Campus Visits, Part I: Ten Strategies To Glean the Most From Campus Tours
Campus visits are the most effective and efficient way to identify those colleges or universities that are the “best fit” for you. In order to glean the most information from your campus visit, consider these strategies:
Attend the Admission Office’s on-campus information session. Listen attentively when they tell you what kind of students they are looking for, what their school’s values are, and what programs or school characteristics make their institution unique.
Try to visit when the college is in session. By doing so you can ascertain the campus’s “vibe.” A college campus might feel pretty quiet in August when only a few students (and faculty) are there.
Talk to students (other than your tour guide). The current students are the experts on the student experience.
Read the school newspaper and scan the bulletin boards to learn about hot topics on campus, activities, and student organizations.
After the tour, meander around campus and throughout the surrounding neighborhood. Be sure you feel comfortable. Remember that the tour will highlight the campus’s best aspects. Take some time to visit the facilities you think you might frequent that are not part of the tour.
Take Notes! Yes, I know this sounds super geeky, but you will be glad you did so when you sit down to write your supplemental essays months later. The details of what excited you about one college will be forgotten or mixed up with those of the other colleges if you don’t take notes.
Identify those school characteristics that you like and those that you don’t like. Then compare all the colleges on your list using that framework of likes and dislikes.
Get the Admission Representative’s business card or contact information and the name of your tour guide. Contact them directly with follow-up questions and/or to thank them for their time.
Try not to judge a college too quickly. Keep in mind those factors that could influence your feelings about a campus (like the weather on your visit day), and most importantly - trust your gut.
Trust your gut! Trusting your gut is on this list twice because that “I can see myself at this school” feeling you might experience when walking around a campus tells you everything you really need to know!