How to Plan a College Campus Visit

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Email | RSS | More

Kim just wrapped up round two of college tours and her daughter Mia has committed to UCLA’s School of Engineering! We thought we would share some of our college search experience to help others that are just getting to this phase of parenting.

Episode Highlights

• It is important to visit various college campuses before you begin the college application process to help your student understand the style and size of campus that they feel most comfortable in
• It helps to start early during their sophomore or junior year
• Before you look at a particular school, make sure it is a school that you can afford by researching their tuition, merit scholarship opportunities, and the financial aid calculator
• Join the Parent Facebook group for the schools they are interested in and this is a great source of information but make sure they are run by the school or parents and not just a data-mining company
• Try to find hotels that are near the college campus for campus visits because it will give you a better sense of what it would like to be on campus. Graduate Hotels is a great chain to look at as their properties are always close to college campuses and it is now part of Hilton
• Make sure you drive around the campus and the surrounding neighborhood and think about how they would get to campus if they are flying in from out of state
• If you want to tour campus, you need to make a reservation to join a group tour and these can fill up far in advance
• Try to time your visit to when students are on campus and not during their spring break
• Be prepared to ask questions about food, class size, how hard it is to get into the classes they need, dorms, and campus life
• You can find dorm room tours on YouTube
• Be sure to check out the student union and see how busy it is and what the options are. Also pay attention to whether or not it is a swipe or cash system
• Check out the department buildings where your kid would be taking a lot of classes, the library, and where the dorms are
• Visiting on the Admitted Students day will give your student a good introduction to campus and campus life and provide an opportunity to connect with other students. Admitted Students day typically takes place during April
• Be sure to pay the housing deposit early unless your school guarantees housing for freshmen
• If the school doesn’t guarantee housing, look at housing costs in the area
• When thinking about dates, also look at booking hotels for move in, move out, and parent’s weekend
• Make dinner and brunch reservations during move in and Parents Weekend