S19 was unsure until admitted students day when it was the current students who sold him on Bowdoin. They were so welcoming and friendly and interested in him as a person. No website is going to tell you if you feel the fit. That’s what I worry about with ED and no visit. Heck, I’m worried about it for RD since it’s looking like the 2021 kids aren’t likely to get in person admitted student days. So, double whammy for them. Couldn’t visit in fall or spring but will need to choose.
I am 59 and the same story, poor and first to go to college well, past the first year I guess, but in Michigan it was almost rare to go our of state. The kids with families with money did so. Not that so much different then today. I went to community college my first year since the same exact professors taught there and it was a 1/3 of the price for the same tests…LOL…then went to my local uni and lived at home, just like so many do today…so what changes I guess stays the same. Yes, no internet (am I really that old says the person whose sister had an 8 track player in her car…)
Families today have it so easy picking colleges and seeing the campuses etc without leaving their chair but I agree that fit “is” important to many kids. Even if you can walk the campus now without a true visit can be helpful. Facebook groups helped my daughter to find “her” people can be helpful.
For the particular student and college, is there information that could (a) only be found with a visit, and (b) affect whether the college is the student’s clear first affordable choice?
I am well over 50. I never visited the college I graduated from. For me, it was totally a question of which school did I have to spend the least amount of time getting to. One college, done.
This is a huge worry for me. I can’t imagine making a decision without visiting the school and larger community. College is such an ENORMOUS investment.
I’m in my mid-40s and did no college visits before applying - including the UC 10 minutes from my house. I was first generation, low income and with more people dropping out than going to 4 year universities, it wasn’t really a thing at my high school. Now my friend and I did visit a few schools after admission - mostly just drove around campuses during a road trip to San Diego - hitting 4-5 along the way. It didn’t even occur to us that schools would offer tours which seems kind of ridiculous now. I picked my university because it was far from home, offered great financial aid and I’d heard it was good in engineering.
“How old are folks who didn’t do any college visits back in the day? I’m 50 and at my school, we all did college road trips.”
Not a function of age- a function of parental resources. Most of the first gen/low income folks my age did NOT visit. My best friend’s parents owned a small retail business. They never went to college. The idea that they’d close the business, drive all day, pay for a hotel for EACH of their kids- multiple times? Would have never occurred to them. My friend got a full ride to a prestigious LAC-- her parents decided it was too far away, so she commuted to the local college by public transportation. She was not an outlier in my HS- someone who got into a top 15 type college but who ended up close to home.
It is nice to say “of course you have to visit” but sometimes there isn’t money for a “trip”. Money for the bus/train/plane to get to college? yes. But in some families, the resources are already spread very thin.
A lot of these posts have some unintentional “privilege” leaking out…
I’m with @homerdog about the concern the kids will never get to visit. Then, bc they didn’t do ED to what looks like their top choice, it likely won’t even be an option during the RD no visit season.
Today I’m in the camp of if your kid is the adaptable, go with the flow type, AND it’s not a LAC with a specific vibe, apply ED. What’s the worst that can happen? They decide they really don’t like it and transfer. Happens all the time.
But, in our case, it’s deciding the ED choice that’s difficult.
I went to my state school and saw it when I moved in; didn’t have a choice. I think my kids have too many choices!
I agree with @blossom and wanted to add that IMO, if you’re unable to visit, there are PLENTY of online resources (virtual tours, YouTube, CC etc.) to learn more about the school. There’s not much you can gain from going to an on-campus tour that isn’t going to be listed on the website: they’re trying to sell you on the school, not provide you with insider admissions info or the negatives of the school (which is why you never trust the admissions websites when it comes to student opinions, they’re likely heavily filtered.) If you ARE able to visit due to closeness or you’ll be in the area, definitely do so if you feel like it, but it’s almost (athletes might be an exception, if they want to see the facilities in-person and talk to the coach) never necessary. 
Many, many internationals never visit and adjust just fine.
For D1-D2 athletes, the NCAA imposed a dead period until at least the 1st of the year - so many athletes are having to make decisions without visiting and only meeting the coach and team over Zoom. They are not allowed on campus to see the coach or facilities even if the campus is open. I am guessing there will be a good amount of ED decisions without a campus visit all around. Our small private school expects 40% of kids to apply ED based on their recent info and many kids don’t have scores and have not visited. It scares me - but I never saw my college and went across the county many, many years ago.
Youtube and other social media options have a lot of information once you go past the school sponsored channels/posts.
“How old are folks who didn’t do any college visits back in the day? I’m 50 and at my school, we all did college road trips.”
I am mid 40s, grew up low income, single parent, multiple sibs. No visits other than the two I saw on math tournaments(driven there by a teacher), one of which happened to become my alma mater. I loved it before then as I was in the same state and knew other nerdy types who matriculated from my HS. We only spent a quick 30 min on campus (the tournament was at the neighboring high school), and I still would have applied without seeing it. Not ED, of course, as I needed lots of aid, and luckily they came through with a great package making it cheaper than UNC-CH. . My other top choices (NW, JHU) were picked from brochures in my huge public school’s guidance office, helped by a good feeling after a phone interview for a BS-MD partial scholarship program, which ended up being not nearly enough aid.
The portion of my high school who went to college typically did not tour anywhere, but some wealthier kids did, still usually within the state.
4 years later, for med school, I had saved $$ to afford to fly out for interviews to Harvard &WashU but ended up choosing to stay “home” in Durham.
I agree with others that many of our 2021s will likely have RD sight-unseen as well. Our D toured 13, but still is applying to 4 or so that she has never seen in person. She may end up at one of them! And we are fine with that. Of course if she has the option to go see places in Spring before she decides, even if it is a re-visit, then we will make it happen.
As said, was done all of the time. These days , there are so many resources on line and via phone, Alumni info, etc, that one can get a lot of info on a school even without visiting.
Also, some of the tours are ever so misleading. You catch a school on the wrong day, in the wrong mood, some stupid incident can throw things out of kilter.
It depends upon what is most important to the student. If it’s an intangible they feel they have to see in person, then not a good idea.
Thanks for the input. I would also like my kids to visit because beyond the campus itself, I think it is important to see the surrounding area. My kids are interested in places very different from home and I really don’t want them miserable. I happen to think transferring is a big deal.