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Four Tips For Your College Campus Visit
By Lindsey Roeth, MVS Director of College Counseling
During my tenure as a college counselor, I’ve become something of an expert on campus visits—I visit more than a dozen colleges a year! On many tours, I’m alongside parents and teens as they try each college on for size and imagine what life would be like there. Here are my tips for students and families to get the most out of each visit.
During my tenure as a college counselor, I’ve become something of an expert on campus visits—I visit more than a dozen colleges a year! On many tours, I’m alongside parents and teens as they try each college on for size and imagine what life would be like there. Here are my tips for students and families to get the most out of each visit.
1. Adults, let your child be front and center.
While college is undoubtedly a family decision, campus visits are a great moment for your child to show off their independence and maturity. Have them schedule the tour online (do this earlier than you think, because tours fill up in the summer). Let them walk into the admissions office first to check in, and encourage them to be the one asking questions. Some universities also have information sessions before or after the tour that are led by members of their admissions staff. These are the people that read and evaluate student applications, and it never hurts to make a good impression.
2. Do the work—both pre and post visit.
Before your child’s tour, do some research together about the college or university and think of questions that aren’t easy to find on the school’s website. Typically a campus is pretty quiet in the summer, but it’s always great to ask your tour guide about the stuff you aren’t seeing (What’s it like here in the winter? What does campus look like during finals week?). After the visit, take time with your child to not only talk about the experience, but also to write things down. Whether it's an impression you were left with, the name of a club that piqued your interest, or a genius tip from your tour guide about the best first year dorm, after several campus visits that information will bleed together and your child might forget what they liked and what they didn’t. Also worth noting: Colleges occasionally ask students to write a “why us?” essay in the admissions process. Insights gleaned from the campus tour are great fodder for an essay about why a given school is a great fit.
3. Don’t try to do too much.
Two to three visits is typically the maximum number of official campus visits you can squeeze into one day if the campuses aren’t too far apart. Giving yourself more time than you think can help ease stress and also allows you and your child time to get a coffee at a popular undergraduate hangout, wander a little, and soak in some of the less “official” stuff.
4. Start early and aim for variety
It isn’t unheard of for a rising sophomore or junior to start college visits! Even if your family’s first visit is a couple years away, it’s a great idea to have low-pressure conversations about college options early, and I find that students who have visited campuses are better able to articulate what their ideal college environment is. For these early college visits, consider colleges that check different boxes that are of interest to the student. Visiting schools that are in different categories when it comes to affordability, selectivity, campus setting, curriculum, and size can help students better understand the best fit for them.
Happy travels!
Lindsey Roeth is the Director of College Counseling at The Miami Valley School. As director, she oversees MVS' comprehensive college counseling program, which provides personalized guidance to all MVS seniors as they navigate their college journeys.
The Miami Valley School's comprehensive college counseling program is the only one of its kind in the Dayton, OH, area. Learn more about college counseling at MVS by reading The MVS College Report, available as a free download. This publication includes analysis of the 2024 college admissions year as well as insights from Mrs. Roeth about the changing landscape of college admissions.
Lindsey Roeth is the Director of College Counseling at The Miami Valley School. As director, she oversees MVS' comprehensive college counseling program, which provides personalized guidance to all MVS seniors as they navigate their college journeys.
The Miami Valley School's comprehensive college counseling program is the only one of its kind in the Dayton, OH, area. Learn more about college counseling at MVS by reading The MVS College Report, available as a free download. This publication includes analysis of the 2024 college admissions year as well as insights from Mrs. Roeth about the changing landscape of college admissions.
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