I disagree with #2. If you want to maximize your chances of admission, visit schools early. The reason is that if you end up loving a school that has Early Action or Early Decision, it is most advantageous to apply during either of those rounds of admission. Even if you aren’t interested in either of those options, visiting a school early can help you figure out what school you really want to attend (urban or rural, big or small, etc.) Also, when you look at college brochures, you usually aren’t getting the full picture. Therefore, I would definitely advise someone to go look at schools early in the college admissions process.