College Visits

Spring heralds the arrival of the campus visit season when colleges welcome students to take a tour and attend an information session. After limiting in-person visits due to the pandemic, many colleges are once again offering tours regularly. At IvyWise, we encourage students to attend virtual and on-campus tours when possible because the benefits of college tours — whether in-person or via a computer—are plentiful!

As a college counselor, one of the aspects of my job that I especially enjoy is touring college campuses. Whether traveling alone or with my family, I’m always game to explore institutions of higher education. Over the past few years, as my firstborn made his way through high school and navigated his own college search odyssey, I discovered much to my delight that visiting colleges with him brought many rewards I hadn’t anticipated.

The spring semester is a popular time to visit colleges, especially as juniors start to narrow down their college lists, and seniors squeeze in some last-minute visits before admission decisions are announced at the end of March. The college visit is an important opportunity to not only get a live look at colleges, but also get some insider information that you might not otherwise find in your traditional research. At IvyWise, we advise families to visit the colleges students are interested in applying to whenever possible.

School breaks are a great time for college visits. Whether you're a high school junior building your college list or a senior trying to narrow down your choices, there are a few "Dos & Don'ts" that students and their parents need to keep in mind before visiting universities. Holidays, spring and fall breaks, and weekends are perfect times to plan those college road trips.

What would you say if someone handed you a few pictures of an unfamiliar community and asked you to spend a considerable amount of money to live there for four years? You’d call them crazy, right? But this is essentially what you’re agreeing to when you apply to a school you’ve never visited.

Spring is prime college visit time! Many families will be hitting the road to visit students’ top-choice schools this semester, so it’s important to ensure that students (and parents!) are making the most of their time on campus.

How to Prepare for Your College Visits There are a number of reasons why you may want to visit a college in person before you send in your application. While it may seem more efficient to visit schools after you have been accepted, visiting before filling out your application can help you, too. Visiting a college also gives you the opportunity to connect with some important people who may be a part of your application process to answer any questions you may have.

Junior year is a busy time for students, and arguably one of the most critical college prep years. There’s only a little bit of time left before summer break and juniors are suddenly rising seniors – and ready to start applying to college. There’s a lot that juniors can do between now and then to prepare and get on track with their college prep.

IvyWise counselors Rachel and Zach share their top tips on how to create a manageable and balanced college list on the Just Admit It! college admissions podcast, giving listeners expert insight from former admissions officers. Listen Now!

Junior year is probably the most important college prep year, and students need to ensure they’re on track in order to be prepared for the college admissions process next fall. The college admission process is about self-discovery and it is important to start by setting clear goals each year of high school – especially junior year! Junior year is critical.

Compiled by Katherine Cohen, Ph.D., CEO & Founder and the team of counselors at IvyWise You’re nearing the end of junior year, and at this point, you’ve hopefully started to research schools, create a preliminary college list, and visit prospective colleges.

So, you've begun developing your college list. Hopefully, you've established your priorities and started your research. Looking over your preliminary list, you can't pinpoint why several of those schools are even on your list in the first place.

For many students, college is a time of exploring new opportunities, learning more about themselves, and determining the impact they want to make on the world. Interestingly, where your school is located can have an effect on the opportunities available to you. Read on to learn how location plays a role in your college experience and the location factors to consider when creating or narrowing down your college list.

For most 9th and 10th graders, the thought of college is so far off they don’t want to engage with the process until it becomes more time-sensitive in 11th grade. Many think “well I have a lot of time to think about this,” and while this is true they also need to be actively engaging in simple college prep tasks to get and stay on track with their college admissions goals. This might sound overwhelming to some underclassmen – thinking about college prep while also juggling current schoolwork and activities – but when approached in the right manner it can be really fun and exciting for everyone!

Early decision and early action deadlines are quickly approaching, and as we enter the homestretch of the college application process, anxiety will continue to build. Stressed out students can lead to stressed out parents – and that can make for a tense household. It’s only natural for students to experience some stress and anxiety when applying to college.

As fans of TLC’s series know far too well, every child is unique – even if you have twins and sextuplets! As the fall provides you with an opportunity to reflect on how much your children have grown and developed into young adults, you may be dealing with the dynamic of sibling rivalry. I hope the following provides a quick guide to help you manage your role as parent when your children apply to college.

With all of the stress, pressure and confusion surrounding the college admissions process, it's no wonder that people start to develop their own theories on how it all works. You've likely heard a "secret" admissions rumor from a friend of a friend that has made you panic. But what is the truth?

In April, we gave you tips on how to have a successful summer, and this month we have one more. Many IvyWise students have been working with their counselor to finalize their college lists and build resumes. They will begin drafting their personal essays later this summer.

Setting academic and college prep goals now is a great way to get students excited about their college prep and alleviate some of the stress commonly associated with planning for college. While it may not be time to apply to college yet, starting to think about academic and college prep goals now will make it easier for students to identify solid goals by the time application season rolls around. It will also allow them to relax over any upcoming breaks, rather than stressing about what they need to accomplish before school is back in session.

Whether you’re a freshman still adjusting to your first year of high school, or a college-bound junior ready to hit the ground running, it’s important to set academic and college prep goals for the fall as soon as school starts back up. Goals not only help keep students on track with their college prep, they also help students learn more about who they are, what they’re interested in, and how they can better pursue those interests. Goals can also help students stay motivated during a particularly busy or stressful time.

Imagine being asked to the prom, but instead of a thoughtful invitation to accompany a charming peer, you are instead informed that you will be the 10th person asked and if the others decline the offer, then you will be invited. Would that make you feel special or important? Well, this is how many college admissions offices can feel.

While it can be tempting to simply count down the days until summer break, spring semester is a prime time for high school underclassmen to prepare for the college admissions process, and for college-bound seniors to close out the year on a high note. Believe it or not, seniors, you are not off the hook just yet! Here are some tips for high school students to ensure a productive and successful spring semester.

For students who are in eighth or ninth grade, college seems so far away, but this spring is actually a great time to set the foundation for your future college admissions journey as you make the most of your present college prep. The choices you make now will have the immediate benefit of making your high school years enjoyable and challenging, but they will also help you to build a strong profile that will make you a competitive college applicant. The most important thing to know is that colleges do not have one type of student that they are looking for, instead, they want to see applicants who have different passions and interests.

IvyWise counselors Christine, Nat, and Eric discuss how the coronavirus pandemic is impacting higher ed and how the Class of 2021 can navigate the altered application cycle this semester on the college admissions podcast, giving listeners expert insight from former admissions officers. Listen Now! It has been well over a year since the pandemic's onset and information and responses are still continuing to evolve.

There are so few places in the college application process for a student’s voice to be truly heard. Sure there’s the essay and email communication with an admissions representative, but what makes a college admissions interview such a valuable opportunity is the chance to talk about yourself in a less structured and less formal way. It’s an opportunity to share your story the way you want it to be heard.

Most students wait until the summer after their Junior year to study and cram for the SAT/ACT. As a result, once you get your scores in October, you only have one or two more opportunities to re-take the exams to improve scores. Give yourself more time to improve by taking the tests early in the spring semester.

Is Virginia really for lovers? Yes, if they are lovers of knowledge. Teeming with campus folklore, arresting landscape and warm hospitality, Virginia has left its mark on higher education in the United States.

For international students applying to US universities, it’s important to visit, if possible, and ensure that they’re making the most of their time on campus when they do. There’s a lot that international students need to be mindful of when planning visits to US universities – both before and while they’re on campus. Planning college visits as an international student requires a lot of work beforehand, especially if you’re trying to fit multiple visits into one trip to the US.

While summer isn't always the best time to visit a college since school is in limited session, for many families it's a convenient time to squeeze in campus visits. Despite the lack of academic year impressions, there are ways to maximize your summer campus visits. Families should come prepared with a list of questions to ask not only admissions officers, but more importantly student admissions representatives and tour guides, in order to get a full idea of campus life.