<p>Many schools offer preview weekends to admitted students, especially over spring break. I was looking forward to using these to help me decide which schools to attend. However, one of my interviewers quite candidly told me that he thought these weekends offer a misrepresentation of the school. He argued that the often times high school students are overwhelmed during these visits (w/ the drinking, partying, etc), that they are either too hastily turned off or are attracted to a side of the school that is not representative. In your opinion, how helpful are these weekends? Are they really worth the $600+ in airfare?</p>
<p>If you are really torn between 2 or 3 places and you can visit each I think an overnight can provide a helpful comparison. If you only go for a day or a half day of panels and meet and greet, maybe it’s less true, but you will get a somewhat real view if you can stay overnight. You will have a chance to talk to various students----not just those chosen by admissions. Especially too if you are comparing contrasting places (large vs. small, urban vs. rural, very intellectual vs. sportsy) it can be very helpful. Many students may have made these choices when they finalized their list, but a lot of students will have acceptances from places that are similar in academic quality and selectivity but different in other ways. There are lots of other threads on this too.</p>
<p>I do not think the preview weekends, or any structured program like an Open House, is as effective as doing it on your own. If you can, do an overnight at the college, attend a class and meet with a professor. If they offer it, also have lunch with a student. The structured programs for prospective students can be a little overwhelming and crowded.</p>