College visits are an important component of your college search process. It’s an opportunity to experience firsthand what it feels like to be on campus. The vibe you get from each visit helps shape your college list and perhaps identify and solidify your Restrictive Early Action or Early Decision schools. So, don’t take your visit lightly.
Visiting colleges can be fun and informative, but most students can visit only once to get a sense of the campus before applying. Here are a few tips to make those visits as productive as possible.
Tips to Maximize Your College Campus Visit
1. Plan Ahead
Tours and information sessions can quickly fill up during the summer months. Find out if reservations are required. Even if they are not, arrive early to be sure you get in on the scheduled tour times and get seats in the sessions.
Unfortunately, due to space limitations, you may get turned away or have to wait for extra sessions later in the day, which could interfere with your overall schedule. That is why planning ahead is so important.
In the winter months, when there are fewer visitors, the tour and session schedule may be reduced, so consider campus visits during this time if possible.
To make the most of your visit, register for a campus tour and admissions information session (you can typically find this on the Admissions webpage under “Visit”). Try to do this a month or two in advance if you can.
During the regular academic session (from August through June), an overnight visit with a current student can be arranged through the admissions or campus visit office with 2–3 weeks’ notice.
2. Take Notes
Although colleges may be very different, they can all start to look and even sound alike when you’ve visited several of them. Bring a notepad (or keep digital notes) to jot down the points from your visit that stand out to you.
Some aspects to record include:
- The type of college (public, private, military, etc.)
- Distance from home
- Location (urban, suburban, etc.)
- Student population (large, medium, small)
- Campus vibe
- Greek life
- Classroom setting
- Religious affiliation
3. Talk to Students (and Look Beyond the Tour)
Feel free to walk around the campus on your own and talk to students, outside of an official tour or information session.
Be warned, though: Not everything you hear may be positive, but as you talk to more students, you’ll get a more accurate overall impression.
If possible, you may also want to eat in a student dining center. Most will allow guests to pay for meals. It’s a great place to meet students and try out what you’ll be eating for the next four years!
Also, allocate enough time to visit and experience the surrounding areas – local shops, restaurants, and the neighborhood around campus – so you can gauge your comfort level for small towns, medium cities, or large cities. Pay attention to how locals interact with students and visitors; that atmosphere can be a real part of your day-to-day life.
4. Meet with Faculty / Visit Classes
By planning your visit, you may be able to meet with one or two faculty members in departments you’re interested in (this may be more difficult during the summer or semester breaks).
Knowing your visit date, you can reach out to faculty in the academic department in which you aspire to study or have an interest. Write to 2–3 faculty to request a brief visit with them as your interests align with their teaching and research. The odds of all 3 faculty members being available are unlikely, but most faculty will be thrilled to chat and share their work with you.
Be sure to schedule an appointment with the faculty member and come prepared with questions specific to the department (not general admissions questions, as this is not their expertise).
If a faculty visit is not possible, you can find out class schedules and perhaps sit in on a class or two.
For very large classes, it may be easy to just sit in. For smaller classes, you should ask for permission first – there may not be enough room for extra students to sit.
Faculty and classroom visits are also arranged through the admissions or campus visit office.
5. Talk to Financial Aid
If aid is going to be a concern, schedule an appointment with a financial aid counselor and find out what you will need to bring for them to give you a rough estimate of what you may expect in aid.
6. Meet with an Admissions Officer
Not all colleges offer interviews, but if they do, they are not done as walk-ins – you must schedule an appointment.
Before you go, research the schools and arrive prepared with questions. Ask tour guides (who are typically current undergraduate students) about their first-year experience, research opportunities, faculty engagement, athletics, Greek life, and social life.
And if you have the chance to speak with admissions staff, consider asking what makes a student stand out in a pool of similarly qualified applicants and what they value in their admitted class. Insightful questions tend to be far more helpful than questions about SAT/ACT scores – those stats and basic class profile data can usually be found on the admissions site.
7. Look for Signs of Student Activity
If you’re visiting a campus when it’s in regular session, scan the bulletin boards, pick up flyers, and read the student newspaper.
These are all great ways to learn how active the campus is, what types of activities are available, and which issues are important to students.
Suggested Timeframe for College Visits
Application-year students should plan to visit during the Spring of their Junior Year, through the Fall of their Senior Year. Do initial visits during the Spring and Summer, then (if possible) follow up with 1–2 overnight visits to potential REA/ED schools in the fall, as these tend to provide a more immersive experience. Overnight visits are packed with opportunities to experience living and dining in the residence halls, sit in on classes, and engage with a whole host of people. It’s an authentic opportunity to be a student for a day or two.
If you’d like help assembling your college list, or with any other part of your college application process, please reach out! Our Admissions Strategists would love to set up a free consultation with you. These consultations offer significant value, even if you don’t end up using our services.
Originally published in April 2018. Edited by one of our admissions consultants before being republished in January 2026.
Former Admission Counselor at Stanford University
Former Assistant Director at Simmons University
3 Years in Stanford University Admissions
3 Years in Simmons University Admissions
2,900+ Applications Read and Evaluated
After graduating from Stanford University, Samantha joined the Office of Undergraduate Admission at her alma mater. During her three years there, she evaluated and advocated in committee for up to 1500 students from across the country and led on- and off-campus information sessions for students, families, counselors, and teachers.
