Tour Smarter: How To Make College Visits Count
A practical guide to turning a campus visit into meaningful insight
By Lara Poulios
Develop A System For Sorting Out Observations
I’m an Independent College Advisor who loves my work guiding students through the process of evaluating their college options. I’m also the mom of two now-adults who went through this very same process. The first time I attended a college visit with my older son, I thought it would be easy to remember the school’s distinguishing features and sort out the pros and cons compared to other college campuses. Wrong. After a few tours, these visits really started to blend, and I found myself trying to remember if it was NYU that was located in that lovely, small New England town. It’s not. Most schools have some common features (blue light system, anyone?), but each has its own unique “vibe” and distinguishing characteristics that factor into the decision-making process. So how do you sort through it all and determine which colleges are a good fit for your teen?
After a few visits with each of my sons, I started to see a pattern emerge of features they really loved about each of the schools on their list and aspects that they didn’t want in a college environment. After the tour, we’d talk about the pros and cons as they gained enough clarity to articulate their thoughts. We created a grid of sorts, with their criteria listed vertically and the colleges listed across the top. And then we scored each school after our visit on those criteria, using a 1-3 scale. Study abroad programs for engineers? The college that had a structured semester in Ireland for its engineering majors received a “1”. The college that said that engineering majors could look for opportunities in the study abroad office received a “2”. The college that said that studying abroad for engineers was a “no-go” received a “3”. We included everything in this grid that had an impact on them during our visits, good or bad: educational opportunities, access to professors, housing, dining, cost of attendance, you name it. This grid system helped my kids sort out their reactions and remember the details. It also reminded them of what to evaluate on their next campus visit.
Your family doesn’t have to use a grid. The point is to develop a system for noting and comparing the various features of a college environment. Trust me, you will not remember which college has Dining Hall Lobster Night after visit #3.
Tips For Managing Campus Visits
- Give your teen time to let it sink in. What I want to say when I walk out of a visit: “Oh my gosh, that was great! Did you see that you could dual-major in nuclear physics and computational biology? And that internship opportunity with Nobel Prize winners! Amazing!” What I actually say: “So, um, you hungry? There’s a place over there that looks good for lunch.” Teens are not exactly known for their overly communicative ways. Give them some time. They are looking at leaving the only home they’ve ever known and selecting a new place to live, on their own, for the next few years. This is all very overwhelming for them. Let them process all that they’ve seen, and don’t pressure them into an immediate reaction. They will share eventually.
- Don’t discount the trivial. One of my kids is, shall we say, a Starbucks aficionado. The highlight of his spring is when the coconut milk mocha macchiato comes back out. He was dismayed that ABC University had only a no-name coffee shop on its campus instead of the real Seattle deal. He wanted it included on our list of criteria for evaluating a school. Fine. It won’t be the deciding factor, but he’s the one who has to live there for four years, so fine.
- Timing. Don’t visit too early. Don’t visit too late. Don’t schedule too many visits in one short period of time. Sounds complicated? It doesn’t have to be, but campus visits do require you and your teen to plan ahead. Sprinkle them throughout junior year and the first semester of senior year. Sophomore year can be great for getting the initial feel of a school, but plan to revisit once your teen has a better idea about what they are looking for.
- Bad visits are good. You don’t have to wait until the college list is final to schedule a visit. If your teen thinks they might be interested in a school, take a chance and go! Some of the most productive visits my family had were at schools my kids absolutely did not like. Each son had one campus visit where, after 15 minutes, they turned to me and said, “We can go now” (we didn’t). Strong negative reactions usually produce very clear ideas of what they don’t want. Use this feedback to refine the college list. Schools that look good on paper don’t always turn out to be a good fit for your teen. Visits help you sort this out.
Enjoy This Time With Your Teen!
Above all else, campus visits are a great way to spend time with your teen. Make it fun! Find a local attraction (even an ice cream shop!) to tie into the visit, and approach this time with a relaxed attitude. If you are stressed or anxious, your teen will be, too. There is precious little time before you drop them off with all their dorm gear, so enjoy this time together.
After many years in corporate America, Lara Poulios discovered her passion for guiding students through the college search process while accompanying her firstborn on his college visits. She enrolled in UCLA’s College Counseling Certificate Program in 2014 and never looked back, having recently completed her 11th application cycle. Lara joined the Dobler College Consulting team in 2022 and focuses on helping students thoughtfully explore their college options, identify schools that are the right academic and personal fit, and navigate the admissions process with clarity and confidence.
Lara also earned the designation of International University Advocate through NACAC, demonstrating her ability to support students pursuing college opportunities outside the United States. She looks forward to helping students plan international college visits.