The college admissions process is exhaustive. In the whirl of studying for standardized admission tests, writing 20+ application essays, and developing a strong profile (all while keeping up with ongoing school assignments), it’s no wonder that students and families bypass the importance of school visits.
However, university and program visits play a big role in the admissions process because they help students envision themselves on campus. Of course, some applicants are spot-on with their “sense” for a school, but it’s always best to be sure that a school you intend to invest a lot of years and money on is a good fit.
While visiting campuses in-person is ideal, it isn’t always feasible — especially in the time of Covid-19 — which is why CampusReel is one of my favorite resources for prospective applicants.
They offer thousands of student-created videos of campus life for hundreds of schools across the U.S. These are videos created by actual students — they’re not the marketing videos you find on college and university websites — and they show future students what the school is really like.
To take this resource further, I suggest taking notes on each of the schools you “visit”. Doing so will help you create a school list that fits you and can serve as material for your personal statement or Why Universty X essays.
If you are looking for expert advice, reach out to me directly on WeChat at kvanderweert. My team and I are available to help at any point in the application process — whether you are creating your college list or already preparing your application materials. Contact us for personalized assistance.