College Planning Guide

Campus Visit Planning and Virtual Tours

The smart family's guide to strategic college visits that save money and lead to better decisions

Two Families, Two Approaches

Sarah's Family: The Traditional Route

  • • Visited 8 colleges across 3 states
  • • Spent $3,200 on travel expenses
  • • Saw polished presentations
  • • Result: Learned almost nothing useful for decisions

Tom's Family: The Strategic Route

  • • Visited 4 schools strategically
  • • Virtual deep-dives on 6 others
  • • Total cost: $800
  • • Result: Found perfect fit school not on original list

Strategic approach saves families an average of $2,000 and leads to better decisions.

The New Reality: Virtual First, Visits Second

Post-2020 Truth: Virtual options are now permanent and often better than rushed campus visits for initial screening.

The Smart Three-Step Strategy

Step 1

Virtual Screening

$0

45 min per school

80% of list (12-16 schools)

Step 2

Strategic Visits

$800-1,200

Full day per school

Top contenders (4-6 schools)

Step 3

Deep-Dive Visits

$400-800

Overnight stays

Final choices (2-3 schools)

Virtual Tours That Actually Work

Skip the Generic Virtual Tours

Those polished 360° campus tours on college websites? They're marketing materials. You need real information.

Better Virtual Research Tools

Live Virtual Info Sessions

Interactive Q&A opportunities

Ask the hard questions about retention rates and job placement

Student-Led Social Media

Unfiltered campus life content

Check Instagram Stories and TikTok for real daily experiences

Virtual Class Visits

Zoom into actual lectures

Observe teaching styles and student engagement levels

The 45-Minute Virtual Deep Dive

15 minutes

Official virtual tour and info session

15 minutes

Student social media and campus newspaper

15 minutes

Department-specific virtual events or class visits

When Campus Visits Are Worth It

Visit In Person When:

  • •School is in your top 5 and you're seriously considering attending
  • •You need to assess specific facilities (labs, studios, libraries)
  • •Campus culture is hard to gauge virtually
  • •You're choosing between final 2-3 options
  • •The school strongly considers "demonstrated interest"

Skip Visits When:

  • •It's clearly a reach school you're unlikely to get into
  • •You've already ruled it out based on virtual research
  • •The visit would strain your family's budget significantly
  • •You can get the same information virtually

Strategic Visit Planning

Best Times to Visit

  • Regular class days (Tuesday-Thursday during semester)
  • Fall of senior year (October-November)
  • Spring of junior year (March-April)

Avoid These Times

  • Finals week (campus feels unusually stressed)
  • Breaks and holidays (not representative)
  • Summer (campus often empty of regular students)

Northeast Route Example

Day 1: Boston College (morning), Northeastern (afternoon)

Day 2: Tufts (morning), Brandeis (afternoon)

Day 3: Harvard/MIT (if competitive for these)

Cost Breakdown:
  • Hotel (2 nights): $300
  • Rental car: $150
  • Gas and parking: $100
  • Meals: $200
  • Total: $750 for 4-5 schools
  • vs. $1,500+ for separate trips

The Strategic Visit Schedule

9:00 AM

Info Session

Arrive early, ask specific questions

10:30 AM

Campus Tour

Walk at back to talk with other families

12:00 PM

Student Dining

Eat where students eat, observe interactions

1:30 PM

Self-Guided Exploration

Visit your major's building and library

3:00 PM

Department Meeting

Schedule ahead with intended major

Red Flags During Visits

Warning Signs to Watch For

⚠

Students complaining about getting into required classes

⚠

Outdated facilities in your intended major

⚠

Faculty seeming unavailable or disinterested

⚠

Poor campus maintenance or safety concerns

⚠

Admissions staff being evasive about important questions

Budget-Friendly Visit Strategies

Regional clustering

Visit schools within driving distance

Fly-in programs

Many schools offer free visits for high-achieving students

Alumni networks

Local alumni sometimes host prospective student events

Virtual deep-dives

Invest extra time in thorough online research

The Bottom Line

Smart college visiting isn't about seeing every school on your list - it's about gathering the right information to make confident decisions. Virtual research can eliminate poor fits, strategic visits can confirm good ones, and a systematic approach saves both money and stress.

Remember: You're not choosing a vacation destination. You're choosing a place to grow, learn, and prepare for your future. Make sure your visit strategy reflects what actually matters for those goals.

Ready to Plan Your Strategic College Visits?

CollegeCompass can help you prioritize which schools deserve in-person visits based on your profile and preferences.

Plus get custom questions to ask during your visits and virtual research strategies tailored to your interests.