Between his two daughters, Paul Stauffer and his family have visited more than 15 colleges and universities — some multiple times — over the last five years.
With AP classes and lots of homework, finding time to squeeze in college tours meant visiting most schools during breaks, Stauffer says.
Summer tours are an attractive option for busy families like Stauffer’s, but there are disadvantages to visiting schools when they’re not in session. Consider the following pros and cons of summer tours before you schedule your next visit.
Pro: You can make a vacation out of it. “If your family has the financial luxury of taking you around the country or around the world to look at colleges and universities throughout the year that’s wonderful, but most families have to really use their vacation time,” says Shawn Abbott, dean of admissions at New York University.
Many families visit several universities over the course of a few days, experts say. Big urban schools like NYU tend to have robust summer sessions with a lot of students on campus, so teens and their families can get a good idea of what the campus is like during the fall semester.
Families who can visit colleges during the school year may benefit from a little advance planning. Visit colleges and universities in cities during the summer and focus on smaller, rural or suburban liberal arts colleges during the school year, Abbott says.
[Read more advice on getting the most out of your college tours.]
Con: It can be difficult to get an authentic feel of the campus environment. It’s hard to get an accurate picture of how crowded the student union gets or how students and faculty interact with each other if there aren’t a lot of people around.
Stauffer and his family did a mix of organized campus tours, unscheduled drop-ins, interviews and class trips throughout the years. During the summer, campuses were quiet but the family had more time to roam and explore the universities, Stauffer says. His girls preferred the spring tours because it was easier for them to determine if the institution was compatible when there were more students on campus.
Pro: There are less people on campus: “If they can fall in love with the campus when there are not a lot of people on it, they can come back during our winter for our open houses and see it in full swing and get a more in-depth look at the college,” says Lauren McCracken, a spokeswoman for Towson University in Maryland.
She encourages families to look at summer tours as an opportunity to narrow their college list before they finalize their top choices.
[Find out how to make a college short list.]
Families should also make sure they’re taking the time to visit the surrounding areas, experts say.
“I don’t know too many places where students are going to go to college and really confine their experience in college exclusively to the campus,” NYU’s Abbott says. “You want to walk around the neighborhood, you want to walk around the town so you can get a picture of what your life will be like in that geographic setting.”
[Learn the questions to ask during college tours.]
Pro: There are experts on campus to answer questions. Colleges know that families want to ask questions about admissions and financial aid so those resources are likely available year-round.
It may be easier to speak with admissions staff in the summer than certain times in the school year. Admissions officers are usually buried in applications from November to March and may have less flexibility for meetings, Abbott says.
Con: You’re only getting the summer viewpoint of a school. Months of harsh winters, hot summers or stormy weather can have significant effects on a student’s experience. Students considering schools with distinct weather patterns need to visit the schools at different times.
“Winter is a big part of Michigan Tech and who we are,” says Jenny Mileski, assistant director of admissions at Michigan Technological University.
Families have the opportunity to chat with faculty from academic specialties, do a thorough tour and sample some of the campus amenities whenever they tour Michigan Tech. But students who visit in the winter get to witness the spirit and culture of Michigan Tech in a way that students who only visit in the summer won’t.
“We encourage students to come during the wintertime if they’re able to come more than once,” Mileski says.
Students who don’t have the opportunity to visit schools can look for ways to connect with institutions and students online to get a more complete picture of student life, experts say. For example, students can see if virtual tours are available, connect with schools through social media sites, such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and follow them on YouTube.
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Weigh the Pros, Cons of Visiting Colleges in the Summer originally appeared on usnews.com
