With the fall season coming to an end, juniors in high school are thinking about the path of college, and seniors are submitting applications to the schools they want to attend. There are many paths you can take after high school, and one of the popular options is attending a college or university. College tours can be a good option for someone who doesn’t know where they want to go.
According to High Point University, “A college visit is an ideal time to get answers to important questions. With access to students, financial aid, admissions staff, and faculty members, you can learn more about class sizes, campus life, and details about applying and scholarships.”
Not being sure where you want to go to school after high school is common, but taking college visits can narrow down your potential options to help you find the best fit. The best time to do these college visits is before your applications are due. Applications to colleges are due in two groups. Early admission and regular decision. These deadlines can affect when college visits will happen, but a busy time for them is in the fall before November. These tours are usually filled with seniors making their final decisions, or juniors looking to start planning where they want to go.
For students that play sports, there are also college visits to view the facilities, and learn more about the athletics program. Junior Breyson Palmer said, “I went on a few visits to school for football. When I went to [Syracuse University] I walked through the field and got to learn more about the program and being a kicker there.” College visits can look a little different from more typical ones when you are there to view the athletics, but both can lead you to a decision of where to go. Palmer also said, “I went on a college tour at N.C. State University, and it was good, but different from the football ones.”
A normal college tour lasts around 60 to 90 minutes. An admissions officer will lead a group of students and parents around the campus to share history, the application process, and to answer any questions visitors may have. Senior Ian Johnson said, “I went on many tours. I had a lot of potential places, and hearing from a student what it’s like at each school, it really helped me decide where I want to go. They take you around the school to look at the different buildings, and you even get to see a dorm. Seeing the community around the school helped me decide that this was the school I wanted to commit to run at for the next four years.”
If you are a junior or senior in high school that is still deciding where you want to go, a college tour can be a good option to learn the atmosphere and community of what each school offers.
