Spring is a great time to visit university campuses. While many will have COVID-19 restrictions in place, many universities are hosting special events for recently admitted students as well as for younger students starting the university search.
For many high school students, the thought of visiting university campuses conjures up feelings of anxiety. What should be enjoyable experiences, can feel like lonely fact-finding missions. One way to reduce the stress of campus visits, and to maximize the amount of information gathered, is to visit campuses during open houses.
Open houses allow you to experience first-hand what it’s like to be a student at universities. During your visits you can speak with current students, meet with staff and faculty, and often even experience a lecture and check out laboratories. There are few better ways to gain a sense for the distinct personality of a university.
For students considering Ontario universities, virtually all universities ramp up their campus tour offerings in March to coincide with the traditional spring break at in-province high schools. Most offer programming to provide students, and their families, a deeper understanding of the university’s academic programs, support services, and even to sample the campus’ gastronomy. Other Canadian universities, such as McGill and British Columbia, offer similar programs in the fall; they do, however, provide year-round campus tours.
So, if you don’t have plans to fly south for the break, or plan to visit Canada, be sure to make time to visit a few campuses. You don’t have to do it alone. Grab a few friends, plan a road trip and have a little fun at open houses.
Maximize your campus visits
Check out VerveSmith’s checklist to make the best of your campus visits, and list of things to consider to make a good university match.
Open Houses and Special Events Schedule
The following is a one-stop listing of what select universities have planned.
Algoma University
Campus Tours throughout March Break Week
Brock University
March Break Campus Tours: Saturday, March 12 to Friday, March 28
Laurentian University
Campus Tours throughout March Break Week
Open House: Saturday, March 12
Lakehead University
Campus Tours throughout March Break Week
Monday, March 14: Business & Engineering
Tuesday, March 15: Health & Behavioural Sciences
Wednesday, March 16: Science & Environmental Studies
Thursday, March 17: Social Sciences & Humanities
Friday, March 18: Natural Resources Management & Education
McGill University
Campus Tours throughout March Break Week
McMaster University
Virtual Tours
Nipissing University
Campus Tours throughout March Break Week
Open House: Saturday, March 19, 2022
Ontario College of Art & Design University
Virtual Campus Tours
Queen’s University
Campus Tours throughout March Break Week
Virtual Open House: Monday, March 14 to Saturday, March 19
Royal Military College
Online Presentations
Ryerson University
Campus Tours throughout March Break Week
In-person and Virtual Presentations: Monday, March 14 – Saturday, March 19
Trent University
Campus Tours throughout March Break Week
Virtual Open House: Saturday, March 5
University of British Columbia
Campus Tours throughout March Break Week
University of Guelph
Campus Tours throughout March Break Week
Virtual Campus Day: Sunday, March 27
University of Ottawa
Campus Tours throughout March Break Week
Spring Open House: Saturday, March 19
University of Toronto
Campus Tours throughout March Break Week (St. George, UTM, UTSC)
University of Waterloo
Campus Tours throughout March Break Week
Virtual Open House: Saturday, March 19
University of Windsor
Campus Tours throughout March Break Week
Spring Open House: Saturday, March 5 (In-person or Virtual)
Western University
Campus Tours throughout March Break Week
Wilfrid Laurier University
Campus Tours throughout March Break Week
Spring Virtual Open House: Saturday, March 12 (Waterloo) | Saturday, March 19 (Brantford)
York University
Campus Tours throughout March Break Week
VerveSmith helps students find universities and programs that match their aspirations, and to develop an admissions application strategy. For additional help, contact us.