So, UNC was a disaster, huh? This week, all the students who reported to campus were sent home a week later because Covid was spreading around campus. We are guessing most, if not all, US colleges will be going entirely online this fall. So what does that mean for rising seniors wanting to visit colleges? Short answer is: you can’t. Perhaps you could drive there and walk around the campus with your mask on, but formal college tours are largely not being offered this fall. However, colleges are doing their best to accommodate students who want to learn more about, and possibly apply to, their school.
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As we mentioned in this previous blog, winter and spring of junior year is the optimal time to visit colleges. And, you can click on the “tours and visits” blog category on our blog’s main page for more advice about how to make the most of your visits and why they are important.
During your first winter meeting with your Campus Bound counselor, you will get a list of colleges that fit what you are seeking. But once you get that list, and if you are looking at colleges farther away, how do you go about planning these trips? Campus Bound will attempt to be a travel agent in this helpful blog.
In these early winter months, seniors are wrapping up the college application process, and juniors are typically starting. There are two weeks that all juniors should already have marked on their calendars. If you don’t… do it now!
If you are a student who plays sports in high school, you may want to consider playing in college too. Talking with a high school coach, friends, family members, college athletes and college coaches can all help you decide if college sports may be right for you.
Winter and spring school vacations are the best time to visit colleges. Waiting until the summer means that college campuses will be empty and quiet and hard to gauge. Waiting until fall of senior year means that you will be extremely busy and it may not happen.
You may have a picture in your head about what touring a college is like, and you’re probably right. It will likely be a large group of current high school students and their families walking slowly behind a current college student who is walking backwards (dodging puddles and classmates) and pointing out the highlights of the school. There will be eager, inquisitive parents toward the front of the group, with sluggish teens lagging in the back. But don’t let that be you! Take control of your own college tour. One way to do this is to ask unique questions, and here we give you 40 to get the ball rolling!
At Campus Bound, our counselors have over 50 combined years of college admission experience. We are passionate and informed about the world of college admissions. Occasionally we like to tap into that expertise and pass along our words of wisdom to families. So this month we asked, “What can students do during a college visit in order to get the most out of the experience?”
Fresh off my recent trip to visit colleges in Florida, I compiled a list of secret things college counselors do when we visit colleges. Seeing colleges ourselves helps us guide our students to colleges that are a good “fit.” Campus Bound Counselors are dedicated to staying up-to-date on the latest developments within the realm of college admissions and on the campuses of particular colleges.