Top Tips for Spring Break 2022 College Tours

Believe it or not, spring break will soon be here. And it provides a unique opportunity. It’s one of the few times during the school year when college classes are in session while high school classes are not.  Most colleges schedule their spring break for early March while most high schools hold theirs in April.  This provides the ideal opportunity for high school students to visit campuses while college life is in full swing.

If parents are available during a student’s spring break, it’s the perfect time for a road trip to visit out-of-state colleges.  The vast majority of students attend college within five hours of home, so the destination need not be a distant locale.  If a student dreams of attending a big city school, then a tour of colleges in the Boston or Washington D.C. areas may prove fruitful.  If a student prefers a suburban or rural environment, then a drive through Pennsylvania offers an option of touring close to 100 different colleges and universities.

Students who are on their own during spring break can still put the week to great use. By visiting two of New Jersey’s highly ranked schools, The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) and Rutgers University, students can quickly recognize the type of college they prefer.

TCNJ is home to about 6,500 students on a tranquil, suburban campus.  The school’s most popular majors are Teacher Education, Business and Biological Sciences, and almost all classes have 25 or fewer students.  

Rutgers University in New Brunswick is home to more than 35,000 students in a distinctly urban setting. The list of majors is almost limitless, but class size can exceed 300 students.

Students visiting both schools seldom like them equally.  They usually find themselves drawn to one atmosphere over the other and can use this self-awareness in choosing other colleges to visit in the future. Students who like TCNJ often find Villanova and Lehigh to be appealing. Those who prefer Rutgers often look favorably upon Penn State and NYU.

The key is to make campus visits as productive as possible, by interacting with students and getting a feel for the academic and social environments.  It’s important to register for campus visits in advance, for several reasons.

First of all, there are still some COVID restrictions in place. For the spring 2022 semester, for example, Rutgers is offering in-person bus tours of New Brunswick's five campuses, walking tours of the College Avenue Campus, and virtual campus tours led by student Scarlet Ambassadors.

Secondly, a college visit can greatly enhance a student’s chances of ultimately gaining acceptance as it’s a sign of “demonstrated interest.” Colleges track student engagement as an indication that they may likely enroll, if accepted, making them more appealing in the highly competitive college admissions process. 

Susan Alaimo is the founder and director of Collegebound Review that, for the past 25 years, has offered PSAT/SAT® preparation and private college advising by Ivy League educated instructors. Visit CollegeboundReview.com or call 908-369-5362