Even before parents start paying for four years of tuition, there's the expense of taking sons and daughters to college campuses to get a feel for the school.
It's not unusual for parents to spend $3,000 on travel, food and lodging for such visits before choosing a school to attend, said Cliff Kramon, an independent college adviser in a recent Associated Press interview.
That doesn't mean parents and students should skip the visitation process this fall. After all, there's nothing quite like the experience of stepping onto a campus to see if it's a good fit for the student. But there are at least 10 ways to save money:
1. Take virtual tours: Many college Web sites provide virtual tours of campus and residence halls. Sites such as CampusTours.com and eCampusTours.com also provide virtual tours of hundreds of colleges. And CollegiateChoice.com offers one- to two-hour walking-tour videos of some 368 schools; all were filmed by Kramon and cost $15 apiece.
2. Attend online fairs: At College Week Live events, high school students and their parents can ask admissions counselors questions, visit with current students via Webcam, and stop in online booths linking them to other information at no cost. Lists of upcoming college fairs can be found at CollegeWeekLive.com and VirtualCollegeFairs.com.
3. Cluster visits: Organize trips so you visit two or more schools in the same area.
4. Combine with other trips: Counselor Katherine Cohen encourages students to go while schools are in session to get a better sampling of college activity and a chance to sit in on classes. That might mean planning a visit on a holiday weekend, Thanksgiving week or at other times this fall or winter.
5. Schedule two visits in a day: Generally colleges offer an information session given by the school and a campus tour by a student, providing a chance to question both sides.
6. Buddy up: Take a campus tour with a friend interested in the same college or find another student at the local high school who also is considering it.
7. Connect long-distance: Seek out e-mail or other contact with college students. Askaboutcollege.com allows high school students and their parents to ask questions of student volunteers for free.
8. Find an alum: Have your child contact a recent graduate from the same high school who is attending a particular college. Even a quick phone conversation can be helpful.
9. Eat at the dining hall: A student dining hall provides a glimpse of what meals would be like and saves money.
10. Consider a tour package: Companies such as College Visits (www.college-visits.com), Collegiate Explorations (www.cetours.com) and Education Unlimited (www.educationunlimited.com) offer an array of college tours. This option might be a less expensive alternative to see a large number of colleges in your region.
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