<p>You can find companies online that sell college visit videos; not really like being there, but better than nothing. I think if you search the forum you’ll find plenty of kids and parents who say they found out a school wasn’t right for them by visiting, or moved a school up a lot after a visit. One person I knew enrolled in a well regarded UC sight-unseen because so many people said good things about it; when she showed up for freshman orientation she knew immediately she had made a mistake, and this wasn’t a case of buyers remorse; she ended up transferring (with all the difficulty that entails) a year later.</p>
<p>@Geekmom, there is university in my city and I am planning on visiting it at some point and attending an information session. Unfortunately, there aren’t really many other major colleges near me to use as a comparison. My main concern is really the cultural/social differences between life in Alaska and life in another part of the country, like New England. I don’t think I would be able to get a feel for what the adjustment to a college would be like without actually visiting the college in person.</p>
<p>When do you think is the best time to go on college visits? Is it generally better to visit before applying or after being accepted? Also, do colleges ever help cover the cost of campus visits after they accept students? (I think some at my school said that Rice University does for some…)</p>
<p>Some colleges do cover travel expenses, some don’t. I recommend sending emails asking about that.</p>