People always seem to apologize when they’re making plans for summer campus visits: “I’m sorry, I know we should have done all this sooner, during spring break, but we couldn’t work it out.”

Campus visits during the summer are fine. I just say that you might need to have a little more imagination. You’ll have to picture those 9-year-olds in lacrosse uniforms as 18- to 22-year-olds cruising to classes.

If you’re crisscrossing the country and visiting multiple colleges in a short period of time, it can be hard to distinguish one library from another.

Here are some suggestions to help make the most of your summer visits:

• Stay organized and make sure you allow enough time to arrive promptly — that usually includes an allowance for getting lost, parking and then walking to the admissions office.

• Create your own checklist of things that you want to do on every visit such as: seeing a real dorm room and not the Bed Bath & Beyond-staged dorm room that many colleges display; checking out the dining options and having a meal; stopping off at the career center and the health center; assessing the immediate surrounding area, its restaurants, shopping, theaters, transportation accessibility and its safety; and making it personal, check out the religious facilities; if you’re involved in theater, make sure you visit the performance venues, etc.

• Prepare a list of questions for admissions officers and student tour guides at every campus you visit, such as:

What is the percentage of students who participate in Greek life? Do fraternities and sororities dominate the social scene?

As a freshman, how many classes am I likely to have in a large lecture hall with hundreds of other students? How does your college or university help make a big school smaller?

What security measures are in place to protect students?

• Research the college before arriving on campus. Find out if they offer majors that are likely to be of interest to you. Do they have any special interdisciplinary majors, study abroad options or internship programs that make that college more appealing than others?

• Talk to as many people as you can. Even though it’s not likely there will be many students on campus, try to chat with whomever you see.

• Find out if there is an open house scheduled for the fall or spring.

• Grab a copy of the student newspaper and the admissions literature. Try and listen to the college radio station.

• When you return home, write up your thoughts and stay organized.

If you met with anyone in admissions, send a thank-you note.