What should I look for during a private school or college campus visit?

Forget the shiny buildings—this is not an architecture tour. Watch the people. Are students actually paying attention or sneakily scrolling TikTok? Do teachers seem genuinely invested or just waiting for lunch? Peek at bulletin boards: Is student work proudly displayed or just sad photocopies? Notice how staff treat you (and each other). That vibe? It matters. Does the campus feel like a place where your kid would thrive—not just survive? Trust your gut, take notes, and look for the stuff that isn’t in the glossy brochure. And bring a checklist—it’ll keep you grounded when all the schools start blending together in a blur of brick buildings and buzzwords.