A campus tour is a the best way to get a feel for what will be your new home. This is a great opportunity and ForWord wants to help you maximize it.  

• Schedule your visit early, especially if you're going during a busy season like spring break. 
• Wear some high school swag. You'll be surprised at who will stop and talk to you. 
• Arrange a tour with the head of your intended department. 
• Eat at the cafeteria.
• Have an exit plan in case you get bored. 
• Have a meeting place in case you get lost. 
• Come prepared with questions. 
• Take notes

Of course, if you can't visit in person, you can always try a virtual tour. 

What to do on a tour?

Take notes about specific things you liked on campus. You should know what the school is actually called by its students rather than just the school's name. For instance, Virginia Polytechnic and State University is not really known as VPI&SU or Virginia Tech University. It's Virginia Tech or just Tech. The mascot is the Hokie Bird, and the students eat at D2 or Squires. They like to walk on the drill field and enjoy the Big Event. Enter Sandman is something special to them, and they all love their Hokiestone buildings. 

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Questions to ask

You need to ask questions to make the most of the tour. If you need some guidance, here's some from US News. 

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What to do

A campus visit is more than taking the tour. You want to get a feel for the place. Here are some suggestions from the New York Times of what you might want to do. 

When to go

Visit colleges whenever you're nearby. As many students go over spring break, schedule those sessions early. If you want a great way to schedule and plan multiple trips, use this GoSeeCampus App.