Our school visits were super helpful. We also had the opposite impression and found that each school had a very unique vibe. My daughter nixed more than 1/2 the schools on her initial list after visiting. On paper she loved Notre Dame and would have ranked it #1. Absolutely hated everything about it when we visited. It was definitely the visits that helped her realize what was truly important for her personal search.
The visits were also more than just doing a generic tour. She visited the department of her intended major on all of our visits, met with professors, sat in on classes, talked to students, and ate in the dining hall. She went back for second and third visits at the top choices.
I also think it’s more difficult to write the “why us” essays if you’ve never set foot on campus.
I went to college in the late 80s and did the college tours with my mom. We took a very long two week road trip.