Admissions Office

Luther College
700 College Drive
Decorah, Iowa 52101

admissions@luther.edu

Phone: 563-387-1287

How to Make the Most of College Visits

Whether you’ve had your dream school in mind for years or you’re overwhelmed by the college search process, making the most of your college visits is key. Here’s how to get the most out of your time on campus.

What to Expect

A student tour guide takes prospective student and family members on a campus tour.

To make the most of your college visits, engage in your surroundings, and look for the experience you want to have in your college.

There is a difference between campus “tours” and college “visits.” A tour usually means you walk around a campus with a student tour guide and learn about what the college has to offer. A visit often includes a talk with an admissions counselor about admission requirements, scholarships and financial aid, student life and activities, and a campus tour (led by a student ambassador). Ask for exactly what you want to learn when setting up your visit, and the college will try to make arrangements for you. If your visit is “individualized” — in other words, tailored to your needs — you might meet with a professor, sit in on a class, meet with a coach, audition for music or theater, or something else that would help you in your decision. 

Helpful Tips:

  • On your visit or tour, you should arrive early and walk around campus in highly populated areas to people-watch. This will help you get a sense of the everyday environment of the campus.
  • Don’t leave right after your visit. Walk around by yourself, try to envision living there, and notice if you feel comfortable.
  • Don’t do more than two college visits in a single day.
  • It’s okay not to know your major when speaking to the admissions counselors.
  • Connect with as many people (faculty, coaches, and students) as you can.

Asking Questions

You may feel that asking questions is a nerve-wracking experience and are apprehensive about it. It helps to come up with 5-6 questions to ask at every college visit (here are some examples), plus two questions specific to each college. I recommend doing the same with coaches meetings. It helps to ask open-ended questions on your visit, such as, “How does tutoring work on campus?”

If a student ambassador leads your campus tour, ask them about their own personal experience. Don’t only look for the highlights; you can also ask them about the challenges of living there or attending that college. You could also ask how they get help academically (for example, through their professors, through tutoring, etc.). 

If you are able to sit in on a class or talk to a professor, ask them what their favorite class to teach is. It tells you a lot about who they are as a professor, and it’s important to make connections on your visit. 

As a parent, you might be wondering how you can help your student in this process without taking over. Good advice is to help the student take the driver’s seat. Prepare your questions, but also encourage your student to prepare their own.

How to Know If You’re in the Right Place

This broad question is one that every student wonders about at some point in the process. But if you do ask it, you’ll usually get a vague answer, like “you kinda just know.” As vague as it is, it’s true — there is a certain feeling you get when making your final decision. But a gut feeling shouldn’t be your only deciding factor.

After one or more visits to your potential college, notice if you’ve:

  • made connections with people.
  • gotten direct, complete answers to all of your questions.
  • felt at home or are excited to be there.
  • found things that you’re interested in.
  • imagined yourself living there and felt comfortable.
  • chosen to visit again, and are excited when you arrive on campus.

Your potential college should have the experience you’re looking for, whether that’s academically, culturally, athletically, musically, small school vs. big school, college town vs. large city, etc. The best way to learn about a campus’ culture is to go to lunch and sit with students, participate in something (attend class, rehearsal, or practice), and look at bulletin boards, posters, concerts, or other things that interest you. Find somewhere that you’ll enjoy, and know that it’s never too late to change your mind.

In summary, don’t make it just a flyover visit: Engage in your surroundings, and look for the experience you want to have in your college.

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Admissions Office

Luther College
700 College Drive
Decorah, Iowa 52101

admissions@luther.edu

Phone: 563-387-1287