Will it be okay to visit colleges during the summer? We’re going to be up in Maine and New Hampshire and are going to visit Dartmouth, Bates, and Bowdoin. Will I still get a good feel for the school during the summer?
Absolutely. If you are in the area visit some schools that you are interested. Even though there are less students on campus, you will still get a vibe for the school.
You’ll see the school, attend an info session, and possibly interview. You probably will not get the vibe because the students who create it won’t be there. But you’ll pick up enough info to know if you want to apply.
I would not ED, however, without visiting while school is in session.
Fwiw, the northern schools are particularly lovely in the summer. They will feel different in the dead of winter. Just something to keep in mind if you’re considering schools in other parts of the country.
I think you lose a lot when you visit and the school is not in session. You can see the buildings and the area but you don’t see the students or get a good sense of the “vibe” of the school. Some schools run camps/high school programs during that time. If summer is the only time you can visit, then by all means do so, but if you can go when the college is in session that would be far preferable.
As an aside, if you go towards the end of Aug. some schools may be back in session – check the academic calendars of each school.
We did a few visits in the summer and they were valuable. We were able to rule out some schools during summer visits, and get a good feel for a couple of “high on the list” schools. However, we revisited my daughter’s top 3 choices after she was accepted while there were students there.
Dartmouth has the sophomores on campus during the summer, so that will give you an opportunity to see it in action. I agree with the other poster who suggested going to visit the other schools again when students are on campus if ED is a possibility.
In my opinion, the absolute best way to get a feel for a school is to see it when school is in session and you can observe the students. I guess summer visits are a good way to tell if you like the campus, the buildings, the surrounding area and what admissions people have to say. Be prepared to revisit the schools you like during the school year. Seeing other students is especially important if finding the right "fit’ is a major factor in your decision making
Agree with all of the above. Summer is obviously a convenient time to visit because high schools are out. But so are colleges. Still, it is a great opportunity to see places.
We did a big, fun trip and a couple of shorter ones last summer. My rising senior was able to eliminate Michigan and Wisconsin on the trip. Ann Arbor was really terrific but not the right feel for them, a little too urban of a campus. Also was not enamored of the fact that the engineering quad required a bus ride from main campus. Wisconsin had great facilities for their area of interest, but they felt it was just all too spread out considering how cold it is in Madison much of the school year. Nice town and on a beautiful lake though, and we got to visit Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin home. That pretty much ended the idea of a large state flagship for them. Three other schools got eliminated after summer visits as too southern, too small, and too urban. Maybe it would have made a difference to have had the students around in these cases, but I don’t think so.
We revisited the top 4 choices over the fall with students around (2 were not far and close to each other). That did make a difference, and the top two choices flipped as a result. They liked the student vibe at #2 better than #1, and went that way. The admissions process worked out well in the end. Good luck!
We found my son’s dream school on a sunny July day. He just finished his freshman year and it is absolutely the right school for him.
I think it depends on you and your child. Sure, visiting during the school year is preferable. But it’s not always possible. So you learn all you can online, and take full advantage of that summer visit-- have a list of questions on anything and everything that’s important to your child.
We visited Bates, Bowdoin, and Colby (and Middlebury and UVM and UMaine) last summer. I would say that the towns and campuses were better in the summer than other places we’ve made summer visits. There are a lot of visitors and tourists. We did not feel the campuses were dead (except UMaine) because of the timing. If you are visiting Bates and Bowdoin, definitely also see Colby. It is a stunning campus with a more than worthy free art museum. And we wandered around and met the chair of environmental studies department who was outgoing and talked to my kid for awhile.
We found summer visits were useful if you have a large list and are looking for ways to reduce the number. Seeing the surrounding area, the campus layout or size, etc is helpful. I agree it is difficult to get a real feel for the school/students and would recommend a second visit if school is not in session.
My daughter loved visiting Lewis and Clark and put it on her list after a junior visit day program. We went back over Christmas break to show pretty campus to rest of family. Suddenly it lost its luster and is off the list. Really different feel when school not in session.
The only caveat I’d add is that summer experiences can be affected by the programs being run on campus. For instance we visited one campus when there were two events, a professional chemistry conference and a dance festival. The two groups were clearly differentiable in the lunch room. One was laid back and all lithe limbs and the other looked a bit like the cast of Revenge of the Nerds and was having intense intellectual conversations. I actually saw a pocket protector. Both groups would be attractive to some kids but neither would give a balanced view of the school.
If you visit a school during the basketball or rowing camp it might appear the college is the land of the giants, during the gymnastics meet, the land of the midgets!
Agree with @treschicos that Colby is worth the visit given proximity to others and similarity to the others on the list. The art museum will make it worth the while if you don’t like the school itself!
My D visited Bates towards the end of August and unfortunately missed the return of students by two days. But she did get enough of a feel for it that she applied and now attends. The main reason for the visit in her case was because Bates and probably some of the other schools you mentioned consider interest. Dartmouth probably won’t care about interest, but you can check each college’s common data set. My D arranged an interview after the tour. Be sure to arrange interviews if that is an option. An fo course, be sure to sign in at the admissions offices if you don’t do a tour.
I generally think it is always better to see a campus when students are there, but you may not have that option. Still, it’s worth visiting if you will be nearby anyway. When decisions come in and it’s time to think of revisiting top contenders, keep school schedules in mind when planning. Spring breaks vary and no doubt for that kind of visit, your student will definitely want to see kids on campus.
Btw, both Bates and Bowdoin have museums on campus, so if you hit rainy days, you can check them out.