<p>Hey guys,</p>
<p>I was wondering if anyone have had experience visiting multiple college during the summer. Did you drive or take a plane and how much did the whole trip cost? I was interested in visiting UCs in California, East Coast Colleges and the colleges in the midwest(closest to me). Should I narrow down my list or visit all the colleges I'm interested in (20ish)?</p>
<p>There are lots of threads about visits trips. People generally say not to visit in the summer even though nearly everyone ends up doing that. If possible, though, visit some in the fall when school is in session…maybe the close ones?? If you’re a rising junior you still have time to spread out the trips and use your breaks. If you’re a rising senior, check out which schools value a showing of interest and offer interviews. Then you need to call several weeks ahead about interviews. You should narrow down the list, though. People seem to say that you begin to get confused if you visit too many. But you can also choose a school to focus on in an area (Boston, for example) and then just pop into a few others briefly.</p>
<p>I would agree that visiting during summer is not ideal. I visited one school during a school break with my son, and the same school while students were there with my daughter, and the difference was pretty significant.</p>
<p>Try at least to visit while summer classes are in session.</p>
<p>Worse than not ideal, I think it can give you the absolute incorrect impression of a college. What will you see? Buildings? The kid can like or dislike the architecture, but will have no feel of what it would be like to go to school there. Some schools will have mostly international kids there. Some huge state schools will feel warm and cozy in the summer with several thousand students taking classes during summer session but when Fall comes, the school’s complexion changes drastically. I think it’s a bad idea and a waste of money.</p>