How to make the most of your college campus visit
Find out how to make the most of your PLU campus visit
Image: Students and families tour PLU facilities during Admitted Student Day, Friday, April 28, 2023, at PLU. (PLU Photo / Sy Bean)
You’ve been looking at colleges’ websites, finding schools that have your major, looking through emails they send you, their social media, YouTube, etc., and now you’re ready to see that school in-person!
A visit is honestly one of the most important parts of your college search – it’s hard to get a true feel for campus and how you feel about it through a screen. Students and their families tell us frequently that their visit to PLU helped us jump to the top of their college list!
So, how do you make the most out of your college campus visits? We asked our Visit Manager, Ceciley Weinman (you’ll meet her in the PLU Welcome Center if you come to campus – ask her about her lego creations and/or the soccer team she coaches!), for her top tips to get the most out of your visit:
1. Visit a Variety of Schools
If you’re planning on visiting a college in an area further from you (out of state, for example), look for some of the other schools in the same area that maybe weren’t on your radar before and plan a visit there too! Seeing a variety (like visiting a large public and a smaller private school) will help you compare more easily, and won’t feel as repetitive.
2. Do an Official Visit
If you can, prioritize getting an organized tour over a self-guided tour.
Advantages of an official visit:
- You’ll hear from and actually engage with a current student, and be able to ask any questions you have.
- Honestly, you’ll get to see more. Some buildings require a student ID card to get in, and your tour guide will be able to take you in!
- Some schools, like PLU, include options to meet with an admission counselor, meet with a coach, meet with a professor, eat lunch on campus (paid for by us!), and sit in on a class.
- There are also schools that offer Visit Scholarships (yes, PLU is one of them) for an official visit – something you won’t get with a self-guided tour.
Many schools will also host visit events throughout the year, like our upcoming Fall Preview Day, or Admitted Student Days in the spring, and those are also great opportunities to visit campus and get to meet other students looking at the school who could be your classmates in the future!
3. It’s Okay to Wander!
If you have time, walk around the buildings that you didn’t get to see in the official tour (this is where a self-guided tour/campus map can be really handy).
4. See the Spaces Related to Your Major/Interests
This fits in with the tip above – if you’re able to see the space where you’re actually going to take classes, be in labs, do research, study, etc., it can really help a school rise to the top of your list.
5. Read the Posters Around Campus & Pick Up a Student Newspaper
It can be interesting and informative to see how students find community and what they’re saying about their campus.
5. Approach Random Students and Ask Them What They Like About Their School.
For us introverts, this may be waaaay outside our comfort zone, but it can be super helpful! Many students are happy to chat (they chose their school, after all), if they’re not running to class or practice
Final Tip: Stay in Contact with the Visit Coordinator/Welcome Center
Once you’ve submitted your campus visit request, make sure you’re checking your email for your visit confirmation (which will include parking info, parking passes, directions, check-in time, etc.) and any updates.
And if you’re running late the day of your visit (we know it happens!), call to let us know – we may be able to delay the tour a little bit to wait for you, help you reschedule if needed, or find alternative options so you still get a great experience on campus.
Social Media