<p>I've got a high school sophomore. He's been getting mail from colleges since December, but none of it is really clicking with him. They all look alike (to him). He just throws them in a pile. </p>
<p>I'm wondering when we should start college visits and tours. I was thinking about reseach during the fall of junior year. Then tours would be spring of junior year, summer, and fall of senior year. Now I'm wondering if that's too late. </p>
<p>Also, at some point, we'll have to visit the Maryland public universities. My husband and I are hoping he doesn't attend them, but we'll have to see them anyway as safeties. Should we see them first and get them over with? Or wait til the end?</p>
<p>Thanks a lot. I'm glad to have found these boards.</p>
<p>I would try to figure out a "dream school" that he could be really interested in and go sometime this summer. My dad did that for me last summer with Dartmouth and it got me really excited about the college process. Now, as a junior, I did a bunch of visits over spring break and will do some more over the summer and the timetable seems fine for me. I wouldn't suggest that you take him to UMaryland first unless you think he'd love that atmosphere; it might make him even less enthused.</p>
<p>I took our son, who is now a junior, on his first college visit at the end of his freshman year. Yes, that sounds early, but he really wanted to see a few campuses. By taking him, he got a feel of what he did not want in a school - in this case, a huge university. So, while he loves his Terps, I won't be seeing him filling out an application to Maryland. </p>
<p>BTW, I did take him to a few Maryland schools -- although we now live in Virginia. He has McDaniel on his list and already has talk with admissions people about merit scholarships, but did not particularly care for UMBC. </p>
<p>My s is s sophomore and we hit a few campuses over spring break. He had a different break than his siblings so we took a look at a few close colleges. Most of his weekends next year will be spent working and in marching and pep band, so we took that opportunity to see a few. We loved one, another was so-so and the other two, urban is not his thing. I think going now is helpful because if he is really interested in one that is more difficult to get in to, he will continue to stay motivated knowing what it is they are expecting.</p>
<p>DD1 threw all the college info in a pile until December Junior year. The first visit took place spring break junior year with others over the summer. We had plenty of time to visit 10 colleges or so.</p>
<p>DD2 is going through the search now as a junior. She looked at each piece of mail when it came in and decided to keep or throw it at that time. Her first visits also took place spring break of junior year. She has a wider list so we will be visiting quite a few spots over the summer. I think that still leaves plenty of time.</p>
<p>My D is a freshman this year, and she is begging to go on college visits next Spring Break. So we will. We can look at colleges sophomore and junior year, and maybe it won't feel as rushed as it did with S (started summer after junior year).</p>
<p>Agree with the above advice - look at nearby colleges to try and get an idea of what criteria are important to your son. This will help narrow things down.</p>
<p>if you live where you can easily take day trips and visit multiple schools you have the luxury of starting later. If your child is not involved in athletics or other ecs that take up huge chunks of time you can start later. If you can afford to take multiple trips during the school year than you can start later. If you don't have those luxuries you should start this summer. </p>
<p>This is how we approached it.</p>
<p>Over the summer between 10th and 11th grade we visited schools that were in the neighborhood of where we were going to be anyway. </p>
<p>In the fall after soccer season Jr year we visited another which required an overnight Plus did an open house at a day trip school.</p>
<p>over spring break Jr year we toured four oos but in the same geographical region</p>
<p>This summer DDs will attend soccer camp at another school on their list</p>
<p>After decisions are in DDs will visit any remaining schools to which they are admitted. (there are 5 or fewer) They will be applying EA to all who offer it so they will know early enough to fit it all in. Plus there are a couple of safeties w/ rolling admissions also on their lists.</p>
<p>So far this schedule has worked for us. There are two schools in non-neighboring states to which we are deferring visits until after decisions because they don't require visits and/or are less selective. The other non-visited schools can easily be handled in single one day trip maybe requiring an overnight but probably not.</p>
<p>Good Luck, enjoy this time with you S. I have had a ball w/ my DDs visiting and making memories this year.</p>