GREENSBORO, N.C. — It’s the time of year when high school students interested in going to college are finalizing applications or have already submitted them. One part of the decision-making process for many students is visiting the campus to get an idea of what the college is like.
College tours aren’t necessary for your student to decide where to go to college, but they can be helpful. Visiting a college, whether four yr., two yr., or a trade school, might help your student get a feel for the pace of college life, city, and students. If money’s tight, then your student can be on virtual tours. Also, many colleges offer information sessions where your student can virtually talk to current students of the schools interested in professors. Some colleges will allow students to sit in on a class virtually.
There are two trains of thought about when to visit campuses. One train of thought is to visit before applying because you can rule out schools you didn’t like. The downside is that if your student really likes a school they visited but wasn’t accepted, it can be more disappointing. Some parents believe it’s a waste of money to visit a school where their kid is ultimately rejected. The other train of thought is to visit schools where your student gets accepted. The belief is that it saves time and money because you’re only visiting schools that are an option for your student.
Realize that going from high school to college can be overwhelming, and your student may not know what to expect from a campus tour or what questions to ask, or they may not even know what they want to get out of a college visit. And it’s okay. Don’t have expectations. Let them observe and figure it out. Sometimes, it’s getting a feel to see if they like a particular school, the vibe of whether they’d fit in and be comfortable. When on tour with your students, pay attention to what they gravitate towards. And you can ask different questions about what they like or don’t like.
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