<p>I'm going in to my senior year and I'm getting really in to look for colleges. Recently I fell in love with Miami University in Ohio but I live in Arizona and don't have the money and time to go and tour it or any of the other school of my interest. Is it okay to go to a school and not tour it or am I screwed.</p>
<p>You should probably see the school before you commit to going there. You could try applying, see where that goes, and tour the ones you’re seriously considering after decisions come out.</p>
<p>I never considered that I always assumed that you should tour it then decide where you want to apply</p>
<p>You don’t really need to take a tour. You just need to check out pictures and videos of the school and see if it looks good. They should take you on a mini-tour of the school at orientation.</p>
<p>It is helpful to tour but many people do not have the money to do this. Perhaps you could get some ideas by looking at the schools that are local to you, i.e. if there is a big state school, a small LAC, a midsize school, etc. or schools with particular distinct features. You may not want to go t these particular schools but touring them may give you a sense of what matters to you – how do you feel on a big campus, what size is too big or too small, what features in the library, the recreation center, the dorms, the dining halls, etc. matter to you? Then as you view the websites (and videos, etc.) of the schools you are interested in but can’t afford to go see, this may help you to focus in on specifics that might help you narrow down where you want to apply. </p>
<p>If at all possible, try to go visit the ones where you are accepted; being on the campus can definitely make a big difference.</p>
<p>But if you are unable to visit any of them, don’t worry. There will be many other students who have not visited either. Just do as much as you can to get to know the schools. Use the websites, ask questions; if they have admissions counselors who visit your area, go to meet them. If there are current students who are from your hometown, perhaps you could meet up and talk to them. There are a lot of ways to get to know colleges and you will be fine if you are unable to visit.</p>
<p>Good luck with your college search.</p>
<p>The problem with waiting to visit after admissions is that the timeframe can be very short. If the college sends admission letters in late March and you need to decide by May 1, you have only about 5 weeks to arrange and carry out a visit. Possibly to multiple schools in different parts of the country. Plane tickets are not cheap on short notice, and you are in school at that time. Maybe with things like spring EC tournaments going on, too. </p>
<p>It is definitely a risk to commit to a school you liked on paper and on the internet sight unseen. It is a hassle to transfer, it may cost you because all credits may not transfer and you may not be on track to graduate on time in your major at the second school, and you generally lose out on financial aid (merit and sometimes need based aid) as a transfer student. So while it seems costly to visit now, it can be costly to skip visiting or wait until you are accepted.</p>
<p>Every spring we see students out here who thought they would visit after acceptance, but then can’t pull it off and have to chuck acceptances to some colleges sight unseen that might have been a great fit for them. it is painful to watch.</p>
<p>Also, Miami of Ohio is a school that does not commit to meet full financial need for their students. Have you run the net price calculator on the school website yet? It will give you an idea of what kind of merit aid your might get. Get your parents to help you do this. If you can’t afford to visit, you also may not be able to afford to go there.</p>
<p>If you do think it is affordable and you truly can’t visit, then do the following:
- Look at the school website. Study all sections of it (academics, student life, admissions, etc) to get a flavor for the school. See if they have an online tour or videos.
- Read back threads here on CC about the school. Go way back, you will usually see a lot of interesting stuff.
- See if the school newspaper is available online. You can really see the school’s “dirty laundry” sometimes by reading that.
- Read the Fiske Guide to Colleges book entry very carefully. I have found that all the info I ever needed on culture, etc was there if I really read and thought about each line.
- Check out C-o-l-l-e-g-e P-r-o-w-l-e-r website. Again, read carefully.
- Look at the course catalog online for courses in your areas of interest to see what is offered.</p>
<p>Two alternatives.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Google maps. This will take forever and you obviously cannot go into the buildings with it, but you can view the campus street view and kinda see what it looks like. I don’t know, just a weird suggestion if you have way too much time on your hands.</p></li>
<li><p>The better option – most schools have virtual tours. Check to see if ■■■■ does. It won’t be the same as actually going and seeing for yourself, but you gotta make do with what you have. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>Sometimes the school will comp you for your visit. Call admissions and see if they offer plane/hotel reimbursements for visiting the campus. </p>
<p>You can ask… but the best you can usually hope for is plane ticket for the student alone, and they expect you to stay on campus. Often you need a hook to have this request satisfied – a few colleges do offer to pay for plane tickets after acceptance for some students, but you can’t count on it.</p>