Not sure what you are looking for in your future college experience? There's no better way to test your assumptions and learn about college life than by making the effort to visit at least a few of the universities on your initial list. Want to find out how accessible the professors are, whether research opportunities are really available to undergraduates, or if the dining hall serves up anything edible? Then get prepared and get packing!
When should I visit?
For international students, we recommend two rounds of visits: the first over spring holidays during grade 10 and a second round of visits during the October holidays in grade 11. Does this sound too early? Well, we believe that good planning makes for good decisions.
We like spring and fall for campus visits because these are the times when students are most active on campuses. When you tour a college in the summer, you might not be able to meet any students except your tour guide. Why? Because most colleges are not in session from early May to late August or even early September. No classes = No students. Students will be at work in their home towns or trying out city life, taking advantage of summer internships or off-campus programs. You might see other people on campus during a summer visit, but most often these are high school students like you, perhaps taking a summer course.
What about winter? The February break can be a fantastic time for campus visits. If you love a campus in the dead of winter, you will surely love it in any season! Tours are less crowded, and hotels and flights are easier to book. Just remember to pack your cold weather gear, especially if making the trip to New England or the Midwest. And don't forget your boots, as you will be logging the miles/kilometers from the far reaches of the athletic complexes to class buildings, student centers and campus dining facilities.
Yes, visits require a commitment of time and money. Campus visits, like the college preparation process as a whole, are a family decision and must suit your financial situation and family schedule. But don't despair if you are not able to visit campuses in person! See our page on Virtual Campus Visits and get ready for the next best thing.
A few tools that we like:
If you are planning a trip in the U.S., Cappex has a great tool called the Campus Visit Planner. You will need to join the site by providing an email and a password, but in our opinion, it's worth it! This tool suggests an itinerary based on the college names that you input. Campus addresses are stored within the tool, so all you have to do is type in the college names and your itinerary with up to two colleges per day is mapped and loaded!
Prefer not to sign up for Cappex? Then make the most of Google Maps' driving directions and use their trip building feature to create your own itinerary. Typing in college names will usually bring up an address, and you can add destinations with a click of a button. Travel distances and estimated driving times are automatically calculated. The order of visits is up to you!
Are you interested in visiting universities in the U.K.? UCAS has you covered! The Events and Open Days page on the UCAS site has a how-to link as well as a link to their search tool.
The Netherlands is also a popular university destination. The Study in Holland website, a service of the Dutch government, offers a Dutch study program search tool. Although a visit to each individual university website is necessary to check for open days, this is a solid place to get started.
Let's go!
When should I visit?
For international students, we recommend two rounds of visits: the first over spring holidays during grade 10 and a second round of visits during the October holidays in grade 11. Does this sound too early? Well, we believe that good planning makes for good decisions.
We like spring and fall for campus visits because these are the times when students are most active on campuses. When you tour a college in the summer, you might not be able to meet any students except your tour guide. Why? Because most colleges are not in session from early May to late August or even early September. No classes = No students. Students will be at work in their home towns or trying out city life, taking advantage of summer internships or off-campus programs. You might see other people on campus during a summer visit, but most often these are high school students like you, perhaps taking a summer course.
What about winter? The February break can be a fantastic time for campus visits. If you love a campus in the dead of winter, you will surely love it in any season! Tours are less crowded, and hotels and flights are easier to book. Just remember to pack your cold weather gear, especially if making the trip to New England or the Midwest. And don't forget your boots, as you will be logging the miles/kilometers from the far reaches of the athletic complexes to class buildings, student centers and campus dining facilities.
Yes, visits require a commitment of time and money. Campus visits, like the college preparation process as a whole, are a family decision and must suit your financial situation and family schedule. But don't despair if you are not able to visit campuses in person! See our page on Virtual Campus Visits and get ready for the next best thing.
A few tools that we like:
If you are planning a trip in the U.S., Cappex has a great tool called the Campus Visit Planner. You will need to join the site by providing an email and a password, but in our opinion, it's worth it! This tool suggests an itinerary based on the college names that you input. Campus addresses are stored within the tool, so all you have to do is type in the college names and your itinerary with up to two colleges per day is mapped and loaded!
Prefer not to sign up for Cappex? Then make the most of Google Maps' driving directions and use their trip building feature to create your own itinerary. Typing in college names will usually bring up an address, and you can add destinations with a click of a button. Travel distances and estimated driving times are automatically calculated. The order of visits is up to you!
Are you interested in visiting universities in the U.K.? UCAS has you covered! The Events and Open Days page on the UCAS site has a how-to link as well as a link to their search tool.
The Netherlands is also a popular university destination. The Study in Holland website, a service of the Dutch government, offers a Dutch study program search tool. Although a visit to each individual university website is necessary to check for open days, this is a solid place to get started.
Let's go!