Many families struggle with finding the time to do college visits. With school, work and extracurricular activities, it can be difficult to plan tours around everyday life. Even though it may be tempting, the upcoming holiday breaks are not the best time to plan your campus visits.
During the week of Thanksgiving, colleges are often open, but the students have already ventured home to be with their families. Often times there are not even campus tours offered. You may be able to meet with someone in the admissions office, but it will be difficult to get a feel for the college culture without students present.
Winter holiday break is even worse. Most colleges may be closed December 23rd to January 2nd. Again, if you venture to a college that third week in December, the admission counselors may still be there, but they will more than likely be knee deep in reading applications.
So when is the best time to visit college campuses? Unfortunately it is during the school year. Try to pick a time, such as a February or March break, but be careful not to overlap with the college’s spring break if possible. Make sure you do your research an look at the school’s campus tour calendar. Most colleges have sign ups on-line.
For more tips, read our previous blog post: Planning the Perfect Campus Visit.
Katherine Price
Educational Consultant
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Mark Montgomery
Mark is the Founder and CEO of Great College Advice, a national college admissions consulting firm. As a career educator, he has served as a college administrator, professor of international relations at the University of Denver and the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, program consultant at Yale and the University of Kansas, government instructor at Harvard and Tufts, high school teacher of French, and a Fulbright teacher of English in France. He has personally helped hundreds of students from around the world map their college journeys. Mark speaks on college preparation, selection, and admission to students and parents around the world, and his views have been published in major newspapers and journals.
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Mark Montgomery
Mark is the Founder and CEO of Great College Advice, a national college admissions consulting firm. As a career educator, he has served as a college administrator, professor of international relations at the University of Denver and the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, program consultant at Yale and the University of Kansas, government instructor at Harvard and Tufts, high school teacher of French, and a Fulbright teacher of English in France. He has personally helped hundreds of students from around the world map their college journeys. Mark speaks on college preparation, selection, and admission to students and parents around the world, and his views have been published in major newspapers and journals.