I blocked my schedule. It’s really happening. I’m taking Max on a series of trips to visit colleges this summer. He’s going to be a junior in high school, and he’s ready (even if I’m not).
Deciding where to go with the time we have is not easy, especially when the student has an open mind about the location and type of school. If you don’t know where to start, here are three simple ways to plan out your itinerary:
1. Start local.
If the student is hesitant to start visiting colleges or hesitant about the college admissions process, start with colleges nearby. Oftentimes, the student has already been on a local college’s campus for a field trip, sports, or an event. Visiting a college they are familiar with makes the visit less intimidating. First up for Max? Franklin & Marshall College, a school only blocks from our house. He swims in the F&M pool, plays tennis on their courts, and walks the dog through campus. I can’t imagine a better way to kick off our summer college visits than visiting a campus he has literally grown up on.
2. Start with one college and build your itinerary around it.
Even students who haven’t done any research often have one college they are interested in (or intrigued by). That’s all you need. Once you identify one college, look to see what other colleges are within driving distance from it. Keep in mind that the college the student identifies tends to be a “reach” college— harder to get admitted to. The other colleges you add to the itinerary should be a “target” and a “likely” college. Including colleges of varying selectivity with each trip ensures a more balanced college list later on. For Max, he’s curious about Colgate University after my husband suggested it at the dinner table a few weeks ago. Because Colgate is a “reach” school, we’ll also visit the University of Rochester, which is a “target” school, and Hobart, a “likely” school, on this trip.
3. Pick a city, state, or region of the country.
If a student is interested in exploring a certain state, metropolitan area, or region, it allows them to visit a number of colleges within a certain radius. In a week, families can often hit all the schools they are interested in seeing. Virginia is our next trip. We will visit Washington & Lee University as a “reach” school, College of William & Mary as a “target” school, and Virginia Commonwealth University or Virginia Tech as a “likely” school.
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The hardest part is getting started. Block your schedules, parents. It forces us to commit to college visits despite our busy schedules. Once you start, you won’t want to stop. College visits are more than just a means to an end. They end up being lasting memories that you and your child will share and fondly remember for many years to come.
