With so many colleges to choose from, it’s senior Catherine House’s job to pick which one best suits her. Without an idea of what she wants to do, she thinks best way to find her ideal college is by visiting each.

“There were some places that I was like ‘Yeah, I might want to go here,’ but after I visited I was like ‘Eh, not so much anymore,’” Catherine said. “So by going on a tour and visiting, it really helped narrow it down.”

During a typical college visit, the potential student walks the campus with a student tour guide, either in a group or one-on-one. This is a time to ask questions and get a feel for the school.

“It was helpful to be able to ask the questions when I was there because it’s to someone who is passionate about their school and will give you more information than you originally asked for so it’s really informational,” Catherine said.

During visits, the colleges themselves want to make a good impression. Catherine thought the colleges put their best foot forward and really exhibited all of the great things that they had to offer.

“[Every college] makes their school sound great,” Catherine’s mom, Mardi House said. “It can sometimes actually make it even harder to choose a school because they make it sound so good that you want to go there.”

Choosing a college is usually difficult for most people. Visiting a campus allows potential students to make the decision after personally seeing and learning about the college.

“It’s important to make sure that if there is anything at all that you have doubts about, that you have a chance to ask those important questions,”

Mardi House said. “I personally like communicating face-to face so for me it makes it easier to understand what they are saying to me and it makes it more personal.”