<p>my counselor said that i should visit all the colleges i'm planning to apply to in april, when the students are still around, or next year. i figure i might have some time during the summer, but i'd really rather not...so many competitions to study for! so many essay contests to enter! </p>
<p>i figure i can show interest in schools by emailing them a lot, and i've done a lot of research (talking to current students and alumni, lots of internet surfing) so i think i've found some schools which fit me pretty well. i'm think i'm fairly adaptable. so are campus visits that important? </p>
<p>much appreciation to anyone who can link to any past threads on this topic.</p>
<p>Yes, because no matter how many people to talk to, no matter how much Internet surfing you've done, there's nothing like an actual visit. It really changes the way you see a college. For example, I read a lot of student guides and did a lot of Internet surfing when I was a junior. I was interested in Swarthmore College. From what I had read on-line and in guidebooks, Swarthmore seemed to be a place full of neurotic people who studied their brains out and who always talked about grades and felt very stressed and had an uncomfortable time. From what I had read, I would still have applied to Swarthmore, but the impression I got from guides and even current students was nothing like what I found when I visited via the school's Discovery Weekend program.</p>
<p>I had such an awesome time there. The campus looked really nice, the people were very friendly, and when I wanted to ask a question, students even stopped what they were doing and were willing to help. I attended some of the classes (which was really cool, because I've never attended a college course before). When a college guide says that the average class size is 8 people, it seems really small (single-digits!) but when I visited and actually attended a class with 8 people (I counted), it felt very comfortable for me. I liked it a lot. </p>
<p>Also, I read that the professors were amazing. Not so when I visited. Actually, the classes really felt like the AP classes at my public high school. I was very surprised. One political science prof was soooo boring, I could have fallen asleep!</p>
<p>I learned so much from my trip. I can't stress enough that you do get a different impression of the school when you actually visit, or at least, that's what happened to me.</p>
<p>So yes, campus visits really are important.</p>
<p>Heartily seconded. To give an alternate perspective, one of the schools on my list was top-ranked, incredible academic programs, all the extracurricular opportunities I was looking for, etc. Before I visited, it was at the top of my list. Once I finally saw the school I found the campus and the students cold and isolating. I couldn't imagine spending an extra hour there for the info session, let alone going there for four years. It didn't just drop to the bottom of my list; it fell off the list.</p>
<p>You don't necessarily have to visit in April; you could do a quick round of visits next fall if that's easier for you (though with applications to do, it probably won't be). But you definitely should visit - especially if there are schools you're not quite sure about or don't have a strong impression of.</p>
<p>Going to college visits made me realize which college was best for me. You get a feel for a campus that no guidebook or Internet can ever give you.</p>
<p>While college visits are extremely important, it is not always feasible to see every school you are interested in. I suggest seeing a school in each size category to at least get a feel for what appeals to you.</p>
<p>Very important to visit what you believe is your safety school! You can always see other schools after you are accepted.</p>
<p>As everyone has said, visiting is VERY important. However, I don't think its necessary to visit all the places you apply to - just the ones you're accepted to. If you have a chance to go vist before you apply, by all means do as it is extremely helpful. But don't go out of your way to visit, since after all you may not even get in, or get in but not get a good enough fin aid package to go. What I've found helpful has been to visit a range of schools (big, medium, small; rural, suburban and urban; rich and less well off; highly ranked and more average; university and LAC; and so on and so forth), so you get an idea of the TYPE of place you want to go to, more than the specific schools.</p>
<p>I agree totally with psychgirl. There are schools though where the visit shows a degree of "demonstrated interest" that may strengthen your application. If you can get to those schools I reccomend doing it. Make sure you schedule your visit through the admissions office so they know you were there and if you are really interested schedule an admissions interview as well. I know that at two of the schools my kid is planning to apply to expect both the visit and the interview.</p>
<p>After you've picked out the schools you're most interested in, have a look at their Common Data Set (many have it on their web sites) section C7. If "Level of applicant's interest" says "Very Important" or "Important" you should definitely visit.</p>
<p>Another tip: take advantage of free college visits! Last summer Amtrak offered a 2-for-1 deal for students visiting campuses. A parent got to go for free. Take advantage of the deal if they have it this year. I was able to visit Swarthmore because of Discovery Weekend, which is a program where you can visit the campus over the weekend for free! Such a good deal :)</p>
<p>I also got a letter from Washington University-St. Louis that said that I could apply to attend their Discovery Weekend as well.</p>
<p>I also got notification from Reed, Tufts, and Grinnell. They all offered free campus visits for the weekend. You should definitely take advantage of these. </p>
<p>These were excellent opportunities for me, since not everyone can afford a trip to the East coast, where a lot of people at my high school went to visit colleges. If you're very interested in a school but your family doesn't think it can afford it (a predicament for many people), give the admissions office a call or e-mail them and ask if they offer any of these free visit opportunities. There's absolutely no harm in asking.</p>
<p>Definitely try to visit colleges you're interested in. It can really change your perceptions of a school and it's often a lot of fun.</p>
<p>Let me put it this way, my top choices were ranked somewhat like this...Ohio State >> Auburn >> Penn State >> Alabama. After making visits to all the colleges I felt most comfortable at Alabama and if I would have never done any of the visits I probably wouldn't have chosen bama. Take visits ya bum</p>