by Steffi Carerra ’14

When students realize that Spring Break is just around the corner, the last thing they think about is college. A much needed vacation from the stress of school, Spring Break is supposed to be a time for relaxation before heading back to the responsibilities of high school. However, this week-long hiatus can also serve as a great opportunity to visit nearby colleges while enjoying vacation.

If you find yourself traveling to another state, whether you’re visiting family or heading to the beach, take this opportunity to find a school close to you. You’re already headed in that direction, so you might as well take the extra hour or two drive to see what the school is really like. Often times, students believe they have found the perfect school only to face disappointment once they get a true sense of its identity from the campus.

Senior McKayla Joaquim encountered this very problem when visiting American International College. Last year during break she decided to visit the school while staying with her family in Massachusetts. “I fell in love with the school on paper, but when I went to go see the campus it was not at all what I expected,” Joaquim said. “The school was much smaller than it seemed on the website and there were barely any students on campus. It was seriously missing school spirit.” Campus visits aren’t always positive, but even the negative experiences help you select the college that fits best for you.

On the other hand, college visits can be a great experience that leads a student to find his/her best school. Senior Christina Ricciuti felt her campus visit to Coastal Carolina was vital in her decision to attend the school. “I got a good vibe from [the school]. It was modern, clean and the students seemed happy to be there.” Ricciuti agrees that campus visits are an important part of the college search process, and feels she would not be able to commit to a school without one.

Even if you’re not a senior, campus visits are still necessary since they provide a window into what college life is like at a particular school. Getting a sense of the school early on enables you to narrow your college search when it comes time to apply. A positive experience also fuels your motivation to do well in high school; if you loved a particular school and could really see yourself there in the future, you’re likely to put in more effort to achieve your goal of admission.  Putting a particular college as the face of your end goal makes high school work that much more tolerable.