<p>I think JHS's comments are very important. My son visited only 3 colleges -- his first visit was to the college he felt was his top choice, an overnight which he took in spring of his junior year. Because one of his safeties was in the same city, we arranged back-to-back overnights, #1 school first, safety the following night. He absolutely loved his #1 college, basically raving about everything -- even for things that others might think of as negatives, he found a positive cast. </p>
<p>When he arrived at the next afternoon at the safety, it was raining, and he called me on his cellphone while walking around campus: he didn't want to be there. He hated it. He wished he hadn't planned on the overnight. I basically encouraged him to buck up and reminded him he would be home the next day. When he got back home he reported a litany of problems with the safety campus, but also said that in the end he had found some things he liked, and if he ended up having to attend that school he knew he could adjust.</p>
<p>Well, my son got in to the #1 choice, but they didn't give him financial aid, so he turned it down. He was accepted with great financial aid at his previously unvisted #2 college on the opposite coast, requiring hurried arrangements to fly to check out the campus. He liked it, he bought a t-shirt, he attended. After 2 years he dropped out, to take a "sabbatical." He decided to transfer to another college -- and applied to that safety he hadn't liked. In hindsight, that safety probably would have been the best choice for what he now wants to study; that safety had also offered him a great financial aid package. Unfortunately, the safety wasn't able to accommodate transfers in his major and waitlisted him. </p>
<p>Those first impressions may have validity, but they are first impressions with the eyes and heart of a 17 year old thinking about leaving home for the first time. One of the advantages of NOT visiting is that the prospective student does tend to look at more objective criteria -- for example, studying the web site or course catalog to find detailed information about major requirements and course offerings. I'm not saying that students shouldn't visit -- I'm just saying that the value of visiting shouldn't be overrated. It is useful - it is not the most important part of the selection process.</p>