<p>I am very naive about this, but how exactly do college visits work?</p>
<p>Is it all independent? Do you just like go to the campus by yourself and walk around? Do you actually pay money to get a legitimate tour? </p>
<p>Also, what would be the best time to take a college tour? Like what grade, time of year, time of the day to actually visit college and whatever else.</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>You go to the college’s website and look at their admissions info. They will give you all the details on touring. No, you don’t pay for tours 
We did a lot of touring during the summer but it is better to do it when college is in session so you can see what is really like and have more students to talk to.</p>
<p>Here are a few thoughts:
- My kids took their first visits spring of sophomore year, just to see what it was like. They then did a lot of visiting in junior year. Planning ahead meant we could fit in a day here or there while traveling to an area for some other reason anyway (family visits, vacations, etc.). It is best to go while college is in session, so you have to look at their academic calendar on their website. But sometimes you just have to go when you can go… better to visit with them out of session than not go at all. You will be really busy fall of senior year, so visiting junior year is a good idea. You can visit in the summer if you need to.
- Each college website has an admissions section, and something that is usually called “Plan a Visit” or something like that. You can usually see what is offered (tours, information sessions). All are free, and offered by the college admissions office. Sometimes they want you to sign up for a specific tour date/time, and they will tell you how on the website (online, phone, etc). Sometimes they say just show up. A current student takes a group on the tour and shows you the campus, etc. Sometimes they have special tours (for example, a few of D2’s schools had a “science tour” for kids interested in studying science).
- Sometimes you can sit in on a class if school is in session. Schools have different ways of handling that. Admissions helps you sometimes, but sometimes they just say to look at the course catalog online and email a professor. If admissions sets up the class visit, they often notify the professor. If not, you should email the professor and make sure it is okay for you to sit in on the day you plan to be there (so you aren’t there during an exam or something). Be a few minutes early to the class, introduce yourself to the prof when they come in, and don’t really actively participate - just observe). Try not to leave early if you can help it. It can get complicated to schedule it around the tour, info session, etc.
- If you have time, eat in the cafeteria if it is open. Ask about it at admissions. Some schools let the student eat free, some make you pay (not very expensive), and some even have meal tickets for parents.
- You may need your parents to help coordinate if you are going to schools far away. Gotta plan where you are staying, how early you can get to campus/when you need to leave, etc.
- Some college have a brochure or even an online walking tour you can do by yourself (we went around Cal Tech on a Sunday night doing this). I don’t think you get as much of a flavor as you do from a student run tour, but it is better than no visit. </p>
<p>Our personal order of preference for campus activities is:</p>
<ul>
<li>Tour</li>
<li>Attend a class</li>
<li>Eat on campus</li>
<li>Info session (going to one or two might be good, but most of their info is on the website anyway)</li>
</ul>
<p>Some students interview with admissions on campus during their visits as well. Whether/when to interview is a whole different topic, though. One of my kids (good interviewer) did at several campus, the other one skipped it. Both did fine in admissions.</p>
<p>Dull Pencil-any time is a good time to do on a trip, but I would make sure that you are somewhat focused on what you are seeking before you visit a campus. Try to make an inventory of what is important to you. Seek out schools that have the same ideals as you- do not choose based on USNWR rankings- just because a school is highly ranked has absolutely no meaning to you if what you want to study isn’t even offered at a top school. My son wants to major in Latin- schools like MIT, Cal Tech, and Carnegie Mellon were never an option for him.</p>
<p>When you go on a campus tour, don’t let the parents do the talking- have them stay in the background. That is exactly what I did with my son. The tour is about you and your dreams, not anyone else’s. I would definitely try to eat on campus and if you can, try to sit in on a class that interests you. You may be able to chat with some students to get a sense of what the campus is like.</p>
<p>This is a very exciting time in your life. My son will be making his decision in a few months, and I have to admit, the college admissions is a whole lot different than when I started college in 1985. Best of luck to you.</p>