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<p>There’s a downside to all that courting. </p>
<p>Accepted students events that are heavily orchestrated to woo admitted-but-not-committed students can give an inaccurate picture of campus life. The administration, after all, wants to mask the warts to the extent possible. I’m a fan of making an overnight visit during an “ordinary” time. Even though you don’t get the chance to meet some of the kids who will be your classmates next year, you do get a more unvarnished look at the school. </p>
<p>I think this is especially important for kids who are considering smaller schools. It’s vital for them to understand the prevailing culture on campus, something that can be hard to do during the dog and pony show of an admitted students event. We learned this the hard way in our family. Our D started college at a rural LAC and wound up transferring, mostly because the LAC, although a good fit academically, was a poor fit socially/culturally. She is certain she would have figured out the mismatch if she had done an overnight during an ordinary period, not just during admitted students days.</p>