What should we pack for a college visit road trip?

Short answer: Pack comfortable walking shoes, a notebook, a phone charger, and a reusable water bottle. For multi-campus trips, add a small backpack for campus swag and a printed itinerary with tour times. Weather-appropriate layers matter more than you think — campus tours are 90 minutes outdoors.

The campus tour is a 60-90 minute walking outdoors — sneakers beat sandals every time, and a light jacket covers AC-chilled info sessions and outdoor tours in one go.

Bring a notebook or use your phone's notes app. After 3 colleges in 2 days, the details blur; writing down one distinctive thing per visit (a building, a student quote, a dining hall impression) makes the comparison sharper later.