When to tour colleges for the best experience?

I'm a junior, looking at starting my college search seriously this year. I've heard it's crucial to tour campuses to get a feel for where you'd be comfortable living and learning. I'm wondering when the best time is to do these tours? Should I wait until after I've narrowed down my list, or is it better to start as soon as possible? Also, are there specific times of the year that are better for visiting? I'd love any advice on how to make the most out of these visits!

The decision to visit colleges will depend largely on your individual schedule and commitments. Generally speaking, though, the earlier you can start your college visits, the better, so that you can identify factors that are important to you in a college, whether that's the campus vibe, size of the student population, available facilities, or the presence of certain programs.

Visiting colleges before narrowing down your list can expose you to universities you might not have considered heavily before, and rule out others that don't meet your expectations. Besides, when you start early, you won't have the pressing deadline of college applications hovering over your head, which can lead to a more sound decision-making process.

As for the time of year to conduct these visits, the best would be typically when the semester is in full swing. This could be around the months of September to November in the Fall, or between February and April in the Spring. During these periods, you will get to see a typical school day with students and faculty moving about campus, engaging in activities and classes. If you visit during the summer, there may be some students around, but the overall vibe won't be what you'd find during the year.

During your visits, try to take a guided campus tour, visit academic departments that interest you, sit in on a class if allowed, and talk to current students to get an authentic sense of the college culture. Don't forget to take notes or even photos - campus tours can start to blur together, and you want to be able to remember specifics about each school when you are comparing them later on!

Remember to also factor in the possibility of virtual tours. Due to the ongoing pandemic, a lot of colleges have made virtual tours available to prospective students which can be a very convenient option. Especially for colleges that are relatively far from you, virtual tours can be a great option, although do keep in mind that there are aspects of college life that can be hard to pick up on through a screen. If you end up doing any virtual tours, make sure to take additional steps, like reaching out to the admissions office with personal questions you have, to ensure you still get a comprehensive picture of what attending that school would be like.

Finally, watch out for colleges that track 'demonstrated interest' as part of their admission process. These colleges are more likely to offer acceptance to a prospective student who has visited the campus or had some form of meaningful engagement, because such steps show they are more likely to enroll. Prioritizing visits to these schools will maximize your chances of having a range of options to choose from at the end of your senior year.

Enjoy your visits!