Visiting University Campuses

Visiting university campuses is a wonderful way to get a feel of a campus and get a sense of whether it would be the ‘right fit’ for you or not. Universities encourage prospective students to visit their campuses and interact with current students. We recognize that not everyone has the means to visit multiple universities in person, but if you can, here are some resources for making the most of your trip.

• Deciding when to visit universities largely depends on your personal preferences, schedule, and availability.

• Our school holidays are excellent times to visit universities. Some students like to make an early start and do some preliminary touring in the summer between Grades 10 and 11. Visiting universities in Grades 9 and 10 is also a good time to explore universities without having the pressure to choose.

• Most students who are able to visit universities will organize visits during the March/April break in Grade 11 after they have met with their university advisor. This way, they have a better idea of which universities will be a good fit for them. 

• The summer between Grade 11 and 12 is another great time to visit universities. Some students also choose to visit universities during the October break in Grade 12, but this could interfere with some students’ early applications.

• Target different types of universities (big/small, urban/suburban/rural, campus/city, public/private, etc.) to get a sense of the differences between different models/types of universities

• Feel free to visit where your siblings or family members have attended, but remember that you have your own goals and preferences. What is a ‘good match’ for your brother/cousin/friend/teacher/Uncle/dad’s friend may not necessarily be a ‘good match’ for you.

• Explore a variety of universities in terms of how selective they are. This is true even if you are still in Grade 9 or 10 and have no idea of what your IB scores are likely to be. Use our scattergrams and statistics in Maia Learning (example below) to get an idea of how selective different universities are.

• Further to this, visit more than just ‘highly selective’ or popular universities (Oxford, Cambridge, Ivy League, Stanford, MIT, Duke, Northwestern, Amherst, Williams, Barnard, etc.). Remember that these types of universities turn away 90% or more of their applicant pool.

• Plan in advance. Research campus visit schedules, book tours in advance, and look at which universities might be nearby.

• Browse university websites to get a sense of the campus offerings before going.

• Explore the surrounding area as well as the university. You'll be there for 3-4 years!

• Ask meaningful questions while on your campus tour! Examples of good questions to ask are below.

Note: You do not need to ask all of these questions, but you can choose some that are the most important for you to know.

Admissions

• Are there any standardized tests required for admission? (SAT, ACT, TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo)

• When is the admission deadline?

• What percentage of applicants was accepted last year?

• What is the average IB score you are looking for? (Note, some universities may not disclose this).

• What was the average SAT, TOEFL, or ACT test scores for last year's freshman class?

• How selective are the admission standards at this institution?

• What is the recommended High School academic preparation programme for this school?

• Does this school offer Early Decision or Early Action admission?

• Are interviews a part of the admissions process? Do they form part of the evaluation or are they more informal?

• What are the guidelines around submitting a portfolio or audition (if required)?

Academics

• Does this college have the major/programs I am interested in?

• What is the student/faculty ratio for undergraduate courses?

• How many courses do most undergraduate students take each term?

• Who teaches introductory courses, faculty members or teaching assistants?

• What is the average class size of freshmen introductory courses?

• What is the format of the school calendar (semester, trimester, quarterly, etc)?

• Is there a special core curriculum?

• When will I need to declare a major?

• Tell me more about the opportunities for students within the Faculty/School of....

• Does this college offer dual majors?

• Is there an honors program?

• Does this school offer a cooperative education program?

• What opportunities are there for independent or individualized study?

• Are there exchange programs or partnerships with other colleges?

• What opportunities are there to study abroad?

• What percentage of students go on to graduate school?

• What percentage of students find employment quickly after graduation?

Student body

• What is the size of the incoming (freshman) class?

• How many undergraduate students are there in total?

• How diverse is the student body (economically, ethnically, geographically, etc)?

• How many international students are on campus?

• Do the international students and local/domestic students tend to interact with one another?

• Are there other UWC students attending here? 

• What language(s) do students typically speak socially?

• What is the male/female ratio?

• What are the general interests of students (academic, scientific, social service, arts etc)?

Student services and programmes

• Will I be assigned an international student advisor?

• Is there an international student centre or club on campus? How active is it?

• Will I be assigned an academic advisor or a faculty advisor to help me choose my courses?

• Is there a career center for help with resume writing, interviewing and job placement?

• What kind of support can I receive finding internships or part-time jobs?

• Is there a counseling center available? What resources are available to support students' mental health?

• Can the university help me apply for my student visa?

• Will I have access to a health center on-campus?

Housing and dining facilities

• Are the residence halls co-ed or single sex?

• Are apartments available for off-campus housing?

• Will residence halls be available after my freshman year?

• Are there fraternity/sorority houses available?

• How close are the dorms to the classrooms and dining facilities?

• Are there any "special" dorms available (language, honors, international, etc)?

• Are most freshmen rooms shared or individual?

• Is there a variety of food plans available?

• If I need to live away from campus, what kind of support is available to help me find housing?

Campus facilities

• How is the library (to study, to research, are the hours convenient, etc)?

• How are the recreation facilities (gyms, tracks, pools, etc)?

• How are the sports facilities (tennis courts, fields, weight rooms, etc)?

• How accessible are the computer labs?

• How accessible are the music practice rooms?

• Are there comfortable places for students to "hang-out" together?

• What condition are the campus buildings in? 

• Are there any new buildings, facilities, or residence halls being built?

Cost and financial aid

• What is the total cost to attend, including tuition, room and board, books and supplies, travel expenses and other living expenses?

• Are there any special fees for my particular program or major (lab fees, material costs, etc.)?

• Does this school offer financial aid and/or scholarships for international students?

• What percentage of international students receive financial aid?

• What is the average financial aid package?

• Are there opportunities to find on-campus jobs?

Several organizations offer package tours to various university campuses; some include application guidance seminars on a variety of topics.

We do not endorse any particular company, but have listed some popular options below. 

US and Canada

• College Visits is a US-based company that organises tours to different parts of the US to visit a variety of college campuses

• Trevor Sturgeon College Tours is run by a former high school counselor from Singapore American School, and is specifically for students at international schools

• Virtual Visits - if you cannot get to North America to visit campuses you can visit virtually using a wide variety of sources

• UK

• A mix of city and campus uni’s, various locations, some highly selective and some less selective

• Include at least one that exposes you to the ‘college system’ (e.g. Durham, Oxford)

• UK universities have excellent Open Days that provide a good opportunity to meet with academics and current students

Australia

• Identify states you are most keen on and can visit in the time you have. Since Australian applications have a later application cycle, you could use any of your Grade 11 or 12 holidays to visit universities.

• If you are considering applying to residential colleges (living communities open to students attending multiple universities), definitely plan on visiting these along with visiting the universities themselves.

• Australian universities have big Open Days (usually in August) - if you are able to get to these, they provide an excellent opportunity to meet with academic staff and current students.

Singapore

• Attend open days in the spring term to get an idea of the campus facilities.

• Think about public universities versus private ones. What are the differences? What can they offer you?

EU and Europe

• Best to check with individual universities to see if they offer formal tours - otherwise, you can walk around campuses and the cities on your own and get an idea of the surrounding area and lifestyle.

• Choose different types of universities to explore. In many countries there are research universities, universities of applied sciences, or  visual and performing arts institutes. Each type of higher education institution has different things to offer.