Students
Students
4 Advantages of Visiting JWU in the Summer
Updated June 2025
Looking for colleges online is convenient, but you can’t get the full experience of what it’s really like to be on campus. Will it feel like home and like you truly belong?
One thing that can help you decide is a campus tour! If Johnson & Wales is one of your options, summer is a great time to take a tour or maybe even attend Career Explorations to get an overnight experience. Taking a tour either on the Providence or Charlotte campus can really help you make — and feel secure with — your decision.
Here are some advantages of visiting JWU in the summer.
1. Sunshine and great weather are almost guaranteed.
When visiting any place you, of course, want to know what the weather is going to be like for your trip. Both Rhode Island and North Carolina have great summer weather. In Providence, you'll find average temperatures in the mid 80's throughout summer. In Charlotte, the average temperatures are a bit warmer with 90-degree weather.
Providence is less than an hour away from beaches, and Charlotte has some beautiful lakes nearby, so you could even plan an entire vacation around your quick tour of JWU. And neither city will be covered in a white blanket of snow, so you do not have to worry about that!
2. Summer tours can be more personal.
When visiting during the summer, you get a quiet campus, as most students have left for the summer. That could be a positive! Summer tours can offer a personal, one-on-one experience with your tour host where you can ask all your questions. The summer tour schedule also generally has more times and dates available than during the school year, so you'll have more options to work with your schedule. And, you may still see some students, as events such as New Student Orientation and Career Explorations run during the summer months.
3. City life never takes a vacation… and is just steps away from campus!
All within walking distance of the Providence Downcity campus, you can visit Federal Hill for some home-style Italian restaurants and Thayer St. has a great variety of food options such as falafel, bubble tea, Korean fried chicken and soul food. You can attend a WaterFire event, too, visit the Pedestrian Bridge or drive to Newport.
If you’re visiting Charlotte, you can also pack a lot of fun into a weekend by taking a trip to Carowinds Amusement Park, attending one of the NASCAR Cookout Summer Shootout events or exploring the many cuisines that Charlotte's incredible line up of restaurants has to offer.
4. You could even help lower your tuition (really!).
Incoming first-year undergraduate students who visit Johnson & Wales during their senior year of highscool may be eligible for the Early Visit Grant, which is renewable for up to four years! Fall 2026 and Spring 2026 applicants who visit JWU and apply by December 31 could be eligible for up to $20,000 ($5,000 annually). A visit experience can really pay off!
We hope to see you this summer, but no matter what season you visit, JWU is ready!
