The First Visit

How to select the first college that I will visit? What pre-information do I need to schedule the visit at the right time? I want to arrive at a college at perhaps its most normal week. It can't be a time when some special event is occurring at the college, or its surrounding town. I want to avoid both crowds, and an overly positive picture of the college. I want to see it for what it normally looks like. Visiting at homecoming, or alumni week, will make the college appear like a scene from a movie. It would all appear too glamorous, and a little too pretty. I want to see the college when a typical student sees it, when it's not too fancy, when alumni are not visiting in droves, and when the college is not putting its best face forward. This will give me the sense of whether I really like the place, and the people. After all, most colleges look great during homecoming. I also need to be practical. I need to be able to get hotel rooms for my parents and me, when we visit. If we pick the busy season, that in itself, will be a hassle. So selecting the time to visit is critical. One way to arrive at that decision is to visit the college's website, and take a look at upcoming events. The less events that are scheduled in a particular, will be the best indication that it is time for me to visit.