Visiting Colleges
During the junior and senior years many college-bound students visit some or all of the colleges in which they have an interest. Here are a few tips related to visiting campuses:
1. Visit when you can; there are advantages and disadvantages in visiting at different times of the year, but seeing a college firsthand is always a good thing.
2. Contact the admission office for a tour and information session along with any other 
possibilities that might be available (such as visiting classes, having an interview, meeting a professor or representative of an extracurricular area of interest). Dropping by the campus might give some perspective, but it is not a substitute for an admission office visit.
3. Try to include colleges of different types and levels of selectivity in a trip, if it is possible to do so.
4. Don't worry about too much instant analysis of the college immediately after the visit to the campus. Enjoy the experience and let the processing occur over time.
5. Don't let one detail affect your impression disproportionately. An unappealing tour guide shouldn't define the school for you.
6. Early in your college planning process, consider visiting a college in your area, even if you are not sure that you will apply there.
7. If you have time after the tour, wander around the campus on your own for a bit.
The variety of campus environments is one of the great things about higher education. Take the opportunity to visit, and while you are there try to imagine yourself as part of the college's community.
