College Fly-In Programs Explained—What Exactly Are They?
As you prepare to build your college list and determine your application strategy, finding extra avenues to learn about colleges and increase your chances of getting in is a key component of your work. One lesser-known opportunity that high school students can take advantage of is a college “fly-in.” These programs, hosted by individual colleges, provide fully funded visits to campus for talented 12th-grade students considering applying. Attendance is quite selective, usually requiring a combination of essays, test scores, transcripts, and school nomination or recommendation. These visits are primarily geared toward supporting college accessibility.
Wondering if your dream school offers a fly-in program? With the vast number of colleges in the U.S. and the constantly shifting world of college admissions, it’s difficult to confirm exactly which schools offer fly-ins. You can find a list of some of the most well-known fly-in programs here, but if you’re very interested in a certain school that’s not on the list, it’s worth independently searching for these opportunities.
In this blog, we’ll go through the most important things to know about fly-in programs—whether you should apply, what you’d do on campus, and how it’ll affect your odds of admission to the school.
1. Who is usually eligible to attend fly-in programs? Is it always worth applying?
Fly-in programs are typically geared towards talented students from backgrounds underrepresented on campus or higher education generally. Many support low-income students, students who would be the first in their families to attend college, students from Title 1 schools, students from underrepresented racial and/or cultural backgrounds, and undocumented students.
Priority will nearly always be determined based on financial resources since these fly-in programs hope to attract students who might otherwise be unable to visit campus, are uncertain of their ability to afford the cost of attendance, or have limited resources to prepare for college admissions. Attendees will often get to connect with Admissions and Financial Aid Officers while on campus to prepare for the application process.
With this being the case, think carefully about whether you are a good fit for this program. If you feel that your needs and background align with the fly-in’s goal and you’re considering applying to the school, go for it! This is a great opportunity to visit a college you love and get advice on the application and financial aid process.
If you can comfortably afford to visit campus (or already have), even if you meet other criteria or if any student is permitted to apply, you are likely not the student that colleges hope to invite to these fly-in programs. While it’s understandable to be excited, there will already be more students with financial need who apply than can attend, so your odds of being invited are low. Finding other ways to engage with the school—individual visits, info sessions, other on campus events—are a great way to prepare for your application! Some schools may also offer fly-ins purely based on academic skills and interests, where emphasis is not placed on resources or background.
You should read fly-in program descriptions carefully—ensure you meet all eligibility criteria and deadlines, and have your materials prepared in advance. Some documents, like transcripts or recommendations, can’t be instantly obtained. Additionally, some programs require nomination by a teacher or school counselor—don’t start preparing an application you’ll be unable to submit!
2. What do you do at a fly-in program?
College fly-ins are typically held over the course of 2-3 days, often Friday-Sunday. Though the content of each program varies, there are some general commonalities.
Information sessions: You’ll receive an official tour of campus and information session, which may be the “standard” content or tailored to the specific focus of the fly-in. There may also be discipline-specific sessions available, focusing on majors, courses, and opportunities in fields like Engineering or Humanities.
Dorm living: You’ll spend your nights staying in a dorm with current students and eat most of your meals with them in campus dining halls. This will expose you to daily student life and allow you to get “insider information” about the school from people outside the admissions office.
Learning experiences: Fly-in attendees often join events covering both administrative and academic topics while on campus. Fly-ins for first-generation and/or low-income students usually include discussions with members of the financial aid office and current students from the same background(s) to learn about financial accessibility and finding community on campus. Fly-ins also offer academically-focused events, such as opportunities to sit in on classes, event-specific workshops or lectures, or discussions with current students.
However, no two programs are the same—you’ll need to wait till you’re invited to a fly-in to know the details of everything you’ll get up to!
3. Are fly-ins worth attending?
Absolutely.
There’s no reason to turn down a fly-in invitation. Even if you’re skeptical about whether you’re interested in the school, that’s all the more reason to go. Many students fall in love with a school after spending a few days on campus among professors and students. (And now you’ve given yourself an edge in the admissions process!) If you end up disliking the school, there’s still a limited downside. You’ve successfully narrowed down your college list and gotten a free vacation out of it.
If you’re invited but do not ultimately attend the fly-in, it may hurt your odds of acceptance to the school. Apart from a truly unavoidable conflict or emergency, it’s hard to explain why you’d turn down an all-expenses-paid trip to a school you’d like to attend!
4. Do fly-in programs boost my odds of acceptance?
The short answer is yes. Generally speaking, any college admissions event where your attendance is fully-funded by the school is a good sign. Flying you across the country and supporting a multi-day trip is a significant investment, so schools won’t invite students with no chance of getting in.
The long answer has a little more nuance. When you apply, AOs will be able to see that you attended the program, showing that you were already evaluated by a member of the admissions team and were considered a competitive applicant for the school. This is a great way to start off the review!
Beyond this, be aware that there is variability among schools regarding the impact a fly-in can have on your application. Schools don’t release statistics on fly-in student acceptances, so it’s impossible to know exactly the benefit you’d receive. Make sure you’re not seeing it as a guaranteed acceptance—you’ll still need a very strong application as you’ll be evaluated within a much larger pool of applicants. Variables such as the number of fly-in applicants and attendees, the size of the school, the number of overall applicants, the acceptance rate of the school, and the admissions round in which you apply can all inform the exact boost that a fly-in program can add to your application.
Final assessment? It’s a good sign, but don’t get ahead of yourself.
5. Should I still apply to a school if I get rejected for a fly-in?
While it can slightly complicate things, rejection from a fly-in program should not stop you from applying to a school. Fly-in spots are extremely limited, and colleges make sure to state that rejection from a fly-in program does not mean you’d be rejected from the college itself. Many qualified students do not receive a fly-in invitation solely because of space limitations. Since many more students will be admitted to the college than to the fly-in, don’t feel like you’re already out of the running.
Nonetheless, it is still important to think carefully about your plan. While a fly-in rejection doesn’t mean you’re not qualified for the school, AOs will still be aware that you unsuccessfully applied when they read your official application. This is why I advise students without financial need against applying to accessibility-focused fly-ins—it’s highly unlikely they’ll get a spot, and it will unnecessarily add the notice of rejection to their application profile. However, still applying to the college will show a high level of interest in the school, even if you didn’t get the admissions boost of attending the fly-in. Finally, it’s usually a better idea to apply in the RD round rather than EA or ED, just in case the fly-in rejection was indicative of your chances overall. No matter how you proceed, make sure you submit the strongest application possible and find other schools you love to add to the list.
6. How can I leverage my fly-in attendance to help my application?
Some fly-ins will give you a chance to speak with Admissions Officers, which can be incredibly helpful. In many cases, this will include discussions of the application and tips on approaching essays—take note of this advice and make sure to use it! If you have specific questions on essays, academic programs, school culture, or anything else relevant to your application, make sure to ask. While the AOs won’t remember everyone they meet, it’s still possible to make a good (or bad!) impression. So be a thoughtful and engaged participant in conversations, and don’t do anything while you’re on campus that could jeopardize your odds.
An overall application tip is to draw from your fly-in experience on “Why this school?” essay questions. If you got to sit in on a class in your planned major, tell them about the experience and why it excited you. If you stayed in an on-campus dorm, talk about connections you made with your host student(s), details of student life, and why you’re a good fit for the campus community. This approach will not only provide the specific details that AOs look for in these questions but also emphasize how important the fly-in experience was to you.
Applying Early Decision to the school will also increase your chances. While ED acceptance rates are generally higher across the board, applying ED after a fly-in will show that your experience made you truly committed to the school. While the advantage won’t go away in RD evaluation, fly-in students are strongly encouraged to apply early if they’re seriously interested in attending.
If you’re looking to get your college application reviewed by college admissions experts, consider EarlyBird!
Your application materials will be reviewed by a collective of former admissions officers from highly selective universities, each team member having worked in the admissions office at a Top 40-ranked liberal arts college or university.
EarlyBird offers a comprehensive review of your transcript, testing, school profile, supplemental essay, and CommonApp and is a solid option if you’re looking to cement your acceptance at your dream school.
One other option — the Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you’d like to participate in a rigorous research program open to high schoolers, you may want to consider the Lumiere Research Scholar Program, a selective online high school program for students founded by researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4,000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.
Also check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students. Last year, we had 150 students on full need-based financial aid!
Alexej is a graduate of Princeton University, where he studied Linguistics, Cognitive Science, and Humanities & Sciences. Alexej works in college admissions consulting, and is passionate about pursuing research at the intersection of humanities, linguistics, and psychology. He enjoys creative writing, hiking, and photography.