There are many ways to “visit” a campus, other than a traditional campus tour, interview, etc. This item is being posted in 2020 in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, while many students and family members are considering how they can make their final college choice decisions. And since a traditional college visit isn’t possible with many universities closed to students and visitors, looking for an alternative is an important next step in your student’s college choice process.
What the College Visit is For
Prospective students visit campuses for several reasons, the most important being the need to make a final decision about whether to attend that particular college. There are many decision points for choosing a college, including the majors being offered, campus atmosphere, social life, the food, etc. Really exploring the institution and how it feels to the student is obviously easiest when they’re walking the campus: it’s all about the fit. As my previous post on campus visits illustrates, the student who uses their campus visit wisely can make an excellent impression on the Admissions staff and make their admission far more likely. Plus, the work they do before the campus visit means the student is face more prepared to learn all they need to know to make their decision. So, how can they duplicate that experience without traveling to campus?
Making the Best of the Alternatives
Simply, they can’t: they can’t duplicate the experience partly because of all the subtle things a student may see and hear while on the campus that won’t come through without a visit. But that doesn’t mean they’re without resources. First, the visit doesn’t “do” anything: it’s the student’s preparation and how they filter what they see during the visit makes the difference. This means that preparing for the visit—even when you don’t have one—can make all the difference.
My suggestion is that students prepare a script of questions to ask Admissions Counselors either by phone or by video. An Admissions counselor who receives an email from a perspective student asking for a video or telephone interview is bound to give that student a positive response. And students should be bold: ask what they want to know and don’t be shy about the extent of their questions. Many colleges also have virtual tours on their websites that students can view. I’d even suggest asking for the email of a current student and of a faculty member to learn more about majors, how faculty operate, and the student experience. This post from Cornell University’s website provides some other options. They should also look at all the videos on the college’s website. But this time, don’t have them ask themselves if this a school they’re interested in. Rather, they should watch videos of students and ask: “would I want to hang with that person?”
Not being able to visit campus is not the end of the world. With careful preparation, your student can still make a thoughtful decision about their future college or university. It’s all about the preparation.