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Campus Visits

College Tour Checklist

What to do before, during, and after a campus visit. Plus the questions actually worth asking, and what to do if you can't visit in person.

Before you go

Pre-visit prep

  • Email a current student in your intended major (department coordinator can connect you).
  • Check the campus events calendar; schedule visit around an event you'd attend if enrolled.
  • Read r/[School Name] subreddit, sorting by 'top of the year' for honest student opinion.
  • Identify 1-2 specific classes you'd want to sit in on — email departments a week ahead.
  • Plan dining-hall meals (twice if possible — different times of day reveal different cultures).
  • Skip the morning admissions info session unless you've never heard of the school. Most info is on the website.
  • Bring a small notebook for real-time notes (you'll forget more than you'd expect).
  • Wear comfortable walking shoes. Most tours are 60-90 minutes of walking.

During the visit

The official tour

  • Take the tour — but treat the official tour as one data point, not the visit.
  • Note what your tour guide DOESN'T mention. The omissions reveal pain points.
  • Ask your tour guide a specific question: "What's the worst thing about being here?" Watch for the honest answer vs the rehearsed one.

The dining hall

  • Eat in the dining hall during a normal meal time (lunch is best — most students there).
  • Notice what students are eating. The food quality hints at how the school treats students.
  • Notice who's sitting with whom. Diverse mixing or self-segregated cliques?
  • Notice noise level. Lively or library-quiet?

A class in your intended major

  • Sit in on one class in your intended major (email department a week ahead to arrange).
  • Watch the dynamic: are students engaged or scrolling phones?
  • Is the professor teaching from a textbook, or from their own research?
  • Are there grad students teaching, or the professor of record?

The dorms

  • Walk through a residential hall — not just the show dorm.
  • Ask to see a typical first-year double, not the upperclass-suite-with-balcony.
  • Observe how students socialize in common areas.

An evening on campus

  • Stay for an evening on campus if you can.
  • Friday night vibe tells you what student social life is actually like.
  • Saturday morning library tells you about academic culture.
  • Walk around the campus after dark. Does it feel safe? Are people out?

Questions to ask current students

Skip generic questions ("What do you like about [school]?") — students give the rehearsed answer. Try these instead. Honest answers reveal more than the official tour does.

  1. 1What's the worst thing about being here?
  2. 2What did you assume about this school before you came that turned out to be wrong?
  3. 3If you had to do college over, would you come here? Why or why not?
  4. 4What kind of student is happiest here? What kind of student should NOT come here?
  5. 5What's something the admissions tour doesn't mention that I should know?
  6. 6Where do most students live during their junior/senior year?
  7. 7How do students in your major get internships? Is it self-driven or organized?
  8. 8Who's the best professor in [my intended department]? Who should I avoid?
  9. 9How would you describe the social scene? What's the alternative if I don't drink?
  10. 10Have you ever wanted to transfer? Why didn't you?

After the visit

Take notes the same day

  • Write notes that same day. Memory degrades fast.
  • Note: what surprised you (positively or negatively)?
  • Note: what specific moments stood out?
  • Note: did you see yourself there? Be honest with yourself.
  • Note: who would you not want to be friends with that you saw?
  • Note: questions you still have that you'd email a current student about.
  • Compare your notes across schools when decision time arrives.
  • Don't decide based on a single visit — but use the visit data when you decide.

If you can't visit in person

Virtual visits cover physical campus but miss the vibe. The best substitutes for real visits are unscripted student content.

  • YouTube vlogs from current students

    Search '[School] day in the life' or 'why I chose [School]'

  • r/[School Name] subreddit

    Filter by 'top of year' for honest perspective

  • Email a current student directly

    Through department coordinators or club advisors

  • Niche video reviews

    Student-recorded, unscripted, often more revealing than tours

  • Virtual tours via the school's website

    Less useful than the above — but covers physical campus

Frequently asked questions

When is the best time to visit colleges?

During the regular school year when classes are in session -- not during breaks or summer. Spring of junior year and fall of senior year are most common. Admitted student days in April are the best for final decisions.

How many colleges should I visit?

Visit your top 5-8 choices if possible. Prioritize schools you're seriously considering, especially your ED choice if applicable. Virtual alternatives can supplement but not replace in-person visits for your top picks.

Does visiting help my admissions chances?

At schools that track demonstrated interest (Tulane, Northeastern, NYU, Wake Forest), visiting can help. Most Ivies, MIT, and Stanford do not track visits. Check each school's policy -- the Common Data Set Section C7 lists whether demonstrated interest is considered.

Track your campus visits

Keep post-visit notes per school in AdmitPath's college list builder.

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