Can you imagine yourself living, studying, and eating at a college? If not, maybe consider going on a college tour to see if a college is physically for you. You can look up stats and other criteria about a college online, however to get the best idea, visiting is beneficial.

As more and more students are making college decisions and committing to schools, it’s important to know how you feel on the campus itself. When you go to a campus, you get to figure out if the weather is right, if the classrooms are the right size, and if the food is decent. Abby, a junior at Whitman, recently visited a few schools in California and Boston and described the experience of “looking into the next chapter of her life” as “eye opening.” She realized which schools were maybe not for her, as well as targeting Boston as a place that she could see herself going to college. She described her experience as “exciting” and that talking to the students there made her think of herself as “one of them.”

Recently, I also took a college tour of Northwestern, and it really established my goals for college. Even though I am only a 10th grader, visiting helped me set goals for myself and make the future a little less scary. I got to check out the buildings, students, and the views. I also got to see the parts of the campus that you don’t see online like the inside of dorms and classrooms.

The amount of people studying and the club sign up sheets just made the whole experience even more realistic. High school is such a different environment compared to college. You might have to walk half a mile to get to a class that will last for upwards of three hours! All of these factors can play a serious role in your commitment to a college.

As acceptances and rejections from colleges are rolling in, it’s important to try and see new things. Who knows, maybe a college you didn’t consider before will become your home in the future! Good luck to all seniors entering this new phase of life this summer.