<p>My D and I are trying to visit as many schools as possible, but obviously can't visit all of the schools she is interested in. How do people choose a school without actually getting to see it, to get the feel?</p>
<p>Having gone through this process myself, I actually found that researching the schools, and applying to a nice group of schools based upon this research is MUCH more valuable than visiting and merely talking to a few students and seeing what the school really wants you to see.</p>
<p>That being said. Really scrutinize when you are researching said schools. I originally had a list of around 20, and then decided that I wanted an academically challenging environment both in the classroom and out. I then decided that it would be nice to be near a reasonablly sized city. </p>
<p>So in the end it was not the factors that I saw when visiting that dictated where I would apply, but moreso factors otherwise. I seem to feel that visiting is not inherently neccesary UNTIL the student gets in. Once this happens then I do not think that the typical Info session/tour is most helpful, but rather a college overnight visit, and college class session. This allows the student to see what will be impacting their college experience the most. I have even visited schools (tour/info session) coming away with almost nothing. </p>
<p>What intrests your daughter? What does she look for in a college? Perhaps I/others could be of service in the search for schools to apply to.</p>
<p>A friend of mine, whose sister is a year older, was saying something about it. Obviously, find out about it from every possible source. Get into contact with students. (With the fact you can't visit at all.) Then, if you like what you see/hear, apply. Then, after acceptances come, visit the ones that seem the most attractive to your daughter at that time. Obviously, if you're looking at colleges at this point, you still have this summer. But, try to draw a line between schools that are reasonable and schools she just wants to say that she visited. </p>
<p>I think the best thing you can do is give her a bit of time. I had no idea what I wanted in a college until maybe last summer. Visit different TYPES Of schools, not different schools, to get the general feeling of those types of schools so she can pin down what she wants. From there, just visit those schools that truly interest her. I find that's the most effective way of going through the visits. I visited a major college over the summer and I instantly knew that I did not want to go to any college like it--or in the same state as it (as stupid as that sounds). From there, I screened out all colleges like it. Then, I visited city-esque colleges within my range. </p>
<p>Summing it up, before I applied, I visited maybe..6-7 colleges at most on actual college scoping trips. It made my choice of colleges quite clear. But, I think your daughter really needs to decide what she wants. When I started the process, I swear I wanted small liberal arts colleges. But, then I realized HOW much I hate driving, the rural areas..and the idea of knowing EVERYONE personally. So, I ended up applying to mainly large big-city universities.</p>
<p>Based on videos, fiske guide, etc you should get a pretty good grasp of the schools. One option is to apply and then visit after you get in for "accepted students" weekends. You'll get much more out of those weekends than a school year visit. I actually thought that worked pretty well for me.</p>
<p>I got my information from various college review sites that host videos and commentary about different aspects of student life (PM me if you want the links; CC bleeps out competing site names in public posts). </p>
<p>Contacting current students via facebook and liverjournal groups can also be helpful.</p>
<p>Visit a wide range of schools (not necessarily the ones you are going to apply to but similar) and pick certain aspects from each school that you like. From there, DO RESEARCH. Talk to students that go there.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that before the internet, most people had very limited resources to choose their school and most ended up happy. Don't be scared</p>
<p>In addition to those things above, I got the insiders guide and books like it to make sure that the colleges are what they seem.</p>
<p>asdfjkl1, what do you mean "insiders guide"?</p>
<p>Research, apply broadly, then visit the ones you get into. Of course, I suppose if you have the cash and time, visit all of them.</p>
<p>I found college guidebooks very helpful in choosing where to apply. The Princeton Review guidebook in particular was a big part of the process for me. I also got the Fiske Guide which was good, though I personally prefer PR's.</p>
<p>**************.com offers some very in-depth insider reviews for a fee ($25 if I'm not mistaken). I think it's a great resource, but be sure to check if your schools of interest actually have entries -- the list is far from comprehensive.</p>
<p>What if you are an international student who can't afford to visit the US colleges he's been accepted to? How can he choose between X, Y and Z if the financial aid packages are the same and the websites are all equally "alluring"?</p>
<p>I'd actually advise just forcing yourself to pony up the dough and visit. It's a worthwhile investment if you think about it. You don't want to risk going to a school you haven't visited and disliking it. Sometimes videos, word of mouth, online research, and books aren't enough. You could research the crap out of a school like Princeton, find it beautiful, find it alluring, etc, but perhaps you visit it and are turned off by something that you would rather not have to deal with for all 4 years of your undergrad experience. You're spending a whole 4 years at a new place -- it's worth checking it out. You'd rarely buy a new home without being inside it first to get a feel for things. Sometimes pictures aren't enough. College is so personalized that the only way to assess it properly is to experience it for yourself.</p>
<p>If you absolutely cannot pay for a visit, then I'd ask existing students first who are following a path you are interested in, if possible. If you do not know anyone in such positions, then I'd look online through Facebook or other online sources to ask students. Online research is important too. </p>
<p>I mean, it's hard to say. Anyone can research a school, but to determine whether or not you should attend it can be influenced so much by a visit. Princeton used to be my first choice... I loved everything about it after researching it extensively and asking enrolled students. After visiting, I was turned off by it. Everything I researched online was true, but there were certain elements in the atmosphere and the way things were run that were not compatible with what I had imagined for an ideal college.</p>
<p>Imo, the best idea is to research schools that ate interesting to her (have her do the research). If she likes them, then she should apply. Once she gets in, that is when touring should mostly occur if she cannot make a decision.</p>
<p>I'd strongly agree with the earlier posters who emphasized that it's important to visit a variety of TYPES of schools, especially IF your daughter is not clear about the kinds of school characteristics that she wants (size, location, urban/rural, frats/sororities, etc.). When we did our first round of school tours, my son had virtually no idea of the atmosphere he wanted. So, based on my own research, I was able to create a 4-5 day trip of schools (in my case, in NY) that varied in just about every imaginable characteristic. This really helped him to narrow down what was important to him, even though he ended up not applying to even one of those visited schools.</p>
<p>The last poster suggested that touring could happen "once she gets in." While this is a practical strategy, a physical visit to a school may influence an admission's officer's view that your daughter is really interested in this school and may, therefore, influence her probability of acceptance. </p>
<p>After my son narrowed down his choices of types of schools, based on our initial touring, he then poured over both the factual (e.g., Princeton Review) and student-perception-based guides. The Insider's Guide to the Colleges and the individual school guides by Coll. ******* (redacted) are highly biased but were inevitably informative in getting a feel for campus atmosphere. </p>
<pre><code>Based on this research, we visited one more school that seemed to met his newly-crystalized requirements, the University of Chicago. He visited, fell in love, was accepted EA, and is happily in the middle of his first year there.
</code></pre>
<p>I wish you and your daughter similar success.</p>
<p>I'm not sure if anyone posted these sites, but I've found them very useful.</p>
<p>theu.com</p>
<p>theU is a great video site for colleges and takes you through the different aspects of the school. It's a great visual tool for scoping out colleges. Student review is nice because it's directly from a students perspective. I've found that negative comments are the most useful as they show what people DON'T like about the college.</p>
<p>definitly get in touch with the admissions counselor for your area- send an email saying hello, and telling them that you wont be able to visit their school, and ask if there is any way you can get more information. Counselors are usually very helpful with that sort of thing- for one of my colleges a counselor even offered to try and get in contact with an alum for me to talk to. Showing interest directly to your college will definitly help you out, not only by learning more, but by showing them you have enough of an interest to pursue your research further :)</p>
<p>Thanks crixx & legendofmax! And good luck to you and your D, Kellid.</p>
<p>Visiting definitely makes for a more educated, personal, and sincere "Why do you want to go to XYZ University?" mini-essay. Also, sometimes there is the opportunity to "sign in" -- which I hear is often logged into the applicant's file, separating out those who have shown enough interest to visit versus those who have not. Sitting in on classes is invaluable. There is also the possibility of getting face time with your regional rep. All in all, I'm a believer in visiting anywhere you have an interest in applying.</p>
<p>The visit is important. It tells you what kind of neighborhood the school is in, for example. But the visit can alos be misleading. It is a very tiny sample of the school experience that may not represent the whole picture. The visit should be part of your evaluation, but just one part.</p>
<p>Don't some schools send out dvds? Isn't there a company that sells video/dvd campus tours? There used to be but can't remember the name of the company.</p>
<p>I studied the colleges web sites, talked to as many people as I could and participated in online group chats with the college administration and other prospective students.</p>