<p>I just read an article in the Amherst Student entitled "College Faces record-high cumber of campus visits." President's Day week saw 1673 visits, up by 672 over last year. They have had to add additional tours per time slot from 1, to 2, and now three. Tour routes had to be adjusted so that they wouldn't meet each other. A large number are juniors, visiting more frquently and ealrier than ever before, saying that students and parents are starting the process earlier. Dan Parker "noted that college visits incloved ansious and excited parents who are more interested in the College than the visiting students." (College vistis) "are beign driven by the parents very clearly."..."STudents and parents want to start the process ealier (but) I think it may be too early for kids. I'd rather see them thinking about high school and thinking about college in late spring."</p>
<p>Anyone hear of any other schools having this huge an increase of visits???????</p>
<p>This is why we don't go on the tours with our sons. </p>
<p>When they go on their own, they report being interrogated by overly inquisitive and competitive parents...."So, you live overseas? Where? Why? Do you like it? Why are you coming back to the US for college?"</p>
<p>And on and on, yada yada yada. Very few students ask questions. Son says their boomer parents can't shut up.</p>
<p>We are actually doing fewer tours with second kid than first. This time around, it will be mostly the "apply first, visit later" strategy. This kid is just too engaged with other things (the musical, orchestra, a music trip to Europe, a girlfriend, all that stuff) to take out entire weekends for running around.</p>
<p>The thrill of the campus visit is just over for us...</p>
<p>Some of my daughter's classmates (current juniors) have already interviewed at a few schools. My daughter went on one tour last year, but only because her older brother was interviewing/touring the school at the time. We are just starting the process with her, but I don't expect to be able to seriously look at schools with her until the summer.</p>
<p>In theory it might seem early to visit colleges over Presidents day weekend for juniors but if you look at most HS calendars it's one of the few times when High Schools are closed and colleges are open. duh! The best time to see colleges is when they are open and when it fits into the family schedule. Most colleges close in May and most juniors are having finals and end of the year events themselves at that time. So, while it's wonderful in theory to visit colleges when it's warmish out there are just so many open days in a Spring to visit colleges, why not go when it works?</p>
<p>I think Junior Year is the ideal time to visit. I think that is a good time to start the college process....selecting schools, visiting, establishing college criteria, narrowing the list down, and also doing all testing. By doing things this way, it is a good pace for a college time line. It leaves fall of freshman year for the application process. If a student is even considering Early Decision, then it is even more reason to have established the focus after visits in that time frame. I think when the college process is not at this pace, it makes senior year more overwhelming than it already is and leaves too much to do. I think ideally the college list should be focused by the start of senior year so that the app process can get underway. In order to do that, visits are helpful is done in junior year though can leave some for senior year. </p>
<p>I don't believe there is any need to start the college process earlier than junior year and the focus should be more on high school itself. Kids change over time. Also, I just think it is too much to be worrying about colleges and to have to know what you want so soon. Junior/senior year is enough time for that topic/process. If a family is some place in soph year and stops by a college to just get a peak at types of colleges out there, that's fine. Getting heavily involved before junior year is not necessary and just adds pressure. A nicely paced process with college selection, some possible interest area exploration/focus, visits, and testing in junior year is a good pace and frees up senior year for the heavy app process. </p>
<p>Leaving too much for senior year is ovewhelming but starting much before junior year can be overwhelming in a different sort of way.</p>