Choosing a college? A campus visit can change everything.

With the click of a mouse, today’s college shoppers can gather all the important facts and figures they need to narrow the field of potential college choices. From the comfort of their homes, they can enjoy virtual campus tours, watch the school’s ball teams compete or chat live with a student or professor.

            So why spend time and money travelling to college campuses before making the final choice? Because in-person campus visits can – and frequently do – change everything.

            Perusing Web sites and college catalogs helps match colleges with students’ academic needs. But recognizing a gut feeling that a college is a good fit often comes only from a first-hand experience on campus.

            As a high school senior, Steven Kellogg of Omaha had planned to use football scholarships to help pay for his college education at a Nebraska college. But his mother insisted he visit her alma mater, AIB College of Business in Des Moines. He made the trip to AIB simply to please Mom.

            “We took a tour of the campus and talked about what I could study,” Kellogg recalls. “When I left the college, I was just in love with AIB.”

            What Kellogg – who attended a small high school – discovered was that he really liked the atmosphere of the intimate AIB community. “That’s a factor that I didn’t consider,” he says. “I had to visit the campus in person to really get a feel of the place and realize how comfortable it was.”

            College admissions offices can arrange visits – either a private tour for a student and parents or friends, or as part of a larger group visit day. Contact the admission office through the college’s Web site or by e-mail or phone to get details and make a reservation.

            College admissions representatives typically meet with visiting students to provide academic and financial aid information and answer questions – which students need to be prepared to ask. They should inquire about the college’s average class size, the student-to-faculty ratio and whether classes are taught by professors or by teaching assistants.

            Prospective students also should check out campus food options, size up housing possibilities and ask about campus activities. They should ask current students what they like about the college, meet some faculty members, see an actual classroom, stop at the gym and library and swing by the favorite student hangouts.

            Also, take time to explore the community around the college campus. Discovering amenities such as public transportation, parks, sporting facilities, restaurants, shopping, social opportunities and employment possibilities may influence a student’s selection of where to spend the next several years.

            “Sometimes it is the intangibles that make the difference,” says Michael Barron, assistant provost for enrollment management and executive director of admissions at the University of Iowa. “Brochures, on-line chats and videos certainly can help frame your initial impression of a college or university, but nothing can replace actually being on campus in person, seeing it for yourself and interacting personally with students, faculty and staff. I can’t tell you how many students I’ve talked with who said that the campus visit was the most important thing they did to narrow down their choices and make a final selection.”