Many families struggle with finding the best time for college tours. 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.
Thanksgiving is not the best time for college tours
During the week of Thanksgiving, colleges are often open, but the students have already ventured home to be with their families. College admissions officers, too, are very often out of the office entirely–finally getting a few days to spend with their families during a grueling travel season. Rarely do colleges even offer tours and information sessions during Thanksgiving week. 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. On many campuses, all dining facilities and campus amenities will be completely shut down as staff are given a few days off for the holidays.
So we recommend you forget Thanksgiving as a viable time to visit a campus, unless all you want to do is look at a bunch of locked and empty buildings. Not a super helpful time to get to know a school and its’ community.
The winter holiday is not the best time for college tours
Winter holiday break is just as bad, if not worse. When students leave campus, many offices also close up. Dorms are locked up tightly while students are away. The library may be on limited hours if it is open at all. Faculty leave town and go on their own vacations.
Most colleges may be completely closed from December 23rd to January 2nd. If you venture to a college that third week in December, a few admission counselors may still be in their offices, but they will more than likely be knee-deep in reading applications. So here again, unless all you want to do is see a bunch of locked and empty buildings, the winter holiday is not a great time for college tours.
What about summer for a college tour?
For many families, summer is the best time for a college tour. This is when students are no longer wrapped up in the demands of the academic year and time is a bit more flexible. While summer is not a perfect time to visit a college campus, it is better than Thanksgiving or the winter holidays. Some colleges and universities do have summer sessions, and most will have some sort of activities going on–even if they are not set up for their regular student bodies. Offices are generally open, as are most facilities. During the summer, you may not see the campus operating as it does during the academic year, but at least the admissions office is set up to show you the best of what the campus has to offer. While you’ll find it harder to have conversations with current students, at least you’ll get an idea of the what the campus feels like when there are actual humans around.
So when is the best time for a campus visit?
Unfortunately, the best time to visit a college campus is during the school year. This is when you will see the college or university in actual operation. Students will be going to class, all the facilities will be open–and bustling–and you’ll get a better idea of not just geography of the campus, but the people who animate it.
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 (once again, the college just won’t look or feel the same when the students are not around). Make sure you do your research and look at the school’s campus tour calendar. Most colleges have sign-ups online.
For more tips, read our previous blog post: Planning the Perfect Campus Visit.
