Kristen BixbyIn 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!
The two weeks we are talking about are the two school vacation weeks in the winter or spring. Some high schools have a one week break in February and another week in April, while some other schools have two weeks off in March. Regardless, these are PERFECT college visit weeks!
Of course, you’d rather be on a warm, tropical island somewhere during those weeks. Trust us, we get it! But using that time, or at least part of that time, will prove to be well worth it!
If you think of going through the college process backwards it makes sense: you can’t submit applications until you’ve completed said applications and all essays, you can’t write essays and work on applications until you know where you are going to apply, and you can’t know where you want to apply until you do some research and college visits. The sooner you start this trajectory, the better.
There are other reasons why these are the best weeks to visit colleges. Unless the college happens to be on their Winter or Spring Break at the same time, visiting a college when school is in session will give the best possible impression of the school. Some families choose to wait until summer, and this is better than nothing, but college campuses are likely to be super hot and super empty. A lot of construction may be going on, and there may not be a student or staff person in sight. Again, it’s better than nothing, but definitely won’t give the most amount of information in order for you to make your decision about the school.
If you haven’t already, look up your school vacation weeks for 2019 and then mark those with a big red marker on your family calendar. Plan to spend at least part of that time touring colleges. Trust us, you will be glad you did!
For more information about touring colleges, check out these previous blog posts: