We recommend that families begin visiting colleges the summer before junior year. Your Navigator will help you plan these visits and, if desired, can propose customized regional itineraries in the spring of 10th grade, based on your evolving Long List.

If your College Advising Voyage begins in early 11th grade, don’t worry—you’re still on track! Just keep in mind that it’s essential to start visiting campuses as early and as often as possible throughout junior year. These visits are a cornerstone of your research and decision-making process.

To help you get the most out of each visit, your GEO Crew will provide a questionnaire for you to fill out during your visits. This tool is designed to help you reflect on what resonates with you (and what doesn’t) at each school. It also doubles as a valuable record of your impressions—perfect for referencing later when you’re writing your school-specific supplemental essays.

We encourage you to explore a diverse range of institutions: large research universities and small liberal arts colleges; public universities in the West and private Ivies in the East. The more variety you experience, the better you'll understand what kind of environment suits you best.

As your preferences take shape, we’ll refine your list accordingly—removing schools that don’t feel like a fit, highlighting promising options, and suggesting new additions based on your evolving criteria. Your thoughtful feedback is essential to this process, and it will help us guide you toward the schools where you’ll truly thrive.