<p>I only applied to my local university, got in, went, graduated, no regrets. </p>
<p>We were another family that enjoyed the process and the tours (mostly). But I agree that they do blend together at some point.</p>
<p>I think one good idea is to begin college visits with visits to several colleges that are very different from each other: a large flagship, a small LAC, an urban campus, etc. I think this can open the student’s mind to the possibilities.</p>
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<p>Hmmm, if the student says “this is the perfect place for me” on a pre-application visit, wouldn’t that increase the risk of “dream school fixation”?</p>
<p>But also, many students’ selection criteria may not place much importance on the things that typical college visits might show.</p>