My family and I have visited 14 colleges all together. From Boston to Los Angeles, we have been all over the country. This of course, has ranged in time from the summer of my 8th grade up until now, the summer of my senior year. I've been told all my life how important the college selection process (choosing which college to apply to) is, but I never fully grasped it until now that the situation is right upon me.
You should know that it is very important to visit a campus. It can change your mind completely. Earlier in the process, I had my heart set on the University of Miami. My parents happily obliged and took the family down to visit. When I visited it, I hated it. Absolutely hated it. So I had to change my direction and consider that maybe the Florida heat wasn't for me. Which is important: Weather. Make sure wherever you end up you can bear the weather. Don't go to snowy New England if you hate the cold, and vice versa, don't go to Miami if you can't stand to sweat and sunburn.
Another important thing to consider, especially for me, was campus life and the general feel. Summertime isn't the best time to visit because unless the school has a summer semester, there are very little students. It's very beneficial to see students at their school, in their element, and think either "Wow, I could really go here" or "Gah, I could never see myself here". Some colleges allow you to see their dorms. This is my favorite part of the visit because I try to picture myself living there for at the least, a year.
Also, when you visit a college, many people don't think to do it, but try if you can (if it's open/if you are allowed in) to sample the food. That's always a minor factor that proves itself to be important later, especially considering meal plans and late night pizza runs.
A tip that I was fortunately let in on is if you know what you want to do, you should try to meet with a professor in that area of study at the school you are visiting. That visit could very well help you to get in. In that same spirit, if you want to play a sport in college, take an active role in talking to coaches and seeking opportunities, especially if you are looking for scholarship money. This could be your ticket into a school. Websites such as www.berecruited.com can help in this search.
Talk to people you know who are either students at a prospective college or alumni. They'll be happy to discuss their alma mater and to give you a real idea of how life at that school reall is. Keep in mind though, if you ask your grandfather, he might give you a distorted view, considering that it's been probably about 50 years.
An important thing to keep in mind in the entire process is not to get too attached to one school. You want to have our schools in a numbered list, but you've got to want to go to all the schools you apply to. If you can't envision yourself at a school, you shouldn't waste your time and money applying there.
Lastly, if you don't get into your dream school, it'll be okay. College is what you make of it, whether you go to Harvard or the University of Alabama. Good Luck!
