<p>Moniquemom has the right idea. Plan your overseas flight to a convenient hub - you may want to ask the East Coasters here which airport is best - and plan to get around to most schools by bus or train (a car is only needed south of Washington DC.) All of the second stage can be done with little notice. It works best to arrive at a school in the late afternoon so you are fresh for tours or interviews in the morning. </p>
<p>Regarding your ideas on what is important when visiting - A) attending a class, B) spending the night or C) hanging out with a campus guide, I would say all three are important and rank them C, A, B. However, my sons would say C, B and a distant A, but add “check out the dorms.” Which brings us to a point mentioned briefly by others - this is your child’s moment. He will want to blend in and act like he is already a college student, which means that mom or dad should act like wallpaper. Truly, go on the official tour with him, and then find something else to do. This can be a difficult time, depending on your student and how pressured he feels, so give him as much room as you can.</p>