<p>Hello CC boarders. I've enjoyed lurking for several months on an off. You are my new favorite time-killer now that we're past planning Disney vacations (the DIS boards filled that hole and then some). </p>
<p>I started exploring this process after my son, er "S", a Freshman in H.S., told me out of the blue that he signed up for the "Question of the Day" from the College Board. He is thoroughly enjoying H.S. and is a strong student (all A's in all "accelerated" courses (a level higher than "honors") in a well-regarded Boston suburb. </p>
<p>Since he's only at the end of his Freshman year, I'm being cautious not to talk too much about this college thing. For my own sanity, I needed to get far enough down this path to imagine some sort of game plan, especially financially - not that I've developed one yet. </p>
<p>So what do you think - when would it be OK to plan a visit to a college or two? </p>
<p>Has anyone visited a college as early as Sophomore year? Was it helpful or actually detrimental?</p>
<p>Looking forward to the next 3+ years with you guys. </p>
<p>We just spent springbreak checking out Georgetown and NYU. I approached it as a learning experience, a motivator, and something that helped D fine tune her preferences. We weren't the only sophmores there. And I think as long as its fun, with no hours of talk afterwards (which we parentel units are want to do) it can be beneficial. Sometimes the timing is such that you can't see alot of schools in the junior year with all the tests etc. </p>
<p>I say have fun!! Best thing is plan a family trip, with the school as just part of it at this point, not the be all end of the vacation. We could have checked out more schools in NYC and DC, but wanted to see the sights. Part of checking out a school is not just the school, but where it is. My D wants an urban school. Its campus is not that important, until of course she saw Georgetown. the trip really helped her know for herself what she wants, so when we decide which schools to continue to look at, we can narrow down the field. This fall we are doing Boston!!! I can not wait. Oh yeah, i took my 8th grader with us. She enjoyed the tours and information sessions as much as her older sis did.</p>
<p>I think it depends on the child/student. My S couldn't/wouldn't handle the college discussion before Spring of Jr. year. Even then, I had to convince him that "everybody" would NOT be completing their apps in Dec of Sr. Year (and if they were planning on that, we wouldn't be following that course):( </p>
<p>He endured a good amount of pressure in gaining entrance to HS, as his elem school class graduted after 8th. Thus, the agreement was that college wouldn't be discussed during HS - until it was time to apply. It was taboo! </p>
<p>In the end, this worked for us. Others may have students/kids who are eager to get a glimpse of things to come. I'm sure it helps if your child has an older sibling who has gone through the process. They key is to keep the stress level down...however you would do that for your own child's temperment.</p>
<p>Three years? I have 10 years before I do this again! My 7 yr old D wants to be a cheerleader anyway - so maybe cheerleading college won't be so competitive ;)</p>
<p>I tend to agree with Momsdream. No reason not to look at some local schools and if the opportunity arises, to look as schools "on the way" when doing visits and vacations. But for most kids, it is too early to invest the time and money into serious investigation. They do change a lot. Mine changed during their college visits senior year!</p>
<p>I think it's fine to drop by colleges or point to them on the way. This would be to create an opportunity to discuss his preferences as to size, location, type, etc... rather than drawing up a list. Don't go to the info session at least until the spring of sophomore year and only if your kid shows interest in colleges. More importantly at this stage focus on the academics and on ECs.</p>
<p>I tagged along with my big sister on some of her college visits when I was a in 8th and 9th grade. I started to get some vague idea of what I liked, but it wasn't really very serious. Just getting the idea of what made colleges different (palm trees at stanford vs. cool downtown c-ville VA) and similar (oh, man - you have to go to classes at all of these places!), was useful for me.</p>
<p>I went on my first college visits for myself the summer after my sophomore year. One of the first stops that we made was Rice, where I am now a freshman. Of course, after Rice, we went to about 20 (that's not an exaggeration) more schools, but I didn't like any of them better (to my parents slight dismay - they paid for a lot of visits!) </p>
<p>I think this mostly depends on the student. I was interested, I wanted to go on these trips, and I had at least a vague idea of what I wanted to study and what kind of environment I liked. However, if your son is not going to be interested, has no clue what his interests are, etc, then don't worry, you have plenty of time.</p>
<p>I agree with marite. D was ready to "look" as a sophomore-no pressure. We like the activities on campus anyway so we just naturally swung off the highway when a school that appealed to any of us was nearby. Keep it light , it won't hurt anybody.</p>
<p>Every child is different, but if your S is checking out Collegeboard's Word of the Day then he'd probably enjoy a few low key visits. Like Jamimom (above), our family started with a few informal side trips.</p>
<p>DS was very focused. His college visits (including tours and admissions interviews) began in 10th grade. DD is a junior now. We took her on a tour last summer (after her soph year). BUT she had also tagged along on most of DS's college visits so she had a taste of what she was looking for. Every college we visited said that the summer after soph year was not too early. It still gave students time to adjust courses for both junior and senior years if necessary. If you visit a college in your junior year you only can adjust your senior schedule...and that may be too late for some students. A lot depends on the student too...DD was NOT interested in visiting and touring colleges during her soph hs year, but her brother WAS. In fact, he initiated the visits we went on...all associated with family vacations too.</p>
<p>I also agree with Marite. We started looking at schools when S was a sophomore, but NOT specifically as candidates for future places to apply. We did the visits on family roadtrips, sometimes detouring to see some places, but mostly on our way to somewhere else. We usually didn't do the official info session or tour; rather, we'd stop on campus, walk around, go into some buildings, and stop by the student center. Lots of times we'd eat lunch there or at a "just-off-campus" place. It was more for getting a feel for different types of schools - large, small, rural, urban, ...</p>
<p>The best part about it was, as mentioned above, there was absolutely no pressure to like or to dislike a place.</p>
<p>D and I went on our first college tour during spring break of her sophomore year - my alma mater. That summer (last summer), we took a 3-week road trip to tour colleges (we spread out the college visits with other touristy stuff). She toured another college this past fall, and will tour two more colleges in May. There may be one more to check out, but THAT'S IT! </p>
<p>I found that our college road trip gave her a clear view of what she needs to accomplish to get into the colleges that interest her - it has been a good motivator. </p>
<p>(Carolyn - Yesterday D popped in one of the Collegiate Choice videos - by her own choice!)</p>
<p>Yes,yes,yes particularly if he is interested. As others have said, the operative word is lowkey. I hadn't thought of this until just this minute, but these visits would be a perfect opportunity to look at a few safeties, before the head gets turned by those Ivy-covered walls.</p>
<p>My son had to tag along last summer (he is an 8th grader this year). He only made a couple of tours, went off with Dad and sat in the bookstore, but he has some ideas now, where with DD, we started middle of junior year, totally clueless.</p>
<p>They burn out very easily on these trips, so try to look at the widest variety of size and location possible, particularly if the child has no real idea (oldest sibling/cousin, for example).</p>
<p>Yes. And it was helpful. I posted a thread back last October called "Planning WAY ahead?" and one of the first replies I got was from a high school senior who reported having gone to lots of different colleges during family vacations since at least age twelve. I later learned that that senior got into a very competitive program, that senior's top-choice program, by early decision. Based on this admittedly anecdotal data, it sure looks like college visits can't hurt.</p>
<p>I took my daughter on a tour in her sophomore year. It was basically a sampler: one HYP, two women's colleges, one UC and one denominational college. I think she got a general idea, but college seemed so far away then. Like your S she was a serious student but was not doing any college shopping on her own. Your son sounds like more material would be retained as he has shown an interest.</p>
<p>My S went with his uncle and cousin, who was a junior at the time, when the cousin was looking at schools. I think the trip was too early for him - it turned him off to some schools that he might have looked at differently in the following year.</p>
<p>You mentioned the financial aspect. Maybe now would be a good time to research schools that give merit aid and schools that are out of your general vicinity (for whom a kid from greater Boston will not be one in thousands of similar kids.)</p>
<p>Then, if family events or vacations take you near to the schools, pop in at the same time, just to check them out.</p>
<p>If one is looking at a national list, it may not be feasable to do all the visits senior year.</p>