Rutgers Preparatory School
1345 Easton Avenue | Somerset, NJ 08873
Phone: 732.545.5600

Top Tips for Visiting Colleges

Top Tips for Visiting Colleges

The college process can seem overwhelming as students and parents begin to think about life beyond Rutgers Prep. Fear not! The College Counseling team is here to help. One practical and fun way to engage with the college process is to visit colleges. Stepping onto a campus can help students determine the criteria that will personalize the process.

Here are some tips to get started:

When is the ideal time to start visiting college campuses?

College Counseling hears this question frequently. Truth be told, there is not a one-size-fits-all answer. It depends on the individual student and the path they are following. By 10th grade, students are typically ready to begin exploring their options for college.

What’s the best way to start thinking about visiting?

We recommend a thoughtful approach to deciding which schools to visit when starting the college journey. Students should begin by creating a list of characteristics that are important to them. This criteria may change moving forward, but wherever a student is right now is a great starting point. The next step is to visit different types of campuses. Seeing what a variety of schools have to offer will help to further define that criteria.

Focus on a broad range of factors when considering visits such as:

  • Large/Medium/Small
  • Urban/Suburban/Rural
  • Research University
  • Liberal Arts & Sciences
  • Religious Affiliation
  • Public/Private Institutions
  • Acceptance rates above 30%

Which colleges/universities should you visit?

Start local. We are privileged because there are dozens of colleges and universities within a short distance, and students can see that broad range of campuses relatively easily.

Use weekends and days off from school to visit campuses. Keep in mind that students must sign up ahead of time for official campus tours and information sessions, which can be done through the colleges’ admissions websites. However, it can also be helpful to just walk around a campus to see what is happening, how students are interacting, and to pick up a general “vibe.”

Some families may also choose to stop at schools as they are driving to/from a vacation destination. In addition, virtual opportunities have become increasingly robust over the last few years, and students should also take advantage of virtual options, including online tours, information sessions, panels, and workshops.

What is important to see and consider when on-campus?

The goal is to find schools where a student feels they would thrive and have a great experience for four years, and then, with the help of College Counseling, come up with a list of similar institutions that might also fulfill those criteria. Take lots of photos and notes! These will come in very handy later. It is helpful for juniors to see campuses when school is in session, so they can get a sense of what it feels like to attend that college. Sometimes, though, summer may be the only feasible time to visit. That’s perfectly fine! An in-person visit, regardless of when it happens, is always going to be useful in making decisions, and in cases where a college considers demonstrated interest, visiting may play a role in a student’s admissions prospects.

How can parents help with visiting colleges?

From planning itineraries to making hotel reservations to keeping students on schedule, parents and guardians play a critical role in college visits. Always try to take the official tour along with your student and keep your own notes for later comparison. Some students and parents or guardians choose to join different tour groups so they are getting diverse perspectives. Discuss this beforehand to decide the approach that makes the most sense for you and your family.

The Pre-College Counseling resource board on ArgoNet can be extremely helpful when planning visits. And, as always, the College Counseling team is here to help you and answer any questions you may have about visiting college campuses. Please do not hesitate to reach out as you make plans!