The College Solutions Blog

Valuable insights from Lynn O’Shaughnessy
a nationally recognized college expert.

College tour
Featured image for “A Dad’s Suggestions for a Better College Tour”
June 14, 2013

A Dad’s Suggestions for a Better College Tour

I am sharing an email that I received this week from a dad who had just completed a college trip with his daughter and had some helpful suggestions for schools on how to operate better college tours. At the end of his suggestions, you will see which state university that the family visited. Lynn O’Shaughnessy Hi Lynn, I hope you...
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September 14, 2011

9 Things You Can Do If You Can’t Visit a College

Do you have to visit a college before you apply? It’s always better if you arrange a college tour and spend quality time at schools before finalizing your list, but financially it’s often not possible. There are things you can do, however, to help you assess whether a college would be a great match while at the same time letting...
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July 19, 2011

Reading a College Admission Office’s Mind

In my last post I talked about the benefits of visiting colleges before applying — particularly at schools where you can collect brownie points for showing up. If you missed it, here it is: Which Colleges Should I Visit? Today I’m directing you to a couple of resources that can help you pinpoint whether a school really cares if you...
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July 18, 2011

Which Colleges Should I Visit?

Is there a strategy to deciding which colleges to visit? I got that question via email from a mom who attended my college workshop over the weekend at the University of California, San Diego. Clearly it’s much more expensive and involved for families out West to visit schools because you can’t just hop in the car and visit a bunch...
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March 20, 2011

Making the Most of a College Campus Tour

The college visit season is in full swing. High school seniors are fanning out across the country to check out colleges for the last time before they make their big decision. Visiting campuses during spring break is an annual tradition, but some collegiate suitors are trying to make their campus tours for accepted students more meaningful while distinguishing themselves from...
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April 13, 2010

College Visit: 8 Things You Must Do

It’s college visit season. Juniors are fanning out to visit schools and seniors are on the go too as they visit colleges for the last time before making their final decisions. Too many teenagers and their families zip through college tours. It seems to become  a contest of seeing how many colleges they can tour in the shortest period of...
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March 29, 2010

College Visit: 31 Questions You Need to Ask

College visit. Yes, it’s that time of year  when high school seniors and juniors are planning college visits during spring break. You can learn a lot during a college visit so you need to make the most of the opportunity. During a campus visit, here are 31 questions that you should ask: College Graduation Track Record What is your four-year...
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October 17, 2009

The Last College Tour

Yesterday was bittersweet for me.  My son Ben and I wrapped up our final college tour before he begins applying to colleges. Our last stop was Lawrence University, a lovely liberal arts college in Appleton, WI., where the autumn leaves provided a stunning backdrop for a campus that’s perched above the picturesque Fox River. I am keenly aware of the...
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October 14, 2009

Don't Skip the College Tour

Yesterday, my son Ben and I spent a lovely day at Beloit College. An admissions officer applauded Ben for making the long trek from San Diego to Wisconsin to visit the college. She mentioned that some students never visit the campus before applying to the liberal arts school. I’ve always thought it was strange that teenagers apply to colleges without...
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September 20, 2009

Asking the Right Question at a School Interview

On Thursday evening, I asked my son Ben what he knew about Drew University. “It’s got lots of squirrels,” he shot back. When we visited Drew during a college tour last year we did notice the squirrels on the New Jersey campus that is nestled in a lovely forest. I wanted to be sure, however, that Ben remembered more pertinent...
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