<p>If you are interested in a certain area of the country, some colleges band together to make multiple visits easier. Last summer some Virginia private colleges offered up to free applications for visiting at least three of the schools: [Council</a> of Independent Colleges in Virginia [CICV]](<a href=“http://www.cicv.org/]Council”>http://www.cicv.org/) </p>
<p>Working with the school calendar was also key. Starting at the summer after sophmore year, we took every in-service day available when we could or days like Presidents day weekend or Martin Luther King Day when colleges were open and our kids public hs was closed. Granted, this is very difficult when kids are involved in a time-sucking ec, but that’s all the more reason to start a bit early.</p>