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Even if you use the visit to rule out
a school, no visit is a waste of time. After all, you wouldn't
buy a car without first taking it for a spin. Ditto for college.
So, once you've narrowed down the field, get ready for the most
important ride of your life!
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Oh, it will be exciting for a while. Then, slowly, all of
the college campuses you visit will start to run together. You
probably won’t remember which one had the cool statue on
the quad or even what the dorms looked like.
You’ll probably finish your first round of college visits
with some favorites, although you may not remember exactly what
you liked or why.
“It just seemed like a nice place;’ may be your comment
to anyone who asks you what you liked about old Ivy covered
U.
Don’t sweat it.
Chances are, you’ll be back for another look. No matter
how you slice it, the campus visit is a must. In fact, you should
plan on seeing your top choices at least twice and maybe three
times in the course of the year of decision making. There’s
way too much at stake to do otherwise.
The first visit is simply exploratory
and should take place in the spring of your junior year or summer
before your senior year.
The second visit typically happens
in the fall of your senior year (when the students are there)
and often includes a day on campus at a formal university open
house.
The third and final visit is the
big VIP tour for admitted students. It usually occurs in April
after you’ve been accepted, but before you need to commit.
It may even include an overnight in the dorms plus sitting in
on some regular university classes.
Picture the typical first campus visit.
Mom or Dad calls to schedule the interview, they pack up the
car, load you and your little brother or sister in the back
and your family hits the road. After a few hours of driving,
little brother or sister is bored to death (“Why do I have
to go on this dumb trip?”).
Mom and Dad have finished quizzing you on what you are going
to say in your interview and the trip has settled into silence.
Let’s face it: a college visit will be a lot more fun if
you make it into a mini-family vacation.
I’ve read plenty from college admissions people in other
parts of the country who’ll give you numerous days to avoid
visiting because there may be some big, special activity going
on in the area. They say hotel rooms may be difficult to find
and the rates will be sky high. Traffic will be heavier, too.
These must be the same people who tell you to go to Florida
in July because the rates are cheaper. Philly’s different.
For one thing, you’ll definitely want to extend your visit
a day or two to explore this most American of cities. And, contrary
to what other admissions folks may tell you, I think you should
visit when something special is happening. Fortunately, in Philadelphia,
that’s almost any time.
Even summer is a great option, but only if it’s your “exploratory”
visit. Your second and third trip should only occur when school
is in session and you can mix with enrolled students.
So go ahead: plan your visit at a time when you can take in
a Phillies game or go to the Philadelphia Zoo. Or set aside
an afternoon to rollerblade along the Schuylkill if that’s
what your family likes to do. Why not let mom and dad look forward
to seeing the Dad Vail Regatta, the Automobile Show or the Flower
Show while you spend time on a college campus?
Like many families, you may be hitting the road for a series
of visits to schools up and down the East Coast. If so, you’ll
find Philadelphia to be the perfect midway stopover where you
can take a well-deserved break, clear the mind and squeeze in
some family fun.
So as soon as you know your visit dates check out www.gophila.com
and www.campusphilly.org
for events in and around the city. But plan accordingly, many
of the best and most popular events will sell out long before
you get to town.
In other words, don’t avoid the busy times in Philadelphia.
Take advantage of them! Fact is, the only crowd you should be
avoiding is the one that gathers at the admissions office on
a three-day holiday weekend. That’s when you’re bound
to get lost in the herd and may not get the personal attention
you deserve.
Truth is, if you are planning to visit Philadelphia-area colleges,
come any time. We’ll be happy to see you and to help you
learn about our universities and our great city.
They go hand in hand.
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