Gone Fishing for College

“Although summer vacations may not be the best time to get the full flavor of a college campus, it is often the most convenient time for families to explore them,” says Scott Anderson, President and Co-Founder of eduLaunchpad.com. 

Kelly Queijo of SmartCollegeVisit.com adds, “Combining vacation travel and college visit travel is a great way to make the experience fun for the whole family. With a little planning to find out what else there is to see or do, everyone gets to enjoy the trip.”  Also for the prospective student, knowing there's something everyone can look forward to may take some of the pressure off the college visit itself.

Here’s a few pointers to keep in mind when thinking about summer time college visits: 

It’s not just for soon-to-be seniors.  Painting a vision for college should start early in a student’s life.  A structured campus tour may not be the most appropriate activity for a student just out of kindergarten, but even a quick drive through campus can instill a vision and expectation for college in the youngest students.

Don’t worry if the school isn’t on their list.  Students may have already developed a list in their mind of schools they are interested in, or may not have any list at all.  Exposure to different colleges and campuses whether on their interest list or not can help students decide what is important to them and what is not.

If you are in the area, go check it out.  With over 4,000 colleges in the United States, there are bound to be colleges in the area that students can check out.  Take an afternoon or two and drop by.  Maybe call up the college admissions department and see if you can get in on a tour.

Wouldn’t it be great to go to college in a place you love to vacation?  Or for the parents that live in Minnesota for instance, wouldn’t it be nice to visit your student in Florida in the heart of winter?  Students may find the transition to college much easier if they know there are already activities in the area that they love.

One last tip: check with the area's Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) or regional tourism department to find out about events or attractions that coincide with your college visit.  That can give you a great sense of the area.