A campus visit at Young Harris College gives you time to explore classrooms and residence halls, meet people, and ask questions about life here. Campus tours take about an hour. Add lunch, a faculty conversation, or a scheduled activity, and you can spend more time getting to know the college.
Visits are free, and lunch in the dining hall is included for you and your guests. You can choose a personalized tour, a weekday visit, or a Purple & White Preview Day with activities for prospective students and families.
Here is what to expect and how to make the most of your time.
Why visiting matters at a small college
At a college with a 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio and an average class size of 14, relationships shape your experience. A visit helps you see how those numbers translate into everyday life: conversations with professors, the atmosphere between classes, and places where students spend time together.
Pay attention to how comfortable you feel asking questions. Talk to students about finding friends, getting help in a difficult class, and choosing activities. Those conversations can help you picture your own first semester.
The setting is part of that picture, too. Young Harris sits in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Northeast Georgia, with Lake Chatuge nearby. As you explore campus, ask students how they spend their weekends and what they enjoy about living in a small mountain community.
When to visit
Most students start visiting in the spring of junior year and continue through the fall of senior year. Earlier visits help you figure out what you are looking for. Later visits help you decide between the schools that you are interested in.
There is no wrong time to come. If you are a sophomore who happens to be driving through the mountains, stop in! Seeing a few campuses early makes every later visit more useful, because you will have something to compare against.
One practical note: a weekday visit shows you the college in motion, with classes in session and students moving between buildings. A Saturday event gives you more structure and more people to talk to in one trip. Both are worth doing if you can.
Your options for visiting Young Harris
Purple & White Preview Days
These events bring prospective students and families together to explore several sides of YHC in one visit. You can take a student-led tour, meet faculty, explore majors and extracurricular activities, and speak with admissions and financial aid staff. Outdoor adventure experiences and lunch add time to get a feel for campus life.
The upcoming fall dates are:
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Purple & White Preview Day | Saturday, October 17 |
| Purple & White Preview Day | Saturday, November 14 |
Register for a Purple & White Preview Day.
Personalized campus tours
A personalized tour lets you focus on your interests. Let the admissions team know which programs or campus spaces you want to explore when you register. You can request time with a coach, professor or a class visit, subject to availability.
Explore campus tour options and book your visit.
See YHC Monday
Monday visits pair a campus tour with an activity. The current options include a class visit with the 9 a.m. tour, outdoor recreation with the 11 a.m. tour, and a planetarium show with the 1 p.m. tour. Check the registration calendar for available dates and activities.
Virtual visits
If you cannot make the trip yet, schedule a conversation with an admissions representative. A virtual visit gives you a chance to discuss academics, applying, and financial aid, and decide what you would like to explore in person later.
Group tours for high schools and counselors are also available through the visit page.
What to explore on a Purple & White Preview Day
A student-led tour offers a useful starting point. Ask your guide what surprised them about their first year, where they spend time between classes, and how they found their place on campus.
At the majors and extracurriculars fair, you can meet people connected to academic programs, clubs, athletics, and other parts of college life. If you are still deciding on a major, use that time to explore a few interests. You do not need to arrive with every decision made.
Make time for the financial aid conversation. Ask how scholarships apply to your situation and what costs remain after aid. YHC includes required textbooks in tuition, which is one expense you can account for as you compare colleges. Review the financial aid information and scholarship eligibility details before your visit so you can bring specific questions.
Ask about the path beyond graduation, too. YHC reports that more than 90% of graduates are employed or enrolled in graduate school within six months. Its Professional Readiness & Experiential Programs (PREP) connects students with experiences such as internships, research, and mentorship. Ask what those opportunities look like in a program you are considering!
Then enjoy lunch with your guests. Sitting down in the dining hall gives you a chance to compare impressions and decide what else you want to learn before heading home.
Five things to notice while you are on campus
Your scheduled stops will cover a lot. Leave room for a few observations and questions of your own:
- How students connect. Do people seem welcoming? Ask how students meet friends and find groups that share their interests.
- How learning feels. If you arrange a weekday class visit, notice how students participate and interact with the professor.
- Your daily routine. Picture the walk from your residence hall to class, lunch, and an afternoon activity.
- The places you would use often. Spend time in the dining hall and ask to see spaces that matter to you, such as the library or recreation facilities.
- How people answer your questions. Ask about academic support, costs after aid, and challenges students face. Specific answers will help you compare your options.
Questions worth asking while you are here
Tours cover the highlights. These questions get you the rest, and they work at any college you visit.
Ask a current student:
- What do you wish you had known before you enrolled?
- Who did you go to the first time you struggled in a class?
- What do people do here on a Saturday?
Ask a professor:
- How do students in this program spend their summers?
- What does a student do in a first semester to get on your radar?
Ask admissions or financial aid:
- What will this cost my family after aid, in a normal year?
- Does my scholarship renew, and what do I need to maintain?
- What share of students come back for sophomore year?
Ask yourself on the drive home:
- Could I see myself here on an ordinary Tuesday, not only on a visit day?
What to bring and how to prepare
Wear comfortable walking shoes and check the weather before you leave. Bring a short list of questions and a way to take notes. After several college visits, details can start to run together.
When you register, include your guests and any requests for a class visit, faculty meeting, or accessibility accommodations. Check your confirmation for arrival time, parking, and check-in instructions.
You can also browse academic programs and admissions information to decide what you want to learn during the visit.
After the visit
Write down your impressions before you get home. Three colleges into a search, the details blur, and the notes you take in the parking lot are the ones you will trust in April.
A few things are worth capturing while they are fresh: one thing that surprised you, one thing that concerned you, and whether you could picture yourself walking to class here. Those three answers tend to hold up better than a long list of pros and cons.
If a question came up that nobody answered, send it to your admissions counselor. How quickly and how directly a college answers is its own kind of information.
Frequently asked questions
When are the upcoming Purple & White Preview Days?
The confirmed fall dates are Saturday, October 17, and Saturday, November 14. Check the registration page for current availability.
What is the difference between a Preview Day and a personalized campus tour?
A Preview Day is a structured Saturday event with a student-led tour, faculty conversations, a majors and extracurriculars fair, outdoor activities, and lunch. A personalized tour is a shorter weekday visit built around your interests. Preview Days suit families who want to see everything in one trip. Personalized tours suit students who want focused time with a program or a professor.
When should I visit colleges?
Most students visit between the spring of junior year and the fall of senior year. Earlier visits help you decide what you want in a college. Later visits help you choose among the schools that admitted you.
What should I ask on a college tour?
Ask students what they wish they had known before enrolling, who they turned to the first time they struggled in a class, and what people do on weekends. Ask admissions what the cost will be after aid and whether scholarships renew. Specific answers help you compare schools.
Where is Young Harris College?
Young Harris College is in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Northeast Georgia, with Lake Chatuge nearby. Use the college’s maps and directions to plan your route.
For logistics such as cost, tour length, parking, dining, and accessibility, the visit page answers those questions in detail.
Come see it
Join us for a Purple & White Preview Day on October 17 or November 14. Bring your questions, explore your interests, and give yourself time to picture everyday life at YHC.
Register for a Purple & White Preview Day.
If those dates do not work, choose a campus tour, Monday visit, or virtual conversation that fits your schedule.
