<p>Do they matter when applying. In addition, do parents attend college visits with the student. </p>
<p>It really depends on the college. Some colleges will look at demonstrated interest when considering admissions, and look to see if you visited campus, emailed your admissions rep, those sorts of things. However, when you get into the really selective colleges, many don’t look at whether you visited campus. It’s always a good idea to get a feel for the school by visiting before you apply, but if that isn’t possible for all the schools you’re looking at, make sure to visit them once you’ve been accepted! You don’t wanna show up to a school in the fall and then realize you hate it. And yes, parents usually attend visits with the student, though it’s usually to get a sense of what they’ll be paying for rather than assisting the student. </p>
<p>Honestly no. It might help to have knowledge that’s unique to the college so that when you write your college essays, you can include it and make yourself seem more eager to attend which can be really appealing to the admission officer. But in general, I think it’s a waste of money to fly around the country to visit colleges. Wait until you’re accepted and if you’re parents are willing to pay for the tuition and you can’t decide between a few schools, go ahead and visit the campuses. Most colleges will tell you to come and do a tour to “see how much the school can offer you” but that’s just a way for you to come to make money and give jobs to students as tour guides. If there’s anything you can’t find online about a college, go ahead and email or call them, they’ll give you answers to specifically what you want.</p>
<p>The problem with waiting to visit until you are accepted is that the time period can be really short. Not so much with rolling admission college, but those that send acceptances in late March want an answer by May 1. People are busy (parents working, students in school, spring EC activities going on) in April. Plus, buying plane tickets on short notice can be very expensive. We see a lot of students jettison schools that might be a great fit for them in April because they haven’t visited and can’t arrange it in that short timeframe. It isn’t a “waste of money” to see colleges before you apply – every campus has a different vibe. It is especially valuable to go when classes are in session and sit in on a class, eat in the cafeteria, etc. However, some students simply can’t afford to do it. Colleges do understand that.</p>
<p>If you can’t visit, check to see if showing interest is important in admissions. Google “<college name=”"> Common Data Set". There is a table in this document that shows how important student interest is in admissions. If it is important, then here are a few things to do: sign of for emails on the admissions website, watch for any admissions presentations in your area and attend, stop by the booth at a college fair – sign in and chat with the rep, sign up for a Skype interview if they offer them). Visiting is included in the ways colleges that care track interest (so be sure you sign in at admissions if you do visit).</college></p>
<p>Also, I would estimate that over 90% of students have parents along on visits. The one exception is accepted student visits after you get in (usually held in April). Students usually stay overnight, and parents don’t do that part. Usually there is some programming during the day for parents at accepted student days. Some parents come to accepted student days, some don’t. One of my kids was very independent and went on her own. The other was less confident about flying and transportation, so I went with her.</p>
<p>Also, research the college as thoroughly as possible. Some things to do:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Start with the college website, and check out student life, academics, etc. Look at the course offerings, number of majors, professor bios, etc. in the areas you want to study, study abroad options, and career office website. Take the virtual tour if one is offered. Look at the campus map and see if it shows pictures when you click on buildings.</p></li>
<li><p>Read other sources about the college to try to get beyond the marketing message. Fiske Guide to Colleges, as many back posts as you can stand to read on the forums here on CC, and C-o-l-l-e-g-e P-r-o-w-l-e-r are good courses to get a feeling for the campus.</p></li>
<li><p>If the college newspaper is online, it is a great way to see what issues are hot on campus (a great way to find out the dirty laundry of a college, too!).</p></li>
<li><p>Run the net price calculator on the college financial aid page (do this really early, no point in spending a lot of research time on schools you can’t afford).</p></li>
</ul>
<p>It won’t hurt you if you don’t visit. Colleges understand it’s not always easy. Some colleges track visits, some don’t. But most colleges want to see that you’ve shown some kind of interest and taking a tour is certainly a way to do this (but only if they track visits). You can also email the school, request mail information, or intend local information sessions. Also, some schools offer voluntary interviews or informal meet ups with alumni. If you are serious about attending a certain school, be sure to take advantage of those as they will certainly demonstrate interest.</p>
<p>Although visiting a school it may not always help you demonstrate interest, it can definitely help you write your essays. On a visit, you get a feel for the school and what they find important. When I visited Brown, the Open Curriculum was spoken about ad nauseam which made answering the “Why Brown?” question of the supplement fairly obvious and easy. It helped for other schools too. Feeling the vibe of the school will help an applicant understand the kind of student a school tends to accept. </p>
<p>If you do visit, take note of things you might want to write about in your “Why College X” essay. If you sit in on a class, take note of the exact class name and the professor’s name, for example. If you really liked something like the studio art building, make a note of that so you remember to mention it in your essay.</p>