Road Trip: Preparing for Spring Break College Visits

Using your spring break to visit colleges is a great idea, but be aware of spring break schedules for the colleges you wish to visit. It’s best to see a college when students are on campus. Here are a few tips to prepare for your spring college visits.

• Create a College Visit Itinerary. Using a map, look at college locations and decide on an itinerary that fits within your given time.  Don’t worry if you can’t see all of the colleges on your list. Focus on some of your top choices and then plan other school visits that are within the same geographic area.
• Register for college visits online.  Once you have a list of colleges to visit, register for campus tours online with the admissions office.  Resist the urge to plan “drive through” visits.  An official campus tour takes more time but gives you a better feel for the college/campus. And don’t plan too many visits in a day –  one or two per day is best.
• Review your priorities for a good college fit. There are four factors to consider to see if a college is a good fit for you: academic, social, emotional and physical.
• Learn the basics.  Look up the school’s size, majors offered, and other details that interest you. Your visit will be more meaningful when you know the basics.
• Create a List of Questions. Write down your Top 10 Questions for each college visit.  Focus on what you would study and who would you study with.

Take Action

Start planning early so you have time to assess which colleges to select for a visit. A good college selection is the best way to make the most out of college visits.