As COVID-19 vaccinations rise (thanks, science!), more colleges are re-opening to visitors. If you’re able to get on the road, the summer offers an opportunity to make up for lost time and visit schools.
Visiting colleges in person matters to get an overall feel for different schools. Say what you will about rankings and school prestige, but the campus and community vibe will play heavily into your (or your child’s) well-being in college.
If you are able, consider visiting a few colleges this summer! Outside of meeting with admissions and taking a formal tour (do these if the school is offering them, of course), consider these ideas:
- Walk the campus. Importantly, walk it with a realistic perspective about yourself. For instance, if the residence halls are far from academic buildings you’d be in most, would you make it to class? If the campus is spread over a vast area and you are notorious for having a terrible sense of direction, might a smaller environment be better for you?
- Feel the vibe. Every campus gives off a vibe. It’s almost always easier to feel it when it’s bustling with students during the semester, but the pandemic has changed what “normal” feels like on campuses. Now, it may require a little more savvy. Read peoples’ body language. Consider how friendly students and staff are (or aren’t). Do you feel welcome? Do you feel safe? Do the facilities (especially related to your major) appear to be well maintained? All of this contributes to that unique feeling every school gives off.
- Talk to people. Most college students just hanging out on campus lawns would be happy to give honest feedback for a few minutes. Ask pointed questions, though, that can uncover important insights. Here are some ideas for after you’ve exchanged names and basic info:
- Why did you decide to attend this school?
- If you could change anything about this college, what would it be and why?
- Who has been your favorite professor/instructor here and why?
- What is your favorite thing about this school?
- What is your least favorite thing about this school?
- Take notes. Jot down your impressions so you can reflect on them later. Importantly, also make notes about what the weather was like the day your visited, how you were feeling the day you visited, and if anything in particular notably impacted your visit for better or worse.
Ok, that’s all well and good, but what if you’re not able to visit colleges?
Not to worry!
If Covid has taught us anything, it’s that people are capable of innovating with technology mighty quickly. Excellent online resources are now available to help you come as close to the campus experience as possible. Here are a few of our faves:
- Take advantage of online campus tours, online college fairs, and virtual college visit meetings. These are great ways to demonstrate your interest to colleges, even from afar, and pick up great info about the schools you’re interested in. (And you don’t even have to put on real pants!)
- Utilize YouTube and CampusReel to search for content that’ll put you in the shoes of a currently enrolled student. You can learn so, so much from these videos, from real-talk about dining services to hot takes on parking and campus safety. These are the next-best thing to being on campus on person.
- Do some research beyond dry statistics and rankings. We love the Fiske Guide for strong narrative overviews of dozens of US colleges and universities. They give an excellent cultural overview of schools and the communities surrounding them, along with academic profiles. We also like Niche.com, which provides a nice “report card” style overview of colleges with more narrative input from students.
All of these resources together can help you get an excellent feel for a school’s vibe if you’re not able to see campus in person.