Planning a College Tour with Your Teen

You know it’s coming. One of these days those little fledglings of yours are going to leave the nest. For many of us, that means they’ll be going to college. And college doesn’t just happen. There are many, many steps along the path to college, and I’m here to help you with one of them: planning the college tour with your teen.

Talk to your teen

How do you even start the process? “That starts with several heart to heart conversations with your child about where they think they will learn best, and where they will be inspired,” says Karen Schwarz of Essaymom.net, who advises students during the college application process. “Think about the setting. Is it going to be a large state university? Is it going to be a small liberal arts college in rural Pennsylvania? And sometimes kids really don’t know that yet.” Some teens are overwhelmed by the choices and will appreciate a no-pressure opportunity to think about the environment they might like first, before having to state affirmatively that they are interested in a particular school.

Start local

To help your teen start thinking about what type of school will spur inspiration, take some informal tours of local colleges or universities, or plan a stop along your route on your next family road trip. Get a feel for the campus at a large state school and a small private college, an urban school and a more insular rural school. Kids may not be able to articulate which schools they like and don't like until they see how different the environments can be.

Focus on your teen's interests

Think about your child’s interests, both academic and extracurricular, and look for lists of colleges that offer both. Maybe your teen wants to study medicine but also really loves performing theater, or playing in the orchestra. Or maybe she wants to study business but wants to rock climb in her free time. The combinations are nearly endless, but so are the possible college matches. It's a great time to let students dream and imagine their future.

Plan a trip, or several

Once your child has articulated what he or she is looking for in a college, have your teen to look through one of the large college guides to mark the ones that they’d like to know more about. You may find that your kid really wants to go to college in New York City, so a long weekend there might be your first and only trip. Or maybe he wants a smaller rural experience in Ohio or Pennsylvania, and a longer road trip is in order. Enlist the student's help in planning out your trips.

When to go

“Ideally, you’ll time your visit while school is in session, so you can get a feel for what the place is really like,” said Schwarz when I interviewed her for my podcast about family travel. Realistically, you may have to go when your child’s school is on break, which may be when the college is on break, too. Many people start their visits the summer after 10^th grade, and work them into long weekends and breaks until applications are due in senior year.

Where to stay

“Stay as close to the campus as possible, for practical reasons as well as for getting a feel for the immediate community of the campus,” says Schwarz. “Check out VRBO, check out the chains, and tell them when you call that you are there to look at the campus and you may get a discount.” Some universities even offer inexpensive lodging in their dormitories during the summer, which can add another layer of experience to your college tour. Remember that parking on or near campus is not always easy, and allow plenty of time to get to the admissions office.

What to do and see

Be sure to walk around the campus during your college tour to experience it from a student’s perspective. Are there lots of stairs? Do students skateboard or ride bikes to class? Is there a pharmacy on campus? Where do students hang out between classes?

Visit the departments where your child is most likely to study – the classrooms, the labs – as well as the activity centers and cafeterias. Make a checklist of the things that your kid will be most interested in doing – music practice rooms, the radio station, fraternities/sororities, sports and fitness facilities.

Be aware that on the official campus tour they will show you the nicest facilities they have, and the newest dorms. If your child is serious about the school and goes back for another visit, he or she can experience more of the campus, including the less-attractive stuff the admissions office might not show you.

How to save money on a college tour

• Ask the admissions office if there are specials for visiting students at nearby hotels or restaurants
• Amtrak offers discounts for families visiting colleges. You must register at their Campus Visit website to receive the discount.
• Contact the local tourism office to see if they offer any promotions to prospective students.

Don't panic

If a student is serious about attending a college, this initial college visit will be just that: the initial college visit, and your child will probably go back and do an overnight, or go to an “accepted candidates day.” This won’t be your first and last chance to see the college. And if it is, that's fine, too. Plenty of students have registered for college without ever having set foot on campus. But embarking on a college tour with your teen provides an opportunity to figure out what sort of environment he or she will need to thrive when it's time to leave your cozy nest and fly away. And maybe it'll ease the transition for you, too.

Have you been through the college application process as a student or a parent? Do you have any tips for parents or students when planning a college tour? Let us know in the comments below!

A Note from The Startup Travel Mama: Top photo by Howard Korn/Courtesy of Kenyon College, adapted with permission, second and third photos licensed from Canva.com.