The golden rule for college visit attire is simple: prioritize comfort and authenticity over formality. The most common mistakes include wearing uncomfortable shoes, sporting another college’s merchandise, choosing ripped or inappropriate clothing, overdressing unnecessarily, and failing to check the weather. For a complete guide to navigating the college admissions process from start to finish, explore our comprehensive resource on The College Admissions Lifecycle: A Guide Through High School.
What are the biggest clothing mistakes to avoid on a college visit?
Campus visits require significant walking, often covering substantial ground over several hours. The biggest clothing mistakes students and families make center on comfort and appropriateness:
Uncomfortable footwear: High heels, brand-new shoes, or flimsy sandals will leave you miserable and distracted. Choose broken-in walking shoes with good support.
Another college’s gear: Nothing sends a more confusing signal than raving about how much you want to attend a school while wearing a competitor’s sweatshirt. Admissions counselors definitely notice.
Inappropriate clothing: Watch the holes, ripped items, and offensive slogans. Anything too tight or revealing isn’t the impression you want to make.
Overdressing: Unless you have a scheduled interview, there’s no reason to wear a suit and tie. You’ll be uncomfortable and stand out awkwardly.
Ignoring the weather: Failing to check the forecast means you might freeze on a blustery New England campus or overheat during a Southern tour.
As Jamie Berger, a highly acclaimed college admissions counselor with Great College Advice, puts it: “Wear clothes you’re comfortable in, just nothing sloppy. The best version of your normal attire. Not dress-up. They want to get to know you, not hire you.”
What’s the appropriate dress code for a college campus tour versus an admissions interview?
The dress code varies depending on what activities you’ve planned for your visit.
For campus tours and information sessions: Casual to business casual works perfectly. Clean jeans paired with a nice top are entirely appropriate.
For admissions interviews: Step it up slightly without going overboard. A collared shirt or polished blouse with neat pants or a skirt strikes the right balance. You want to appear engaged and respectful, not like you’re heading to a corporate board meeting. As Bonnie Hale, a member of the Great College Advice community, notes: “Dress is casual to business casual. Interviews do not weigh heavily on admission decisions.”
For professor or faculty meetings: Paul Wingle, another seasoned voice in the Great College Advice community, offers practical wisdom: “No coat and tie. You will need to keep a neat appearance for those meetings, but the dining will be in the dining hall, not a coat and tie environment.”
The key distinction: interviews and faculty meetings call for a slightly more polished version of your everyday look, while standard tours and sessions are genuinely casual affairs.
Why shouldn’t I wear another college’s merchandise on a campus visit?
This might seem like a minor detail, but it’s one of the most common, and avoidable mistakes families make.
Consider the optics: you’re walking into an admissions office, expressing enthusiasm about the school, while literally advertising their competition. It sends a mixed message at best and shows a lack of awareness at worst.
Admissions staff conduct these tours and sessions daily. They notice. While no one will reject you for wearing a UCLA hoodie to your University of Michigan visit, it undermines the demonstrated interest you’re trying to build.
The solution is simple: wear neutral clothing. Save the college gear for after you’ve committed, or at least after you’ve purchased something from the school you’re actually visiting that day.
How should I dress for different weather conditions during college visits?
Weather preparedness is crucial, especially since many families tour multiple schools across different climates during school breaks.
For warm weather: Light, breathable layers work best. You’ll be moving between air-conditioned buildings and sunny outdoor paths. A light cardigan or jacket you can tie around your waist provides flexibility.
For cold weather: Dress warmly but ensure you can easily shed layers. Long information sessions in heated auditoriums can get uncomfortable if you’re bundled up with no way to remove outerwear gracefully.
For rainy days: A waterproof jacket with a hood beats an umbrella for walking tours where you need both hands free for note-taking. Water-resistant shoes are invaluable.
Effective campus visits help you get beyond the superficial aspects of a campus to learn about that community of people. You can’t do that if you’re shivering, sweating, or soaked.
What should I wear if I have both a campus tour and a professor meeting scheduled?
When your visit includes multiple activities with different formality levels, the smart strategy is dressing for versatility rather than bringing multiple outfits.
A smart casual approach works across contexts: dark jeans or khakis paired with a nice blouse or button-down shirt transitions smoothly from casual touring to professional meetings. Add a light blazer or cardigan that you can put on or remove as needed.
Footwear requires more thought. You need shoes that look polished enough for a professor meeting but comfortable enough for an hour-long walking tour. Loafers, clean sneakers, or comfortable flats typically hit this balance.
Avoid the temptation to bring a complete outfit change. Coordinating logistics around changing clothes adds stress and complexity to an already full day.
Does what I wear on a college visit actually affect my admission chances?
Let’s be direct: for standard campus tours and information sessions, your clothing doesn’t factor into admissions decisions. Tour guides aren’t secretly evaluating applicants, and admissions officers aren’t tracking who wore what.
However, presentation does matter in two specific scenarios:
Interviews: Whether with alumni or on-campus staff, first impressions carry weight. Looking neat and put-together demonstrates respect for the interviewer’s time and the opportunity.
Direct admissions interactions: If you’re speaking directly with admissions officers, demonstrating good judgment in your presentation reflects positively on your overall candidacy.
More importantly, what you wear affects YOUR experience. According to the Great College Advice approach, “the focus should be on your student: their abilities, preferences, desires, needs, and aspirations. The primary question in your mind should be, does this campus fit my student?”
Uncomfortable clothes distract you from this essential assessment. When you’re worried about blistering feet or overheating in a blazer, you’re not gathering the insights you need to make good decisions.
What should parents wear when accompanying their student on college visits?
Parents should follow the same guidelines as students: comfortable, neat, and weather-appropriate. The goal is supporting your student’s experience without becoming a distraction—either to yourselves or to others on the tour.
The Great College Advice Family Handbook offers wisdom here: “Let your student take charge of the visit. We know it is tempting to take charge, but try to let your student show independence.” Your clothing choice should reflect this supportive role—present and appropriate, not the center of attention.
Practical considerations matter too. Parents cover the same ground as students, so comfortable walking shoes are non-negotiable. Avoid formal business attire that might make the family stand out or suggest you’re treating this more like a corporate transaction than an educational exploration.
Tobi Adeyeye Amosun, a Great College Advice community member, notes that even at schools with traditional reputations, dress codes have relaxed: “Vandy [Vanderbilt] definitely does not have as much of a dress up culture as it used to and it mostly applies to the handful of kids who are in Greek life. Everybody else wears normal clothes.”
The same principle applies to campus visits: normal, comfortable clothes that let everyone focus on what actually matters.
College visits are valuable opportunities to assess fit and demonstrate interest, but they shouldn’t be stress-inducing fashion decisions. Aim for clean, comfortable, weather-appropriate attire that lets you focus on gathering information rather than managing wardrobe malfunctions. When in doubt, remember Jamie Berger’s advice: present the best version of your normal self. The admissions process is ultimately about finding the right match between student and institution—and that assessment goes both ways.
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