Be Daring
The school-sponsored tour is a great asset for previewing a campus and getting information from tour guides. This is especially true if you’ve never been to the campus before, or are pressed with time. However, school-sponsored tours inevitably have a bias toward presenting the school in its best light. Therefore, it’s critical that you go off the well-trodden path when you can and explore beyond the tour. Try to visit locations you might not see otherwise
Of course, don’t break any rules during your visit. However, prospective applicants that visit college campuses often have some level of freedom to explore. Do use your time at the college to explore additional locations, and be sure to politely ask current students about their experiences while attending the college: what do they like and dislike about the college, and what is the overall environment like for students (academically, socially, and otherwise)? By asking current students, you’ll likely get a candid and truthful response to any questions you may have.
Be Organized
Don’t depend on your memory alone. By the time you’ve visited your third or fourth college, it’s very easy for the information to start blurring together—just by pure virtue of the amount of information you’ll receive. To avoid any post-visit confusion, take notes on every aspect you encounter during a visit! This information could include classes, dorms, dining, libraries, and more. Additionally, if you have questions left unanswered from your visit, write them down so you can refer to them later.
After your visit, take the time to consider your overall impression of the school. Reflect on whether or not you can imagine yourself attending and enjoying your time there. Make a list of pros and cons for each institution to quantify your likes and dislikes.
Or if you’d like, start an Excel sheet with multiple columns for different categories, and update it regularly to keep track of all the things you learn. This method is especially useful as a tool for comparing colleges. It helps you visually see how different aspects compare when you put two or more colleges against each other.
Be Open
Above all, as you start visiting more campuses, be open to different colleges and different environments. Often, the college where you find your true home cannot be quantified by statistics nor simulated through virtual tours. Trust your gut as you make multiple visits, and be receptive to new information as it comes in.
Moreover, with so many other factors to consider, a college visit alone isn’t enough to make a decision. Aspects like cost, type of program, location, and size can all make a difference in determining whether or not attending a college is worth it. This is where online tools become very useful. Use a net price calculator often provided by the school’s financial aid office to get an initial impression of the type of aid you may receive, which is wholly useful to see if you can afford a college or not.
Ultimately…
A campus visit is just one component of the overall college admissions process that can be incredibly useful and even exciting if done properly. With time and preparation, you can be sure that your college visit is a success, and you’ll be better prepared to make smart decisions moving forward in the process.
Still unsure what colleges you’re planning on applying to? Check out this post for tips on building the perfect college list, and contact us today to see how we can help boost your chances for admission to top colleges.
