Visit Colleges Unofficially
With fall comes college football games and other sporting events, cultural offerings, guest speakers and other activities at college campuses across the nation. Use these events as a reason for unofficial visits with your student.
In addition, after learning more about unofficial college visits, read more about National College Savings Month and a chance to win money for college in a guest article from Treasurer of State Roby Smith.
Why It Matters
- Set the stage for future decisions.
Even if your student has been on college campuses before, it may not have seemed real. As a sophomore, however, your student will need to more carefully consider plans for after high school. - You have the time to be casual.
Your student will not begin actually applying for college for about two more years, so there is time for casual visits to get overall impressions without any pressure.
What Your Student Can Do Now
- Consider likes and dislikes.
Just visiting a college campus and its surrounding community can help a student understand whether the size, location and features are appealing. This is not the time to “fall in love” with a particular institution but to explore general likes and dislikes of similar schools. - Step onto campus.
Spend some time walking about the campus away from the event you’re there to see. If buildings are open to the public, check out the interiors. Hang out near the student union or other obvious gathering places to observe the overall atmosphere. Also walk around the surrounding community to see what retailers, entertainment options and other venues are convenient. - Keep an open mind.
Many students will develop a preference for a specific size or type of college; others think they can be happy on just about any campus. Remind your student that others with similar backgrounds and personalities can be found at most colleges if your student is willing to get involved and find them.
What Your Student Can Do Later
- Start or update a list.
Using information from the unofficial visits, your student can start exploring programs online and creating or updating a running list of possibilities for after high school. The overall cost of attendance should be carefully considered along with other factors while creating the list. - Talk to others.
Your student can ask older students, relatives and acquaintances why they chose a particular college or program and how the actuality compared to expectations. This kind of personal anecdote will only provide one point of view, however, so your student should be careful to remember that their own experience could differ a lot. - Continue to explore programs.
As opportunities arise to visit other programs and campuses — perhaps through school activities, sporting events, summer road trips or camps — your student should consider whether each specific program or location is appealing. The list of potential applications can be refined throughout high school.
What You Can Do
- Make it simple.
Don’t pressure your student to make any decisions yet. Encourage your student to express their initial thoughts and impressions without judgment. - Openly discuss your own thoughts.
Feel free to share what you see as advantages and disadvantages but try to be objective and look at it from your student’s perspective rather than your own. A distant campus can be difficult for you as a parent but may provide exactly the program and experience your student needs. - Be honest about finances.
If a particular institution starts to surge to the top of the list but seems like it may be unaffordable for your family, discuss options with your student. Encourage exploration of similar, but less expensive, programs and campuses and discuss possible ways to make up the cost difference without going too deeply into debt.
Win $1,000 for a Child and Their School!
September is College Savings Month, and ISave 529 is celebrating by giving five Iowa students $1,000 into a new or existing ISave 529 account to support their future educational dreams; each winner will also get to pick a K-12 school to receive an additional $1,000! Visit Iowa529contest.com to enter today.
ISave 529 knows the landscape of education is constantly changing, which is why we are encouraging parents and loved ones to enter the children they love in the giveaway for a chance to make an impact on the potential costs of education in the coming days, weeks, months, years or even decades.
Funds saved in an ISave 529 account can be used for expenses at any eligible education institution in the U.S. or abroad, including colleges, universities, apprenticeship programs, trade schools, K-12 schools and more. But did you also know funds can be used for qualified education expenses beyond tuition, including room and board, books, a computer and supplies? An additional perk for Iowa taxpayers is a state income tax deduction of up to $5,800 in contributions per beneficiary account in 2025!
With more than $6.5 billion in assets and $5.7 billion already withdrawn for qualified education expenses, families across the U.S. have experienced the benefits of saving for education costs with ISave 529. It’s easy to see how invested Iowans are in the education of current and future scholars in their lives. To see everything the plan has to offer, I encourage you to visit ISave529.com or contact us at (888) 672-9116. Happy saving!
Roby Smith
Iowa State Treasurer
About the Author: Roby Smith is the State Treasurer of Iowa and administrator of the ISave 529 education savings plan. He serves as the State’s banker, coordinates bonding and invests Iowa’s money. Treasurer Smith is also the administrator of Iowa’s unclaimed property and Iowa’s ABLE plan for individuals with disabilities. To learn more about the Treasurer, visit IowaTreasurer.gov.
For additional details about ISave 529, read the Program Description.
Next Steps
Be sure to complete the survey questions at the end of this article to be entered into the 529 deposit giveaway!
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