DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE IMPORTANCE OF A CAMPUS VISIT.
I did not take an official visit to my university and luckily I love it. However, this is rarely the case. I did not have my parents pushing me to visit colleges on spring break and never thought to myself. I trusted that the school brochure would tell me all I needed to know. Bad logic.
I encourage you to visit your top college choices. A visit allows you to experience firsthand the environment and evaluate the academics, athletics, housing, and the social life for yourself. Brochures, catalogues, websites and presentations by college representatives can help to form an opinion of a school, but seeing it for yourself is the only way to know if is the right place for you. The promotional material and what others have to say can be quite convincing, but that doesn’t necessarily make it right for you. It is better to visit and evaluate a campus before you pay your first semester tuition and room and board.
When I say visit, I am not simply talking about the “drive-by” informal visit. I encourage you to plan a formal and involved visit, complete with information sessions and time to explore the campus and tours and class visits if possible. The summer and spring break are often ideal times for campus visits but university admissions offices welcome high school students year-around.
If you are not able to travel long distances to visit colleges I recommend that you visit nearby colleges so that you can get the feel for size and environment. Comparing a large university to a small liberal arts school will allow you decipher and decide which environment is best for you.
Visiting campus not only is valuable because it allows students to identify their ideal atmosphere for a college but it also motivates students to become competitive for different college admissions processes. It can act as an ideal opportunity for parents/counselors/role models and students to talk about this very important decision.