What if You Can't Afford College Visits?

You've wanted to attend UCLA since you can remember -- the sun, the west coast, the beautiful campus -- it's everything you've dreamed of. Everyone tells you campus visits are the best way to see how well you'll fit at the campus, but that's the problem. You live in Florida and don't have an extra $800 laying around. Have no fear, use these tips to make college visits as affordable as possible, even if it means you never leave home!

This week's question asks:

"I know that college visits are a great idea but my family doesn't have the time or money to visit some of the schools I'm really interested in. What else can I do?"

"Would you buy a car you didn't test drive?"
While you are exploring colleges, do your research online -- virtual tours, online forums, and social media all will help you check out each school's vibe. But before you commit four years and many thousands of dollars to a school, you need to experience the campus and people in person.  Schedule visits to your top picks, taking advantage of discount travel website deals. Schools may help you economize with shuttles from the airport and meals in cafeterias. Many colleges will allow you to stay in a dorm overnight, and some even provide a transportation allowance for students with financial need... be sure to ask!

- Megan Dorsey - College Advisor, College Prep LLC

"How to be economical and inventive"
Visit online. Talk to current students and faculty. Speak with alumni. Investigate through print and electronic media. Ask your college counselor. Ask former students at your high school who now attend a college or university you are considering. The cost of visiting a college you are considering largely consists of the cost of travel and lodging and food while in the area. Figure out the schools you really want to experience and then figure out your budget for visiting. Make your budget go a long way by being efficient and creative.

- Steve Thomas - Director of Admissions, Colby College

"Be a virtual visitor"
There are lots of options here.  Obviously, check out Unigo's resource of campus videos, but also consider pouring through each school's official website as well as their Facbook page.  Additionally, follow the schools on Twitter and interact with them on occasion, asking questions about your interests.  Use the Internet to your advantage; make yourself known as someone who definitely wants to become engaged with others.  You might actually learn more than you would on a campus visit.

- John Carpenter - Founder, AskJohnAboutCollege.com

Don't miss what the Dean of Admissions at University of Pennsylvania & 25 more experts have to say at Unigo.com

 

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Comments

[CollegeChat]

01:11 PM on 06/07/2011

Do all you can do online and through other communication channels first to learn about your top picks. Then after you are accepted make sure to visit your top schools then. When so many students are applying to 10 colleges or more it is not realistic for many families' budgets to visit each before applying.

[CLasley]

12:16 PM on 06/07/2011

I agree that there is little that can completely replace an actual visit to a college campus, but I agree with Steve - talk to students on campus about their experiences and what life is really like at that school. If they are willing to be honest with you, you should get a good feel about what it would be like to go to school there. There are programs like CollegeSolved (http://www.collegesolved.com/students) that can help arrange those calls. You can search the site for a student on campuses throughout the US.

[WriterInThePink]

10:52 PM on 06/06/2011

These aren't that new. I've been scouring the internet doing research on my top graduate schools for months. I would recommend visiting universities you receive acceptance letters from if you want to visit and need to narrow down your choices.

[UnRed]

09:34 PM on 06/06/2011

Wanna get the whole UCLA experience? Take a drive to your nearest major city, drop by Skid Row and THAT'S pretty close to the UCLA experience, give or take a ray of sunshine here or there. Not the ghetto surroundings, of course, but certainly the faculty is pretty close to the denizens there.

Now if you want the REAL Cali experience (and an education, to boot) set your sights 7 hours to the north, my friend, to THE University of California (the original and still the best in all the land, the delusional Harvardians notwithstanding).

So how do you visit without the bucks? No need...just close your eyes, think of the most perfect place in the world for an education...and that's your visit to Cal. Accept no substitutes (especially the ersatz UCLA or that insipid place a bit to the south of Cal known as Furd ...the "S" word never crossing THESE lips/fingertips). Go Bears!

[singermuse]

06:40 PM on 06/06/2011

Should be:
What if you can't afford College; Visits? (they used to call it auditing, and the way things are going, we'll ALL be "auditing" since College is now for the privileged)