TEXT: Amy Whitley
big or small, state or private,
visiting the school’s admissions
your family. In this case, it’s
liberal arts or tech/trade. Once
or “visit” page, where it will be
important to call the school’s
you’re ready to officially tour
easy to schedule your tour. Look
admissions office to find out if
for special prospective student
your child can visit a classroom,
days, during which the school
a dorm or meet a current student
will offer extended tours, dorm
to be shown around beyond the
visits and the option to sit in on
standard tour. This is a great
classes. If you can’t visit during
time to ask about the possibility
colleges with your junior or
senior, schedule visits via the
school’s admissions page. You
can also check each school’s
Facebook page to find upcoming
events. It’s important to visit a
variety of schools, so find several
schools in reasonable proximity
these days, schedule a private
visit for any day that works for
College Visit
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to visit in one trip. Be sure to
visit at least one large school
and one small school as well as
one in the countryside and one
in a downtown area of a city.

Even if your child thinks they
know that a big, urban school is
right for them, they may change
their mind after seeing a small,
rural campus, or vice versa.

If your child is interested in
schools that are too far away
for a visit, visit a similar
school within driving distance.

For example, if your child is
interested in a small, liberal arts
private school on the other side
of the country, visit a similarly
structured school closer to
home. The local school may
not be on his or her shortlist,
but it will give your child a
feel for the general philosophy
and campus life of the desired
school. And who knows? Maybe
your child will love it!
When to Visit
Once you’ve decided where to
go, it’s time to decide when to
go. It’s important to plan college
visits in advance, especially
during popular seasons to
visit. Schedule each visit by
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