Preview Days & Other Ways to Visit a College

Colleges and Universities are dying for you to visit them. I cannot tell you how many times both college administrators and students have told me about the impact visiting a college has on them. It turns all your internet research, US News Rankings, and friends' often uniformed opinions into reality. You can walk the grounds, see where students hang out, eat the food, and generally get the feel for a college. You wouldn't buy a car without test driving it, would you? Also, wouldn't you likely test drive more than one car before making your final decision? It has always perplexed me how many students do not visit the top colleges on their list.

As it turns out, colleges and universities make it as easy as possible to provide you opportunities to visit their campuses. Many colleges hold an Open House style event, sometimes called Preview Day, during the time they are initially accepting applications. These are events where you can hear some information about your major, get an introduction to the college or University, have lunch, and take a tour. These are often a bit more relaxed because you may or may not have applied to the college or university. After you have applied, and the colleges really want to make you think twice about attending their institution, they will host another, more formal day to woo you. And believe me, colleges and universities are dying to woo you. If you are admitted to a college, then they want you to attend. You are a precious commodity.

If you are unable to make one of the official college or university events, then you can always schedule a tour of the campus. If you choose to take this route, I suggest you schedule your tour at a time when there are students on campus (not Christmas break). To be safe, when you call the tour office, ask them if school will be in session (even summer school works) when you are thinking about visiting. Colleges without students are not real exciting and you won't get a true feel for the campus without other students around. To return to my car analogy, you wouldn't test drive a car that didn't have an engine, would you?