13 Fun Ways to Start Visiting Colleges Without a Tour

Starting early with college preparation can make the experience much smoother and less stressful. A good way to give high schoolers more exposure to college is by visiting college campuses early. We share our favorite low-stress ways for students and families to experience college campuses.

Your experience with everything related to college will be much smoother and less stressful if you start early.

But what does “starting early” even mean?

Is it freshman or sophomore year for your kids? Or even middle school? This is the best time to give them a little more exposure to college.

One of the easiest ways to do this? Check out college campuses.

We give this advice all the time, and the families who follow it are ALWAYS glad they did.

Our boys are now teenagers and they tell us that they feel really comfortable on a college campus. Part of that is because my husband and I have always worked in higher ed. Your kids are probably right at home in areas related to your career field, simply because it’s been part of their lives.

But we’ve also been intentional about seeking out a variety of ways to help our boys experience different campuses.

If your students haven’t spent a lot of time visiting colleges, that’s okay!

(If everyone was already doing this, we wouldn’t need to write this article. So reading this means you’re already a step ahead!)

So when should you start visiting colleges?

Now is the perfect time to start. And finding ways to experience college doesn’t need to add stress to their lives or yours!

Why You Should Visit Colleges Early

For every suggestion or piece of advice that we give, we want to be clear about the purpose. When it comes to spending time on college campuses, these are a few tangible benefits for you and your student:

The whole idea of college will feel much less intimidating. Walking around on a campus when there’s no pressure is an ideal way to get a glimpse of college.
Conversations about life after high school will happen more naturally. (Who votes for fewer awkward attempts to talk about the future that are met with eye rolls and giant sighs? Yeah, we thought so.)
You’ll be able to make more informed decisions about where to apply and ultimately where to attend. If your student has experienced a few different campuses, they’ll already have a sense of what they like and what they don’t.

What if it’s already junior or senior year?

If it’s already their senior year and you haven’t done any campus visits, don’t panic. Yes, you’ll want to schedule an official tour because the information sessions are valuable. They’re specifically designed for prospective students, so don’t miss those.

But keep reading! If your junior or senior has a college list or is already starting the application process, plan to visit those campuses using our tips. High school students need more relaxed ways to see what campus life is all about before they make their final decision.

Important Advice About Exploring Campuses

DO this:

Find schools that aren’t too far away and make it a goal to go in the next year or so.
Build in some time to explore campuses when you’re on a road trip, a family vacation or even spring break.
Spend time on large, public universities and small, private colleges.
Visit community and technical colleges, liberal arts schools and research institutions.
Check out campuses in urban, suburban and rural areas.
Try virtual tours (for those out-of-state colleges) as well as in-person visits.

don’t do this:

You don’t need to schedule an official campus tour or meet with admissions counselors to get a feel for a college or university.
You don’t need to limit your visits to schools your student is specifically interested in.

READ MORE >>> Public vs Private Universities

13 Low-Stress Ways to Experience College Campuses

Every kid is different and we believe it’s important to find a school that’s a good fit for each student. Here are some of our favorite low-pressure ways to check out different types of campuses!

1. Coffee Shops or Restaurants

Interior of a burrito restaurant facing the counter. Wall beneath the counter is painted turquoise and the counter is protected by a glass shield. A Coca Cola machine is on the left and a silver industrial cooler is on the right. Hanging from the ceiling are chalkboards with the menu handlettered in various colors of chalk. — Pescado’s Burritos, our favorite taco spot across from Brevard College in Brevard, NC

You can learn a lot about a college by hanging out in a coffee shop or grabbing dinner nearby. Instead of your go-to spots for a caffeine fix, drive a little further with your teen and spend time at a coffee shop that’s on or close to a campus. Relax and do a little people watching.

You’re also practically guaranteed to find great pizza, tacos and donuts near college campuses. And usually at a great price! (Thanks to broke college students.)

Look online for local blogs or sites like TripAdvisor to find suggestions. And don’t be afraid of the dive restaurants, especially if they’re campus icons.

2. Athletic Events

5 kids on bleachers in the bright sun. Bleachers are full of a lot of people. Four boys and 1 girl are facing the camera and smiling. — All 5 kids between our 2 families at a college field hockey game in Columbus, OH

Check out the school’s athletic page for a list of all sports. Not only will this give you a chance to experience school spirit and gameday traditions, you’ll be able to see athletic facilities and rec centers.

Catch a game during the school year in a sport your high schooler loves to play or watch. We’ve taken our boys to games at local colleges of all sizes and it’s always fun to see their reactions.

A few field hockey players invited Mary and me to be their guests for their senior night game and we all had a good time learning about a sport we’d never seen in person before.

3. Concerts and Recitals

Two young boys on either size of a college drum major. Boys are standing on a sidewalk in front of a brick building and parking garage. Young man is crouched down between them. He is wearing his bank uniform — We love our university band so our boys were excited to see the drum major, Konner Barr, a former student of mine.

If you want to hear some incredible musicians, go to a college choir or orchestra concert. You’ll be in awe of performances at senior recitals, a culmination of years of intense study.

I’ve attended student dance recitals and the creativity is breathtaking.

4. Plays and Films

Campus theater is another great way to get a feel for the college experience. Depending on majors offered, you might also be able to attend showings of student-directed films.

(One word of caution here – if you plan to attend a play or film, make sure you and your kids are comfortable with the content.)

5. Campus Museums and Galleries

On a work trip to Biola University, Ken took this picture of the historic campus bells.

College museums are often hidden gems. Search for college museums and university museums in a specific city or state for some fascinating places to visit.

If you live in Ohio, check out this list of the Best College Museums in Ohio.

6. Art and Photography Exhibitions

7 people wearing masks and facing the camera. Posing in front of a black and white photo of a man with an American flag draped across his shoulders. — Our families with Asia Glenn in front of her photo from the Black Lives Matter protests in Columbus, Ohio. From #ArtUnitesCbus exhibition at Capital University in Ohio.

Look for fine arts exhibitions from artists using a variety of mediums. You’ll find both student events and faculty exhibitions.

Mary’s former student invited her to attend a photography exhibition at a local college. It was a wonderful opportunity to take our kids to a new campus, and it led to important conversations that we otherwise might not have had.

7. Gardens or Arboretums

A man wearing a white baseball cap and gray tshirt is kneeling next to a boy in a burgundy tshirt who is sitting next to a red brick path. Behind them are flower gardens with shades of pink, purple and red. Behind the flowers is the Old Well at UNC. — The flowers at UNC Chapel Hill’s Coker Arboretum are beautiful!

You might be surprised by the number of gardens and arboretums at universities near you. Do a quick Google search for college campus gardens or arboretums.

My husband and boys surprised me with a stroll through a campus garden for Mother’s Day one year. It was beautiful!

8. Lecture Series, Panel Discussions and TEDx University Events

We wandered around the University of Louisville in KY campus and found this gorgeous building

If your high schooler genuinely loves to learn, search some local college websites for lectures or discussions that are open to the public. This is also a great (low-pressure) way to learn more about different fields, careers and academic programs from faculty members, industry experts and practitioners.

Search for college lecture series in a particular city or state. You’ll see a wide range of topics that may include things like public health, diversity, religion, history, environment, technology, business and so much more.

If you’re interested in attending a TEDx university event, you can search the TEDx site by location, name and date.

9. The College Bookstore

Interior shot of a college bookstore. A man and 2 boys are looking at basketballs in a bin, surrounded by racks of hats, tshirts, car decals in bright orange, black and white. — Anytime we visit a campus, we ALWAYS hit the college bookstore. Ken and the boys are at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

You’d be surprised at how much fun you and your kids can have in a campus bookstore. And finding it will be a good excuse to drive or walk around campus. Sometimes just having a destination makes visiting a campus more fun.

This is a great opportunity to look up a campus map online or download the college app. Find a dining hall, the rec center and the student center or student union. See if there are other cool places you’d like to walk past.

10. Take a Walk or a Run

Two girls stand on either side of a statue of the University of South Carolina mascot. One is on the left, standing on a bench and leaning on the statue's outstretched arm. The other girl is on the right, sitting on the bench next to a stack of books. — We suggested a campus visit to our friends on their vacation. They stopped off at the University of South Carolina with their middle and high school girls.

You can almost always find a great path or trail on a college campus. Get some exercise and see how you feel walking, running or riding your bike around the school.

Look for places where current students are congregating or studying outside.

Your student will spend a lot of time walking around a campus, so this activity will help them see what kind of space they want and how important it is to them.

11. Summer Camps and Workshops

Two photos side by side. On the left are two boys facing the camera inside a gym. Boys are wearing tshirts and shorts and backpacks. On the right, two boys are standing outside in front of a brick building lined with green shrubs. Boys are dressed in long sleeve button down dress shirts and dress pants. — My sons and their friends at basketball camp and financial planning camp. Both campus were at Ohio State.

This option does require more time, effort and money than the other suggestions, but the overall value is absolutely worth it. Spending a full day or a week on a campus can provide a wealth of information.

It’s not always easy to find out about college and university camps, so you may need to do a little digging on the school’s website.

My boys have done sports camps at a few schools and my oldest went to a week-long financial planning camp last summer. He worked with kids finishing up freshman year of high school through their junior year of high school.

High school kids love interacting with and learning from college students who help staff the camps. It’s a relaxed, natural way to talk to older students about student life.

12. High School Tournaments and Competitions

Our son had a basketball tournament at the University of Dayton, so he and Ken explored campus during one of their breaks.

If your student has a school or club event that’s hosted on a campus, take advantage of a chance to wander around and explore. It’s easy to get tunnel vision and focus only on the details of the event, but don’t miss a perfect opportunity to experience more.

13. Homecoming and Your Alma Mater

Three men and 2 boys standing in a large green space, facing and smiling at the camera. Behind them are trees surrounding a pond and behind that are large campus buildings. — Mary’s family at a visit to her father-in-law’s alma mater, Colgate University in NY.

If you went to college, taking your kids to your alma mater is another good idea. It can be a lot of fun for both of you! If there’s a chance to go for Homecoming weekend, even better.

Show them where you lived, where you walked to class, where you hung out and where you ate. Talk about the student activities you participated in and what your social life was like. Depending on how old your kids are, you might get a few eye rolls, but press on!

Seeing where you went to college helps them envision themselves on a campus, even if they’re not planning to go where you did.

Our Final Thoughts

Colleges and universities have information on their websites and/or social media about upcoming events. Search for events, events for the public, campus calendar, things to do, summer camps, etc. Many of our suggestions are free but may require tickets, so check the college’s website to find out if you need to register.

Most importantly, have fun! These are the years when kids are figuring out who they are, what they’re good at, what they love doing or learning about. Trying new things can be scary for our kids, but stepping outside our comfort zone is the best way to grow and learn.

Experiencing campuses in a variety of ways is also a great approach to your college search. Seeing it as an adventure and full of possibilities can help our kids reframe the experience as well.

Less pressure and anxiety, more interest and excitement.