Open houses, fly-in deadlines, and the money attached to setting foot on a campus.
TBThe College Application Specialist. Two Cornell Engineering degrees, a Certificate with Distinction in College Counseling from UCLA, and a PMP. Over $25 million in merit aid secured for families since 2015. Ten years guiding families through college admissions, and twenty-five in technical industries before that.
Dates move without notice. Click through before you plan around anything here. Where a school didn’t publish a cost, this page says nothing rather than guessing.
TouredI’ve walked this campus myself. Watch the campus tour library.
A hundred and forty-four dates is not a plan. Tell the page where you can drive, what kind of school you want, and whether the trip has to pay for itself.
Nothing this month matches what you picked.
| Date | School | Event | Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond | Preview Richmond, day-long open house | Passed | |
| Louisville | Virtual visit: Psychology | Passed | |
| Louisville | Virtual visit: Public Health · Equine Business | Passed | |
| NC State | Spend a Day at State, Agriculture & Life Sciences | Passed | |
| – | Villanova | Fall Preview Days, by college | Passed |
| Oglethorpe | Petrel Preview Day, Atlanta | Passed | |
| Georgia State | Panther Preview | Passed | |
| Towson | Undergraduate Open House, University Union, 9am–1pm | Passed | |
| Belmont | Undergraduate Preview Day, Nashville, 8am–3pm CT | Passed | |
| Miami | Preview the U, Coral Gables. Check-in 9:20am | Passed | |
| Rice | Owl About Rice, Houston Seniors | Passed | |
| – | Union College | Information session and campus tour, Schenectady NY. Mondays and Fridays, not October 12 | Register |
| Wake Forest | Virtual Information Session, 7pm ET | Passed | |
| UNC Chapel Hill | Carolina Virtual Information Session, 4pm | Passed | |
| Johns Hopkins | Virtual: Direct Matriculation, International Relations, 7pm | Passed | |
| Denison | Fall Open House | Passed | |
| WashU | Discover WashU Day Fee waiver for attending | Passed | |
| Mon–Fri | Northwestern | Campus tour, Evanston IL, 75 to 90 minutes. A 30 minute affordability and aid session can be added on weekdays. Northwestern runs no open house | Register |
| Mon–Fri | Claflin | Campus tour, Orangeburg SC. Bring an official transcript and scores for a decision on the spot Admission on the day | Register |
| Fayetteville State | Fall Open House, Seabrook Auditorium, 9am–1pm. Check-in 8am. Two football tickets per student | Passed | |
| UNC Greensboro | Fall Open House | Passed | |
| Virginia Tech | Fall Open House, Burruss Hall, 8am–8pm Sessions filling | Passed | |
| Florida A&M | Preview Day, Tallahassee | Passed | |
| Florida Atlantic | Explore Florida Atlantic, Boca Raton | Passed | |
| Guilford | Fall Open House | Passed | |
| Virginia State | Fall Open House | Passed | |
| Belmont | Sneak Peek Saturday, 10:30am–12:30pm CT | Passed | |
| Mary Washington | Open House, Fredericksburg VA, 8:30am–2pm | Passed | |
| Mount Holyoke | Open House | Passed | |
| – | UNC Greensboro | Virtual livestreams. Major spotlights, financial aid, accommodations, and one session in Spanish | Register |
| Hampton | Last day the $60 application fee is waived Deadline | Passed | |
| Georgia Tech | Preview Georgia Tech open house. Design, Sciences, Liberal Arts, Business Seniors and transfers | Passed | |
| Johns Hopkins | Virtual: Direct Matriculation, International Health, 7pm | Passed |
Nothing this month matches what you picked.
| Date | School | Event | Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi State | General Scholarship Application opens Admitted students only | Details | |
| – | Michigan Ross | All Access Weekend. Airfare, hotel, meals for student plus two guardians Juniors eligible | Passed |
| Morgan State | Explore Morgan Day, Hill Field House, Baltimore | Passed | |
| Northwestern | Online information session, 4pm CT. Admission directors and current students, with live Q and A | Passed | |
| Howard | Bison Preview | Passed | |
| UCF | Knight for a Day | Passed | |
| NC Central | Fall Eagle Preview, Durham, 8am–2pm Registration closed Sept 30 | Passed | |
| Bethune-Cookman | All in Huddle Open House, Daytona Beach, 8am–12pm. Four game tickets per family Registration closed Sept 19 | Passed | |
| Bowie State | Undergraduate Open House, MLK Center, 8am–3pm. Free entry to the BSU football game | Passed | |
| Old Dominion | Open House, Norfolk VA | Passed | |
| UNC Chapel Hill | Carolina Virtual Information Session, 4pm | Register | |
| Johns Hopkins | Virtual: Hopkins Within Reach, how financial aid works, 7pm | Register | |
| Wake Forest | Virtual Information Session, 7pm ET | Opens soon | |
| – | Purdue | Introducing Purdue. Five dates across October | Register |
| WashU | Academic Showcase Day | Register | |
| Louisville | Cardinal Preview Day, 10am–3:30pm ET. Check-in 9:30am | Register | |
| NC A&T | Open House, Greensboro | Register | |
| Johnson C. Smith | Fall in Love with Smith, Charlotte, 8am–12pm. Free tickets. A dedicated track for first-generation families | Register | |
| Shenandoah | General Open House, Winchester VA, 9:30am–2pm | Register | |
| Loyola Maryland | Fall Open House Sophomores up | Register | |
| Goucher | Explore Goucher Day, Towson MD, 9:30am–12:30pm | Register | |
| Mississippi State | Fall Preview Day* | Register | |
| Union College | Fall Open House, Schenectady NY, 9am–2:30pm Monday | Register | |
| – | NYU | Zoom In On NYU. Three virtual sessions, 6pm ET, out of a longer series | Register |
| Johns Hopkins | Virtual: QuestBridge information session, 7pm | Register | |
| Georgia Tech | Preview Georgia Tech open house Seniors and transfers | Register | |
| Johns Hopkins | Virtual: Peabody Double Degree, 7pm | Register | |
| Oglethorpe | Petrel Preview Day | Register | |
| Northwestern | Online information session, 4pm CT | Register | |
| Virginia | Visit Virginia Day, Newcomb Hall, Charlottesville, 8am–2pm. Two guests maximum Travel reimbursed | Register | |
| Towson | Undergraduate Open House, 9am–1pm | Register | |
| WashU | Discover WashU Day Fee waiver for attending | Register | |
| Agnes Scott | Great Scott Open House $2,000/yr visit award | Register | |
| Richmond | Preview Richmond, 8am–3pm, check-in Admission Suite 106 Academic sessions full | Register | |
| Appalachian State | Fall Open House, Boone | Register | |
| Simmons | Open House, Boston | Register | |
| Winston-Salem State | Fall Open House, The Ram Experience | Register | |
| Florida Gulf Coast | Eagle EXPO | Register | |
| UNC Charlotte | Open House, 9am–2pm | Register | |
| Towson | Undergraduate Open House, 9am–1pm | Register | |
| Mary Washington | Open House, Fredericksburg VA, 8:30am–2pm | Register | |
| Belmont | Sneak Peek Saturday, 10:30am–12:30pm CT | Register | |
| Fayetteville State | Virtual: freshman admissions information session, 6pm | Register | |
| Mississippi State | Scholar Recognition Day Invitation only | Details | |
| – | North Carolina | College Application Week. Elon, Queens, Winston-Salem State participating | Details |
| Johns Hopkins | Virtual: Transfer information session, 7pm | Register | |
| Wake Forest | Distinctively Wake, virtual, 4pm ET | Opens soon | |
| – | US Naval Academy | Candidate Visit Weekend, Annapolis, overnight Invitation only | Register |
| Morehouse | Discover Morehouse Juniors welcome | Register | |
| – | Elon | ElonYOU overnight Seniors only | Details |
| Appalachian State | Transfer Preview Day, Boone, 9:30am–3:30pm | Register | |
| Eckerd | Fall Open House, St. Petersburg, 8am–12pm $4,000 travel grant | Register | |
| WashU | Discover WashU Day Fee waiver for attending | Register | |
| Albany State | Fall Open House, HPER Gymnasium, Albany GA, 9am–1pm | Register | |
| Ursinus | Fall Open House, Floy Lewis Bakes Center, Collegeville PA, 9am–1pm | Register | |
| NC State | University Open House, Raleigh | Register | |
| Elon | Fall Open House | Register | |
| UT Knoxville | Big Orange Preview | Register | |
| UT Dallas | Scholars’ Day Fee waiver for attending | Register | |
| UT Arlington | Maverick Experience | Register | |
| UT San Antonio | Roadrunner Preview | Register | |
| North Florida | Explore UNF | Register | |
| UC Berkeley | College Information Day & Berkeley Showcase | Register | |
| Appalachian State | Fall Open House, Hickory campus, 10am–1pm | Register | |
| Belmont | Undergraduate Preview Day, Nashville, 8am–3pm CT | Register | |
| Tampa | Undergraduate Open House, 10am | Register | |
| Denison | Fall Open House | Register | |
| Clark Atlanta | Fall Open House, 223 James P. Brawley Drive, Atlanta, 8am | Register | |
| Florida Atlantic | Explore Florida Atlantic | Register |
October 17 and October 24 are the two days you cannot be everywhere. Thirteen schools on this page hold a signature visit event on the 24th and ten hold one on the 17th. Your family gets one school on each of those Saturdays. Pick early.
Nothing this month matches what you picked.
| Date | School | Event | Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appalachian State | Inside Appalachian, Boone, 9:30am–4pm Seniors only | Register | |
| Wake Forest | Virtual Information Session, 7pm ET | Opens soon | |
| – | US Naval Academy | Candidate Visit Weekend, Annapolis, overnight Invitation only | Register |
| Louisville | Cardinal Preview Day, 10am–3:30pm ET. Check-in 9:30am | Register | |
| WashU | Academic Showcase Day | Register | |
| Hampton | Fall Open House | Register | |
| Loyola Maryland | Fall Open House Sophomores up | Register | |
| Queens Charlotte | Discover Queens | Register | |
| UCF | Knight for a Day | Register | |
| Loyola New Orleans | Fall Open House | Opens soon | |
| Savannah State | Fall Open Campus Day, Savannah GA, 9am–3pm | Register | |
| Old Dominion | Open House, Norfolk VA | Register | |
| Towson | Undergraduate Open House, 9am–1pm | Register | |
| Delaware State | Open House, Memorial Hall, Dover, 8:30am–2pm | Register | |
| Rollins | Discover Rollins, Alfond Sports Center, Winter Park FL, 8am. Half-day open house $4,000 visit scholarship | Register | |
| Mary Washington | Open House, Fredericksburg VA, 8:30am–2pm | Register | |
| Tampa | Undergraduate Open House, 10am | Register | |
| Mississippi State | Fall Preview Day* | Register | |
| Eckerd | Fall Open House, St. Petersburg, 8am–12pm $4,000 travel grant | Register | |
| UNC Chapel Hill | Carolina Virtual Information Session, 4pm | Register | |
| Wake Forest | Distinctively Wake, virtual, 4pm ET | Opens soon | |
| Alfred Street | HBCU College Festival, virtual day Save the date | Details | |
| Oglethorpe | Petrel Preview Day | Register | |
| Alfred Street | HBCU College Festival in person, The St. James Sports & Wellness Campus, Springfield VA. Bring an official transcript and scores for a decision on the spot Admission on the day | Details | |
| UNC Greensboro | Fall Open House | Register | |
| Agnes Scott | Virtual Great Scott Open House | Register | |
| Loyola New Orleans | Fall Open House | Opens soon | |
| Simmons | Open House, Boston | Register | |
| UT Dallas | Scholars’ Day Fee waiver for attending | Register | |
| West Florida | Explore UWF!, Pensacola | Register | |
| Belmont | Undergraduate Preview Day, Nashville, 8am–3pm CT | Register | |
| Goucher | Explore Goucher Day, virtual | Register | |
| Rollins | Apply by this date for the $4,000 visit scholarship Deadline | Register | |
| Spelman | Junior Preview Day registration opens Juniors only | Details | |
| – | UC Riverside | Discover UCR, virtual | Register |
| Norfolk State | Fall Open House, Norfolk VA. Registration link coming Save the date | Details | |
| Mississippi State | Fall Preview Day* | Register | |
| Mississippi State | Scholarship application priority date Deadline | Details | |
| Johnson & Wales | Visit by this date for the $5,000 grant Deadline | Details | |
| Rollins | Virtual Discover Rollins, 11am. Falls after the November 15 scholarship application deadline | Register | |
| Agnes Scott | Scottie Spark: A STEM Showcase | Details | |
| Rollins | Visit by this date for the $4,000 visit scholarship Deadline | Register |
* Mississippi State charges $10 for Preview Day. It is the only event on this page with a published price. Everything else is either free or lists no fee, and a school that lists no fee can still surprise you, so check when you register.
This is not every college, and it was never meant to be. Plenty of schools hold their open house in the spring, and plenty do not hold one at all and would rather build a visit around your family. If a school your student cares about isn’t on this list, call its admissions office and ask what is on the calendar.
The largest HBCU college fair in the country is November 13 and 14. Alfred Street Baptist Church runs it, virtual on Friday the 13th and in person Saturday the 14th at The St. James Sports & Wellness Campus in Springfield, Virginia. Schools come from all over the country rather than just this corridor, so one Saturday there puts your student in front of more HBCUs than a fall of single-campus open houses would. Student registration is not open yet. Put it on the calendar now and watch for it to open.
Claflin will admit your student during an ordinary campus tour. Bring an official transcript and test scores and you can walk out with a decision. It sits in the FAQ of a routine tour page rather than being advertised as an event. On-site admission is more common than schools publish, so carry an official transcript to every visit and ask.
Most schools give you nothing for visiting. These publish an amount or a waiver.
Money toward tuition and money toward the trip are two different things. The awards below follow your student to enrollment. Separately, three schools on the calendar pay for the trip itself: Michigan Ross covers airfare, hotel and meals for a student plus two guardians, Virginia reimburses transportation to and from Charlottesville for Visit Virginia Day, and Eckerd’s grant is for families more than 200 miles out. Virginia’s travel grant publishes no dollar amount and is awarded first come, first served while funding lasts, so apply the day you register, not the week before you go.
| Amount | School | Award | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| $2,000 / yr | Agnes Scott | Campus Visit Award | Renewable four years. Stacks on merit. |
| $5,000 | Johnson & Wales | Visit grant | Renewable. Visit by December 1, 2026. |
| $4,000 | Rollins | Visit Scholarship | $1,000 a year for four years. Official campus visit by December 18, 2026 and apply by November 15, 2026. |
| $4,000 | Eckerd | Campus Visit Travel Grant | $1,000 a year. You must live more than 200 miles away. Apply by November 15, 2026, FAFSA by February 1, 2027. |
| $500 | Guilford | First-year grant | Book a campus tour. |
| School | Waiver | Qualifies |
|---|---|---|
| Loyola Maryland | Greyhound Fee Waiver | On-campus or online visit |
| Richmond | Fee waiver | Campus visit or virtual event |
| UT Dallas | Fee waiver | Attend Scholars’ Day |
| WashU | Application fee waiver | Attend any Discover WashU Day |
| Dates | Where | Who |
|---|---|---|
| Through | Hampton | Everyone. The $60 fee is waived August 1 through September 30, 2026. |
| – | Texas | Texas residents, through ApplyTexas |
| – | North Carolina | Elon, Queens Charlotte, Winston-Salem State participating. NC State and Appalachian State are not. |
Virginia State · Loyola New Orleans · Simmons · Johnson & Wales · UT El Paso · UT Rio Grande Valley · New College of Florida · Florida Poly
Hampton’s $60 fee returns October 1. Their Early Action deadline is November 15, 2026, so a senior applying then pays it. Applying by September 30 does not.
From each school’s own Common Data Set, Section C7, or a direct statement on its admissions site.
Not confirmed from an accessible official source: Harvard, Purdue, Michigan State, Florida State, USF, FIU, New College.
Two more belong in the left column, and I am the source rather than a document. Neither UNC Greensboro nor Winston-Salem State publishes a Common Data Set. From working with both offices, the visit does not count toward admission at either one. Everything in the two columns above comes from a published document. This sentence comes from me.
A separate page tracks the income at which each college stops charging tuition, including the ones tied to living in the Carolinas or Virginia, and the ones that publish an average and let you assume it is a promise.
Nearly every fully funded fly-in is open only to rising seniors, and this year’s deadlines have mostly passed. These open in winter and spring.
| Opens | School | Program |
|---|---|---|
| Spelman | Junior Preview Day registration, for February dates | |
| Mid-Jan | Villanova | Junior Preview Day registration |
| Spring | Bryn Mawr | Lantern Scholars fly-in, fully funded including travel |
| Rolling | Michigan Ross | All Access Weekend. Airfare and hotel for the student plus two guardians |
| Rolling | College of Charleston | Overnight programs, prioritizing first-generation students |
I read what schools publish and tell families what it means for their student specifically, including when the answer is that a visit isn’t worth the drive.
Over $25 million in merit aid secured for families since 2015. A 100% college acceptance rate, and 98% graduated on time.
Thirty minutes, complimentary. An intake form comes first, so the time goes to strategy instead of background.
The Strategy Session goes further: sixty minutes, with a written summary. $415, session only. The fee applies toward Comprehensive College Advising if you enroll within 30 days of the session.
Enrollment for the Class of 2027 is closed. All other grade levels close October 15.