<p>It is very difficult for either my husband or myself to take time off of work for a college visit during the school year. We did some travel visits in the summer and have two left - which require more than a day or two to visit. I was wondering if anyone has visited a college campus over a holiday weekend - such as Thanksgiving? I know no one would be about - but thought we could at least see the campus -- maybe a few students would be around--but the more I think about it - It might be a waste of time, any thoughts?</p>
<p>We visited a deserted campus over Christmas break once. We did get to look at the architecture, but I wouldn’t do it again. We happened to be driving nearby and the school was never one of the kid’s top choices.</p>
<p>We visited one school over Thanksgiving break, but it was a second visit. We arranged to meet a prof in the department that my daughter planned to major in, so it was a fruitful visit. Without making similar arrangements I would not recommend doing so.</p>
<p>I would not recommend visiting during a holiday break unless you are already nearby. The campus will feel very dead, and any students that are around might seem lonely. If you can’t find time to visit now, why have your kid do as much online research as possible, and then visit after he or she gets accepted?</p>
<p>One of the key factors to seeing a campus first-hand is observing the students, who will be conspicuously absent, over a (major) holiday weekend. Even though many students are not present during the summer months you still have lots of tour guides working and I find that very helpful in getting “the vibe”. I wouldn’t call it a “waste of time” but it won’t maximize your time or your money to it’s fullest extent. I’d probably opt for a virtual tour on-line and/or an info session in your local region if one is available.</p>
<p>the first campus we visited was when D was a sophomore, it was on Columbus day. I was inexperienced and didn’t know that I needed to make reservations for a tour etc (ha ha!). We showed up. No classes that day, no tours. Campus was dead. I don’t recommend going on a holiday!</p>
<p>I wouldn’t bother going on a holiday weekend.</p>
<p>I like the others’ ideas of video tours over a holiday weekend. </p>
<p>I think watching a lot of amateur videos on the same college can also be way more illuminating than the ‘official videos’. Maybe watch the ones put out by the university, then look at all the ones made by students on campus that are posted on youtube. </p>
<p>You get a much better sense of the students this way. I was looking at one the other night where a student was interviewing other students about things they liked and did not like about their college. It was extremely informative.</p>
<p>I sent my kids on their own for college visits – they arranged with their high school teachers for the time off – so consider that option.</p>
<p>"I sent my kids on their own for college visits – they arranged with their high school teachers for the time off – so consider that option. "</p>
<p>I think she wants another person’s insights on what we as parents see with our “wiser eyes and ears”</p>
<p>I agree, why can’t the student go without you-- ?</p>
<p>Besides, many colleges offer options to shadow a student and visit classes, staying as a guest in their room. This in addition to formal visit weekend for prospectives.</p>
<p>My daughter matriculated at the only school she did not tour prior to applying.
Actually, many people do not tour until April when they have admission letters in hand. Arrange for an alumni interview in your city, and visit later.</p>
<p>We started touring schools enthusiastically, but it got old fairly quickly. We ended up not touring 2 schools he applied to, and would have done that in the spring only if his stronger choices had not panned out.</p>
<p>We had the same problem. We told our S he could visit schools after he was admitted. He did go look at one ahead of time with a friend.</p>
<p>We did lots of “college shopping” with our kids, but one time my son went off to a special weekend trip where it wouldn’t make much sense for us parents to go. He loved it. In fact, he ended up going there. The first time we visited the school was his freshman move in day! So I’d suggest you follow calmom’s advice (# 9) and send him to the college without you. Go there when the school is in session and he should even try to spend a night in the dorm there. I even think the adcoms like to know he’s independent enough to do that.</p>
<p>Thanksgiving weekend the campus will likely be deserted - like a ghost town. You could see the exteriors of some buildings but that’s probably about it. You might not even see any students. You won’t get any sense of the campus or even the surroundings since it won’t be ‘normal’.</p>
<p>We really didn’t have any luck with this, and we did try. Grandparents live near a university D1 applied to (in fact, she was a 4th generation applicant). I was hopeful we could tour the day after Thanksgiving one year, but realized when I looked into it that it wouldn’t work. No tours, of course no classes. We also drive near a major city right before the holidays some years, and looked into whether we could see a college there, but it didn’t work out. The day before Thanksgiving isn’t so hot either… no classes or tours that day at the school we wanted to see, either).</p>
<p>We visited a college on the Monday after Thanksgiving. I used Sunday as my travel day-- worst decision I ever made! a 6 hr trip took 10 hours! The good news was that my S realized he did not like that inconvenience compared to some of the closer schools he was accepted to. </p>
<p>However, the campus was in full swing on that Monday.</p>
<p>We had a very useful visit to a college over Christmas break last year, even though few students were around. </p>
<p>Son: I’m not going here.
Mom: Why not?
Son: Mom! It’s in a city!</p>
<p>We are only going to visit schools where D2 is considering ED or SCEA, and I think there are maybe 3 or 4. My H and I are planning to take a week off during D2’s spring break in April to do the visits. We will visit her RD schools only after acceptance. </p>
<p>We visited schools with D1, and I personally felt it was over rated. All campus looked the same, only difference was whether it was urban or rural. All of D1’s over night visits were a disaster, so I wouldn’t send my kid to visit schools by herself.</p>