Rising juniors and seniors, it’s time to plan your college visits.
The best time to visit is when students are on campus, but it can be difficult to find the time during the school year. You can still learn a lot about a school over the summer. Do you like the location? The size? The classrooms? The food? The majors? The activities?
An in-person information session and campus tour are a great way to meet students and staff and ask questions. If you can’t take an official tour, take advantage of the self-guided tours that many schools are now offering. Either way, follow these tips to ensure you get the most out of your visit.
- Start with the college’s “Visit” page. Here you’ll find the information session/campus tour schedule as well as links to self-guided tours.
- Make a list of the places you want to see. Do you want to check out the engineering quad, performing arts center, athletic spaces?
- Don’t forget to check out the student unions, dining halls, libraries, and fitness rooms.
- Eat at the school if possible. You’ll get to sample the food and observe students and faculty in a relaxed, social setting.
- Look up, down, and around. Sidewalks, bulletin boards, and banners will give you an idea of the events and activities on campus.
- Take pictures and detailed notes using my College Visit form.
- Ask questions of the students, faculty and staff. Not sure what to ask? This list will get you started.
- Visit the surrounding community. You will be spending time off campus as well as on, so make sure the town has the activities, stores, and restaurants that meet your needs.
- Plan to visit no more than two schools in one day. More than that, and you’ll start to lose track of what you saw and where.
- Identify trends – What do you like about the schools? What majors/programs sound interesting? What do you wish they had, but don’t?
Remember, college visits have three main purposes. They give you an opportunity to:
- Fine tune your college criteria.
- Interact one-on-one with students and faculty.
- Connect with admissions.
Need help deciding which schools you should visit? Contact me, and I’ll help you build a list of colleges to explore.