College Visits
College Visits
No publication, no matter how thorough, can give you a complete picture of a college or university. A campus visit is the best way to see for yourself what a college is like and if a college would be a good fit or match.
Visiting a campus is best when the students are on campus and classes are in session. If that is not possible, however, a visit of any kind if preferred to no visit at all.
Due to the cost or a busy schedule, more and more students are taking advantage of Virtual College Tours. That is another way to try to get a feel for a campus. There are others, but two of the more common websites to look for virtual college tours are...
If, however, you are going to visit a campus in person, there are two critical aspects to an in-person campus visit, both sponsored by the admissions office…
-A Tour
-An Information Session
If you are able to do an in-person campus visit...
Make prior arrangements to visit the admissions office and to take a tour. Always check tour and information session schedules in advance.
If at all possible, plan your visit when school is in session.
Dress neatly and comfortably. Wear comfortable shoes! Be prepared to spend at least an hour walking around campus during your tour.
Scan the bulletin boards for announcements and messages; these bits of information can tell potential students a great deal about the atmosphere of a school.
Seek comfort, not perfection. Before you leave the campus ask
yourself: “Would I feel comfortable here?”
Plan to visit no more than two colleges in one day. Allow enough time to see everything that is of interest to you (e.g., residence hall, library, laboratories, student center, cafeteria, and athletic facilities.) Tours will not take you everywhere.
Talk with students, faculty, admission staff members and financial aid officers.
Eat a meal in the dining hall or student center. This gives you an opportunity to see students in their everyday setting.
Bring your list of questions to ask on each college visit.
Take notes about your visit while the information is still fresh in your mind.
Before you begin visiting colleges, develop a list of common questions that you will ask at each college you visit. Below are some questions to ask. For example...
How large are your classes?
Who teaches these classes? (Graduate/teaching assistants or professors?)
When do you have to declare your major? What are the most popular majors? Is it relatively easy to change majors?
What are the strongest programs? The weakest?
How competitive is the student body?
How accessible is the faculty?
What is the weekend scene like? Are there a lot of options for socializing?
Where do many of the students come from? Is this a diverse student body?
Are some of the dorms much better than others? Do most of the students live on campus all four years?
Are the necessities accessible without a car? Are freshman allowed to have cars?
Which colleges overlap in applications with this one? Which colleges are most similar to this one?
What do you think is the greatest shortcoming of this college?
How’s the food? What meal plans do you offer?
Where do people study? Are the dorms quiet?
Are the lab and computer facilities adequate for the number of students?
What would you change if you could to improve the college?
What support do you provide for students with disabilities?
Do I have to live on campus?
Where else did you apply to college?
Do you like it here?
If you use a chart to keep track of the answers to each of these questions, you will have an easier time comparing your options when you begin to narrow your list. Include cost, your impression of people, academic program, and facilities. For example:
Questions-to-Ask-on-a-College-Visit-p.23-1.pdf