Optimizing Your Spring Break College Visit

• A good campus visit takes 2-4 hours, including time to get a sense of the surrounding town or area. Don’t try to visit more than two schools in one day.  
• Figure out an itinerary: where you want to travel, how you will travel, and how far one school is from another. Build in some time for meals and breaks, if possible.  
• Call the admission office at least two weeks ahead of time to schedule your visit. Admission offices have set times for tours and information.  
• Think of all the things you want to do when you visit and ask what the admission office can help you with, like talking with an admission officer, taking a tour, attending a class, meeting with a professor in an area that interests you, eating a meal on campus, talking with a coach or advisor of an extracurricular activity that interests you, etc. 
• Research each college before you go visit so you’ll have specific questions to ask.  
• Contact students you might know at the school before you plan to visit. 
• Here is a checklist you can copy and customize to take with you.

What To Do When You Visit  

• Let your teen take the lead and do the talking (read more parent tips here)
• Focus on the people, environment, and programs during your visit.  
• Talk to as many people as you can: students, dining hall workers, tour guides, and faculty.  
• Look at a campus newspaper and check out campus bulletin boards.  
• Wander through coffee shops and student centers to observe how students interact with each other.  
• Keep track of all names of people you talk with, especially in the admission office. Take good notes and collect cards if available.  
• Go to the admission session and take the official tour. Listen to the tour guide, but don’t jump to a conclusion about a particular school based solely on your experience with a tour guide.  
• Take good notes and pictures to help you remember the details of your visit.  
• If you are meeting or interviewing with an admission staff member, be on time, be yourself, and ask questions that deal with your particular needs and that show you have researched the school; make sure you mention anything about your background or achievements that you want the admission office to know. 

After the Visit  

• Write down what you learned, liked, and didn’t quite fit you before you get to another campus. 
• Send a thank you note to any admission person you meet.  
• Look ahead to the fall of the senior year to plan a follow-up or overnight visit.