<p>Out of you college list, how many did you guys visit? </p>
<p>Is it bad if i apply and have only visited one of my colleges?
There rest are like 4-7 hrs. away (by car)</p>
<p>Is the virtual tours or campus photo shots enough?</p>
<p>My daughter has visited about 5 and we plan on a couple of more. It is more important to show interest. Call the college admissions office or send an E-Mail. Make some effort to separate yourself from the general population.</p>
<p>About 37....drove from WA to the East Coast during spring vacation, during summer (both after sophomore and junior year), and during both junior and senior winter breaks.</p>
<p>Saw the schools in clusters (by region) over several days:
Carleton, Macalester, Grinnell, WashU.<br>
Earlham, Kenyon, Oberlin, & Denison.<br>
URochester, Colgate, Hamiton, Union, & Vassar.<br>
Williams, Amherst, Trinity, Wesleyan, & Connecticut.<br>
Brown, Tufts, Harvard, Bowdoin, Bates, Colby, Dartmouth, & Middlebury.
Yale, Columbia, Lafayette, UPennsylvania, Haverford, Swartmore.
Franklin & Marshall, Dickinson, Gettysburg, Ursinus, Bucknell.</p>
<p>Just planned well...and got little sleep. The bonus is that I went with a friend of mine so it only took about 28 hrs to get to the Midwest, another 16 to New England. Drove straight through....taking turns of course.</p>
<p>I'd try and visit the colleges, so you can compare them. If you don't want to visit, apply...then, after you get accepted to your schools, visit your top choices from those that offered you admissions.</p>
<p>My son has found that there's nothing that compares with actually visiting a campus to get a feel for it. After a while, the info sessions, websites and virtual tours all look alike. To be on the campus and get a sense of what the students are like, what the surrounding area is like, etc. is really invaluable.</p>
<p>That said, certainly time and money can be huge constraints to visiting many colleges. If that's the case, then you might want to at least visit a few of your final choices once you get admitted to help you make a decision.</p>
<p>many people find, as blackeyedsusan notes, that actually visiting a campus gives you a sense of what the school is like in a way that reading the brochures does not convey. There have been countless stories in the parents forum, for example, of kids that had a school they were really excited about but as soon as they showed up for a visit they knew right away they didn't like it; conversely there are stories of schools a parent dragged the kid to visit and all of a sudden the lights went on. </p>
<p>As for increasing your odds of admission, this depends on the school. Generally LACs and colleges that are on the rise (or want to be) pay a lot of attention to this; think WUSTL which says right on its website they factor in demonstrated interest. Others don't care, typically schools that admit more or less by formula such as state schools, and the very top schools such as Stanford that know if they accept you then you'll think seriously about it.</p>
<p>Considering you're going to spend 4+ years of your life there, I'd say the 7-hour drive is worth it.</p>
<p>IsleBoy, all I can say is WOW!! A number of the schools you include are on my daughter's list, and we are trying to plan what we thought was a marathon (9 schools in 12 days) until I read your list!</p>
<p>If you don't mind, where did you decide to attend? Are you happy with your decision?</p>
<p>I visited Northeastern, Boston U., UConn, Temple (Took a class there).</p>
<p>Of the 5 schools i'm applying to, I've only visited Boston U. and Temple.</p>
<p>If it's not feasible to visit (because of time, money or both), just remember that you can apply and then do visits after you're accepted. It's not ideal, but maybe some CCers forget that visits are not always practical or possible for people at this stage.</p>
<p>I think there is tremendous value in visiting college campuses, and many students will tell you that the campus visit was a strong determining factor in their ultimate choice in schools. I agree with the comments made by blackeyedsusan and Mikemac.</p>
<p>When my daughter (now a college freshman) began the college selection process in earnest, it was in her sophomore year in H.S. She visited countless schools in California where we live and other schools whenever we were close to them during our travels. When she began her admissions process, she applied ED to a school she had visited and researched thoroughly (including meeting with professors, etc.). It was clearly her No. 1 choice. All other schools she applied to were schools she had visited. There were a number of schools she visited (and thought well of before her visit) that she decided not to apply to. </p>
<p>At the very least, visiting schools of different sizes and focus (public, private, national, research, LAC, etc.) will provide some basis for making comparisons. After a few visits, most students can determine certain benchmarks to know what is important to them. One truism that is important to mention is that EACH student will have his/her own INDIVIDUAL preferences. Take opinions from others with a grain of salt. Even the best and closest of friends may have different opinions about the BEST flavor of ice cream, for instance. </p>
<p>I know that due to expense and logistics, it’s not always possible to visit all schools of interest and agree that applying and visiting subsequent to acceptances is a good alternative – as long as it’s not an ED school. This approach gives you a chance to identify those schools that have not only accepted you for admission but provides a cleaner way of making comparisons without considering purely hypothetical scenarios.</p>
<p>I cannot say strongly enough to NOT apply Early Decision (with its binding commitment) to any school without first having visited – this holds true for any school from the Ivies to Podunk University.</p>
<p>DG: </p>
<p>UPenn CAS, although I am still toying with transfering to UPenn CGS since I am a couple of years older than the "normal" first-year.</p>
<p>As for the visiting...I didn't plan on looking at so many schools, but my friends college list and mine were complementary but mostly did not overlap. Each whirlwind tour was crazy every time (I needed a vacation after it). But, it brought the schools into sharp focus. Schools that were near the bottom of my list sometimes trumped colleges that I thought I would love. For instance, Union rose above several liberal arts schools like Hamilton, Bates, Carleton, and Macalester--even though the latter colleges have a "better" reputation.</p>
<p>What started out as an adventure changed the trajectory of my college choices.</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>I visited 10 of the 12 schools I applied to. It really helps you get a feel for what student life is like, and both the good and bad aspects of the college (as information sessions and websites try to only show good things).</p>
<p>By the way, most of the schools I visited after I applied, and sometimes, after I applied and was accepted. Perhaps apply to the schools you think you might want to go, then visit the rest after you have been accepted. That way, you don't make the long drive (though 4 hours isn't that bad) to schools that don't accept you. I think it's important to visit the school before you commit to them, though.</p>
<p>DG:</p>
<p>I defered for a year at CAS. Taking classes in my home state (audit) until next Fall, and online--due to a family emergency.</p>
<p>I think you'd feel better after going on some college visists, although some schools may make you wonder what our generation is up to. Both you and your D will get a better feel of each college.</p>
<p>Also, remember to pick up a college paper and check out the immediate surrounding area adjacent to the school--you'd be surprised how that affects quality of life.</p>
<p>Have fun and let us know how it all goes.</p>