<p>Hello all,</p>
<p>When is the best time to visit colleges?</p>
<p>a)Before you apply vs. after applying vs. after acceptance???</p>
<p>b)Weekends vs. during the week???</p>
<p>c)During the semester vs. on breaks???</p>
<p>d)On your own vs. college tours/info sessions</p>
<p>I'm hoping to apply for Fall 09 but I'd like to see some colleges before the final crunch next Spring. I'd appreciate your opinions or to hear about your college visit experiences!</p>
<p>I liked attending the open house. You run around the campus like a tornado. Just enough of a post card experience. I helps when writing the... why do I want to attend....essay. Then overnights and long visits are more meaningful after acceptance. the least worthwhile was visit to a campus when nothing was in session. Sometimes that was necessary when booking multiple open houses and another nearby college was closed.</p>
<p>Before you apply, and during the semester. If your planning to attend an art program walk in and talk to the students in the common. And check out their work and studio facilities. As long as your not disrupting a class, not a problem. Art, theater and etc programs tend to be fairly open.
The guided tours have a place, but these are obviously intended to limit observations. Plus in that context most involved are very careful about what they say. In a casual visit you may find out more of the genuine nature of a school, be it good or bad.</p>
<p>ideally, my preferences would be:</p>
<p>a) visit before I apply, so I wouldn't bother applying and paying the app fee if I don't like the school. And after acceptance, to help me make my final decision
b) weekends, so I can see what it's really like on schooldays
c) during the semester, for the same reason as b)
d) be part of the info tour/session in the visit before I apply. And on my own, after acceptance, so I can focus on the areas I want to focus on.</p>
<p>before you apply, during week, during semester, when the leaves are on the trees, again after acceptances if needed, tour not.</p>
<p>Basically, visit when you can. Sometimes it is a matter of schedules and so on. It really doesn't matter. You can get a gut feeling any time. If you can't even visit until after you are accepted, that's ok too. My recommendation, though, is to look on web sites and study them pretty well. Of course, each school's web site will make it look like heaven on earth, but you still may be able to get a sense. While I don't think it truly matters WHEN you visit, I would very strongly say that you absolutely should make plans TO visit. It is a subjective "fit" as much as all the other criteria.</p>
<p>Quite true. And informal visits outside the venue of the tours are very necessary. As you note "each school's web site will make it look like heaven on earth" and naturally the same tends to be the case with sponsored visits.
The reason for visiting during a running semester is that it is more likely to see student work and talk to them. Because when assessing a school it's often not the stars who are put on display who are the best token of a schools quality. It's the more ordinary student and how they are progressing.
And emifinan you don't specify the field of study. But it's often useful to find a few outside professionals and ask them about a given institution. They will often not outright condone or condemn but opinions can be read between the lines.</p>