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Colleges Open for On-Campus Visits

If you’re a junior or sophomore in high school, spring break is a great time to visit campuses. Campus tours help you decide which universities you want to apply to when it’s time. They also allow you to eliminate schools which might not be as good of a fit. As COVID cases drop in certain areas, colleges have started opening up their campuses for visitors. To help you get a sense of colleges open for on-campus visits we’ve compiled a list.

• Amherst College
• American University
• Barnard College
• Bates College
• Baylor University
• Berea College
• Boston College
• Boston University
• Bowdoin College
• Brandeis University
• Brown University
• Bryn Mawr College
• California Institute of Technology
• Carnegie Mellon University
• Claremont McKenna College
• Colby College
• College of William and Mary 
• Cornell University
• Duke University
• Georgia Institute of Technology
• Grinnell College
• Harvard University
• Johns Hopkins University
• Lehigh University
• Middlebury College
• New York University
• Rice University
• Smith College
• Stanford University
• Tufts University
• University of Chicago
• University of Georgia
• University of Michigan
• University of Texas - Austin
• University of Wisconsin - Madison
• Vanderbilt University
• Wake Forest University
• Wesleyan University
• Williams College

How to Best Take Advantage of On-Campus Visits

Before you step into colleges open for on-campus visits, you must have a plan of action. You can’t just go in and look around aimlessly without gathering information that’ll actually be helpful. Here’s how to take advantage of colleges open for on-campus visits: 

Step 1: Before You Visit

• Pick a strategic date to visit
• Make travel arrangements
• Explore the school’s admissions page 
• Sign up for tours, Q&A, and information sessions
• Create a detailed itinerary
• Draft a list of questions to ask 
• Look at the school’s application requirements 
• Schedule an interview with the admissions office
• Explore the school’s website and blogs
• Prepare for your interview

Step 2: During Your Visit

• Speak with current students
• Take part in an information session 
• Attend a class in your field of interest
• Meet a professor in your field of interest
• Write down the names of people you speak with
• Meet with school employees: advisors, coaches, etc.
• Visit the financial aid office
• Interview with an admissions officer
• Read the student newspaper
• See what the career center has to offer
• Take a general campus tour
• Take a major-specific campus tour, if possible
• Explore the city 
• Eat in the dining hall
• Check out the dorms 
• Go to a campus event: game, concert, play, etc.
• Tour the campus facilities: gym, libraries, bookstore, etc.
• Attend a student group meeting or sports practice
• Take pictures!

Step 3: After Your Visit

• Journal your thoughts 
• Rate the campus 
• Send thank you follow-up emails
• Talk to your counselors as you decide how to build your college list

Visiting colleges open for on-campus visits provide you with highly useful methods of understanding what a campus has to offer you as well as demonstrating your interest in the college. As you build your college list, make sure you take notes of what stands out to you, as well as ask questions to campus representatives so that you can gain a better understanding of whether the school is right for you. Happy touring!