Clicky

Rankings

Visiting College Campuses – How to Make the Most of your Campus Visit

Written by College Cliffs Team At CollegeCliffs.com, our team, comprising seasoned educators and counselors, is committed to supporting students on their journey through graduate studies. Our advisors, holding advanced degrees in diverse fields, provide tailored guidance, current program details, and pragmatic tips on navigating application procedures.

Reviewed by Linda Weems I got started researching colleges and universities about 10 years ago while exploring a second career. While my second career ended up being exactly what I’m doing now, and I didn’t end up going to college, I try to put myself in your shoes every step of the way as I build out College Cliffs as a user-friendly resource for prospective students.

Updated: January 3, 2024, Reading time: 4 minutes

Find your perfect college degree

College Cliffs is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.

Campus visits play a huge part in finding a school that’s just right for you. Setting foot on a college campus and experiencing the environment firsthand can help high school students make the right decision.

Visiting College Campuses - fact

But campus visits go beyond just testing the atmosphere– it’s also planning for your future. So here’s how to make the most out of your campus visits; to help you find the best school.

College Cliffs is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.

Identify your standards for a college.

Identify your standards for a college.- Image

Practical factors must be considered when choosing a college. But since the school you choose will become your home for the next few years, asking yourself what things you want in college life is just as important. Are you after good career services? Fun events? A convenient location? Suitable housing and accommodations?

Consider keeping a physical or a mental checklist of the things that matter most in college. Having your criteria should help you narrow down your choices faster with every campus visit you make.

Take time to research the schools you plan to visit.

Take time to research the schools you plan to visit. - Image

Knowing your prospective schools is an excellent way to set them apart. Skim through the schools’ websites and note their best features, facilities, and programs that, if you prefer, should let you study at your own pace.

Reach out to the school and to students who were or are currently studying in the school to ask them about their campus experience, as well as for pieces of advice. You also talk to recent alums of the schools. They often have the best stories, insights, and advice to give, those that especially hit close to home.

Join information sessions.

Join information sessions. - Image

Schools typically have information sessions held especially for incoming students. Attending information sessions in your prospective schools will help you better grasp and compare what campus life is like in different universities and allow you to ask your questions about the school.

Consider virtual campus tours.

Consider virtual campus tours. - Image

Virtual campus tours are an excellent way to learn about different schools without leaving your house. Many schools offer virtual campus tours for prospective students as a time- and money-saving alternative, especially for those who live far from the campus.

Granted that virtual tours are limited to what you can see through your device, they won’t be as immersive as in-person campus tours, but they should help you cover more schools in a shorter time and decide which campuses you want to see in person.

Dress to impress– but comfortably.

Dress to impress– but comfortably. - Image

Dress comfortably in preparation for exploring campus grounds, and dress decently to increase your chances of getting accepted. Remember that schools have dress codes, so sift through your wardrobe and ensure you show up dressed formally while being comfortable.

You’ll be meeting new people and school faculty for the first time, and first impressions will matter, and so will your comfort! Don’t sacrifice it because you’ll be walking around quite a lot, and you wouldn’t want your outfit to take away from your experience.

Talk to people!

Talk to people! - Image

It’s the people that make up every university’s community and environment. And what better way is there to immerse yourself in it than to interact with people in the school?

Don’t hesitate to introduce yourself to people you encounter; don’t be afraid to ask your tour guide questions. Your curiosity as a prospective student will be appreciated, and you might make some friends along the way.

Do as much as you can. See as much as you can.

Do as much as you can. See as much as you can. - Image

Arrange to sit in on classes, watch ongoing school events, check out the residence halls, or maybe even consider staying overnight in one of the dorms if you can to evaluate accessibility accommodations. In short, take a deeper look through the current students–how your student life could turn out to be in the school you are visiting!

Pushing to see and do as much as possible within the day of your visit is good practice. This way, you’ll get an idea of what being enrolled in this school will be like.

And lastly: Visit again!

And lastly visit again! - Image

You likely won’t be able to dig deeper, get past first impressions, get in on hidden and unexpected facts, and learn otherwise valuable things about a school if you only visit a campus once. So don’t just visit once. Chances are, your campus tour is arranged for daily tours, so take time to revisit a campus if you can!


Additional Resources: