<p>I have seen recommendations of going on campus visits in the junior year of HS, but since some schools might be quite a distance, and in different directions, it seems it might be good to start earlier to be able to fit in more visits...and I am just curious, and think the visits could make for some great trips over the next couple years. ;-)</p>
<p>One thing to consider is that boys especially change a lot between 10th and 12th grade, which means the list of viable schools may change a lot too. And for some boys, their heads just aren’t in the game in 10th grade - they can’t see themselves that far ahead. There are others for whom it’s a great wake up call. They see something they really like and decide they are going to get serious.</p>
<p>You know your son or daughter best and there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ here. Certainly, if you are vacationing in the area where there’s a school that you think has potential, you can stop by - but don’t be too surprised or disappointed if it’s not on the list by fall of senior year.</p>
<p>You should start early. I started in 7th grade with family vacations. I didn’t know what I wanted in 7th grade, but when decision time came around, I had a feel for what different places were like. It was also a motivating factor in high school because I had been “on the college track” since 7th grade.</p>
<p>If you start early try to decide based on PSAT scores what will be quite certain reaches and don’t visit only those----try for locations that include a reach and something that might be quite likely. Also note that some small schools do provide on-campus interviews and consider them “evaluative” and you can’t schedule them until May of junior year. So either wait on those or plan to go back if they are close and you can do it.</p>
<p>We made all our visits during the summer between junior and senior year. There were reasons for this – we live overseas and we were in denial 
– but if I had to do it over again I would do it differently.</p>
<p>First, I would start gathering information in 9th or 10th grade, both information for the parents on the financial landscape and information for the student on types of colleges available. Both parents and students should take advantage of the almost *too much *information available on line and in print to understand how to make a college list and how to prepare as a viable candidate.</p>
<p>As for actual visits, I’d try to visit a range of representatives of the different types – big State Universities, small LACs, medium sized privates; urban/suburban/rural. Once you have a school that appeals you can expand to others with similar ambience/personality.</p>
<p>Most importantly I’d talk to actual students and their families. What’s good, what’s not good, what turned out to be more important than they would have thought.</p>
<p>Ending up with ONE college that is a good fit, affordable and that you can get into is a process of ever narrowing concentric circles. You have to think about all three factors simultaneously.</p>
<p>I think it is fine to visit some schools before junior year. However, I would put an emphasis on visiting some different types of schools (ex. a large state school, a mid-size school and a small LAC) with the idea of gathering information as to what types of choices are out there rather than starting to search for “the school” so early in the game.</p>
<p>I prefer to visit school while they are in sessions so my kids could get a sense of the students at each place.</p>
<p>And one good piece of advice I got is to not visit schools that you would not or cannot send your child to. For example if you want your child in driving distance, don’t visit a school on the other side of the country.</p>
<p>I think it’s ok to visit in 9th and 10th grade but not much earlier. I can’t see what grade your student is in your post.</p>
<p>Our D is finishing 9th grade this year. The summer is the easiest time to visit, but of course, that’s not when the students are there, and the weather will be different than during the school year. We are in Florida and the summer heat can give a negative impression of a place that is really pretty great for most of the year! lol and…D has never even seen snow, but wants to look into several northern schools, so summer might work for a feel of the school, but I think we’ll need to go back so she can see what a real winter might feel like!</p>
<p>Post #8, that’s when my daughter visit colleges for the first time. I took her to Harvard(haha) this is so she can aim high and keep her grades up. It works, but now I don’t think she will even apply to Harvard because her stats(more like ECs) are not there. It’s a good way to motivate a teenager.</p>
<p>shoboe, Further to your other thread on financing: the only visiting of specific schools that I would do at this point would be those that you’re sure you can afford. </p>
<p>Weather is a valid factor but you don’t need to be on a college campus to experience winter. </p>
<p>I’d establish the money parameters first, then visit some nearby schools to get an idea of the general category. Then with a shortlist I’d expand to other parts of the country. I wouldn’t worry about summer vs school year visits, but I would focus on safeties – both financial and admissions.</p>
<p>My daughter is finishing up 9th grade and if she were a different type of student, I’d be talking about visiting some colleges this summer.</p>
<p>However … she struggles to maintain a 3.3 average. She hasn’t taken any honors classes yet, although she will take one next year. I don’t know how the rest of her high school experience will go – will she get better, worse, stay the same? How will she do on her SATs? Hard to say at this point. So I don’t want to visit colleges and get her all psyched about them, only to realize in 2 years that they are a reach at best.</p>
<p>You might say that her getting psyched about a college would be a good incentive for her to keep up her studies. But that’s another factor that actually leads me to downplay college trips for now. She already is obssessed with getting into PSU, Univ Park. Well, that’s not happening with her current GPA. She puts enough pressure on herself and I don’t want to add to it.</p>
<p>So … I guess that’s my long-winded way of saying, you have to consider your child, their personality and what motivates them. I think it’s fine to start looking early as long as it has a good effect on the child - as long as it doesn’t burn them out on the whole process or wrap them up in knots worrying about trying to get into their dream school.</p>
<p>If, say on a vacation, visit to family, etc. you and your child find yoursel in the vicinity of a school that he or she might be interested in – visit, why not!!</p>
<p>If after visiting one or two, you find that going on the tours through the colleges is something you actually enjoy – then maybe even make that a factor in where you want to go on vacation.</p>
<p>Otherwise, until you get to Junior year, it’s really really hard to put together a reasonable list of schools (what will the SAT/ACT scores be, what will the grades be, etc.), so I wouldn’t go out of my way to visit before then.</p>