How should we prepare before a college visit?

Short answer: Read the college's 'about' page and one student newspaper article before you go. Skim the admissions requirements so you're not asking basic questions on the tour. Book the campus tour first, then build the rest of the trip around it — tour slots are scarcer than hotel rooms.

The student newspaper reveals the campus culture faster than any admissions page — search for 'student life' or 'controversy' and you'll learn what students actually care about.

Check the admissions site for the current visit calendar 2-3 weeks before your trip. Spring slots at selective colleges fill by mid-February; book the tour before you book the hotel.