For seniors facing one of the hardest decisions of high school, choosing a college, school visits can be a key part of planning this process, with most visits typically happening in the spring. Visits can provide important insights when deciding between schools, choosing a major, or understanding campus culture, which makes them a necessary part of committing to a college.
During these visits, seniors typically go look at the dorms, check out the dining halls, attend informational meetings, walk around campus, or talk with other students from their prospective schools. This serves as a way to narrow down choices or discover what they’re looking for in a college. Saskia Nemececk (12) explained that her process included “looking to see if the place was a good fit and exploring the extracurricular programs, because I’ll be spending the next four years there.”
Popular choices for visits among this year’s seniors were the University of Washington, Washington State University, Seattle Pacific University, and Pacific Lutheran University. Senior Lily Dunn (12) says that she chose to visit Washington State because, “I am planning on going there, and I liked the engineering program.”
Some challenges to consider with this process include missing class time, the high travel costs, and schools being farther away. To account for these limitations, schools may also offer virtual tours, which can be an easy way to explore many different types of campuses and get an idea of the overall academic expectations of a school. Ash Bryant (11) took a virtual tour and found that “it was an easy way to see many colleges without a lot of the hassle.”
For current juniors, some tips from the class of 2025 about college visits were taking notes, exploring the recreational centers, and visiting while classes were in session to get a better understanding of what student life would look like.
With decision deadlines fast approaching for everyone, these visits will be a crucial part of the planning process, making this one of the last steps for seniors as they transition out of high school.