<p>How important do you think is is to visit the schools you're applying to?
What more do you find out about a school when you visit compared to simply reading about it?
Who here has attended a school that they didn't visit beforehand and what was it like?</p>
<p>It's <em>especially</em> important to visit before you choose to enroll because you need to know exactly where you're going to be spending four years of your life.</p>
<p>It's important to visit at least some schools on your list before you apply so that you have a feel for what you're looking for in a campus, and you'll have some schools that you know you wouldn't mind living at.</p>
<p>For some schools (such as Columbia), visiting means you have a sincere interest in the school - which means you may be more inclined to accept an offer for admission. Colleges want that.</p>
<p>You find out <em>so</em> much more by visiting. For example, I've been to George Washington several times because my sister goes there, and I never would've guessed it literally was right IN the middle of the city, with everything happening around it. American and Georgetown both say they're in Washington, DC, too, but they're actually more on the outskirts, not surrounded by the busy environment of the city.</p>
<p>My sister was in love with Hampshire the summer before her senior year. She visited one day, and it turned out it was in the middle of nowhere. I think she turned back before even getting out of the car. She didn't even apply.</p>
<p>A little while later, she stayed at Goucher overnight. It seemed like a pretty good school, and she was considering it as a safety. She ended up helping her host with her math homework and not enjoying herself at all. She ended up declining their offer for a free ride without second guessing herself.</p>
<p>I visited Olin before applying, and I'm glad I did. Before visiting I wasn't even sure I was going to apply. Olin sounded so small, and it was so new...</p>
<p>Within a few minutes of setting foot on campus I knew that I really wanted to go to Olin. That was October of senior year, and Olin remained my first choice from then on. </p>
<p>If at all possible, visit. Viewbooks can't show you everything.</p>
<p>Visiting is important before you enroll, but not necesarily before you apply. I don't have the means to visit all the places I'm applying to, but once I find out where I'm accepted then I'll visit the ones I haven't and most likely do a 2nd visit at the ones I have.</p>
<p>Gtown is like a 5 minute walk from GWU.</p>