so we agreed. He visited three schools in different parts of the country in one week, staying in dorms two places and with someone we met online the third (long story). Then when he unexpectedly was able to get some grant money at another college, he flew there. It was too late to arrange an official dorm stay, but he hung out with the music students, found someone he knew a little from home and talked his way into an unofficial dorm stay. (I did look up hotels for him in case he didn't find a way to stay in the dorms.) I wouldn't recommend such a loose approach for most people, but for my son, it was fine.</p>
<p>Had his schools been closer to home, we would probably have driven with him and stayed in a hotel while he stayed in dorms. I would have like touring campuses and such. But you do what you can, and this seems to have resulted in a good college choice for said son.</p>
<p>Wow, that was more information than I needed but excellent advice nonetheless!</p>
<p>After reading it, I've decided visit them after I receive the acceptances(if I get any). Since my American choices are all Ivies(I'm not applying to them for their prestige, but rather because they are the only universities that offer CAnadian citizens need blind admission; and I don't like the LAC atmosphere), they are all close together anyways.</p>
<p>Thanks again</p>