College Campus Visits – Some Guidelines
Many of you will be visiting college campuses this summer. The summer prior to senior year is an ideal time for this, however, many students and families choose to do this even earlier in high school or during spring break. A visit usually includes an hour-long group information session led by an admissions officer and a group tour led by a student guide.
Don’t limit your visit to the formal tour and information session. Make sure to spend time on your own exploring the campus – the student union and library are great places to get a feel for the overall atmosphere and tone of the school. Read the student newspaper, check out bulletin boards, and most importantly observe students – you can learn a great deal just by watching student interactions. If you are planning on visiting several colleges in one trip, make sure to allow enough time for each visit. An overnight stay in the college city is ideal.
Here are a few suggestions for questions to ask admissions officers:
- Why do students apply to this college?
- What type of student seems happiest here?
- What are the most popular majors?
- What are the most popular extracurricular activities?
- What do students on campus rave about?
- What do students complain about the most?
- Can you describe a few student traditions?
- How is the faculty advising?
- What are the study-abroad opportunities like?
- What constitutes a typical freshmen-year program?
- What departments are considered outstanding?
- What percentage of students attend graduate school?
Remember to write down your observations and take pictures. Particularly when touring several colleges on one trip, facts and details can become blurred and forgotten if not recorded. Finally, don’t base your perception of the college solely on your visit. Oftentimes, even without realizing it, students and families are influenced by the personality of the admissions officer, student tour guide, and even the weather the day of the visit! The college visit is one important way to assess a college, but not the only way.