Are College Visits Necessary? The Real Impact of Campus Tours on College Choice
Visiting colleges has become more about fitting in and ‘keeping up with the Joneses’ than getting the information you need to make your college choice. Today on the show, we are discussing whether college visits are actually necessary. Tuning in, you’ll hear why Cathy thinks college visits are overrated, how her opinion has shifted over the years, what technology has done to change things, and so much more! You’ll hear when college visits may be helpful and when they may be harmful before we discuss why we need to deconstruct the ‘preciousness’ surrounding how we treat certain colleges. We even talk about how resilient teenagers are and why we believe they can make the most of their circumstances. Finally, we touch on the importance of critical self-reflection as college counsellors. Thanks for listening!
Key Points From This Episode:
[0:02:48] Cathy’s unpopular opinion: college visits are overrated.
[0:03:37] What has shifted in Cathy’s opinion of college visits.
[0:05:10] Why visiting colleges may be helpful and how technology has changed the game.
[0:07:53] An example of a situation where visiting colleges could backfire.
[0:12:09] When taking a visit to a college may actually be beneficial.
[0:15:44] Deconstructing the way we treat certain, more ‘elite’ colleges.
[0:17:36] The kinds of personalities that may need to visit colleges.
[0:20:27] How this discussion has reminded us to self-reflect more often.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: