Why Reflection is the Most Critical Component of a College Visit

By Liz Jackson

Spring is the most common time to visit colleges, particularly for juniors. Sometimes, seeing a college in person after researching it online confirms that the school is a good fit for you. But other times, you may find yourself underwhelmed after visiting a school in person. Or, you might realize that your college search criteria has changed. 

While this can feel unsettling to students, it’s a very common experience and not one to be concerned about! We strongly encourage students to begin visits early because, we feel, reflecting on college visits is the most essential component of one’s research. Seeing the school is only the beginning. Taking the time to process what you learned, evaluate your criteria, and analyze how a college does (or does not!) fit is critical to helping you decide where to apply and, eventually, to attend.

Here are some tips for what to do if your college criteria change after your visits.

1. Reevaluate Your Priorities

The first step is to take a step back and revisit your initial criteria for choosing a college. Before visiting campuses, you likely had a list of factors that were most important to you. But now that you’ve experienced a few schools firsthand, you might realize that some factors matter more to you than others. Or, perhaps new criteria have emerged.

Things to consider after each visit:

• What’s most important to me now? 
• What was missing during my visit? 
• How have my preferences changed? 

Take the time to reflect on what you’ve learned about yourself through the visits. Your priorities may shift, and that’s okay—it’s all part of the process.

2. Reassess Your College List and Narrow Down Your Options

Once you have a clearer sense of what you’re really looking for, it is time to reassess the colleges you are considering. Use your updated preferences, and work with your counselor to identify new schools and refine your list. The more detailed the feedback you have from your visits, and the more detailed you can be in developing your new criteria, the better you and your counselor will be able to find schools that will feel like good fits.

3. Schedule Additional Visits or Virtual Tours

If your criteria has changed and you’ve identified new schools to explore, it might be time to plan additional visits or virtual tours. Seeing more campuses in person (or virtually) will give you a better understanding of whether they align with your updated preferences, and will help you solidify your wants and needs.

4. Don’t Be Afraid to Change Your Expectations

Sometimes, after seeing different schools, you might realize that your ideal college might look different from what you expected. This is a good time to be flexible and open-minded about the type of college experience you want.

For example:

• You might have thought you wanted a large, bustling campus but now prefer a smaller school with a close-knit community.
• Maybe you initially wanted a school close to home, but after visiting a few schools in different areas, you now want to explore more distant options.
• You could have placed a high value on athletics, but after seeing the campus firsthand, you realize that strong academics and research opportunities are more important to you.

Changing your expectations is a sign of maturity—it means you’re learning more about yourself and what you truly want from your college experience. Embrace that growth and allow yourself the flexibility to change your mind.

5. Trust the Process and Stay Patient

It’s normal to feel uncertain or frustrated if your initial college list no longer feels like the right fit, but trust that you’re on the right track. The college search is a journey, and your visits are a part of the process of finding the best fit for you.

Of course, this is also exactly the type of challenge that your college counselors are here to help you navigate. So make sure to seek guidance along the way! 

About Liz Jackson

Liz Jackson serves as the director of College Guidance at University School of Milwaukee. She has more than 15 years of experience helping students and families find the right college. With experience in counseling, higher education research, and school leadership, Liz enjoys getting to know students and matching their interests to the unique offerings of each college.