Campus Visits, Part II: Forty Questions to Help You Identify your “Best Fit” School

Ask these questions to current students while you are visiting a campus:

General:

1. Why did you choose this school?

2. Are you happy here? Why or why not?

3. What do you really like about the school?

4. What were you most surprised or disappointed about?

5. How accessible are the administrators, registrars, and/or financial aid officers?

Academics:

1. What are the most popular majors?

2. What are the strongest academic programs?

3. How much access do you have to your professors?

4. What is your favorite class?

5. Do professors or graduate students/teaching assistants teach most of the classes?

6. Were you able to take most of your first-choice classes, even in Freshman year?

7. Are the classes lecture or discussion-based?

8. How much time do students spend doing homework?

9. Are there a lot of group presentations or collaborations required?

10. Are there writing centers on campus and/or is tutoring available?

11. Are there academic advisors? If so, how accessible are they?

12. How large are the classes?

13. Can students do research with professors?

14. How helpful is the school with setting up Study Abroad programs or internship opportunities?

15. If there is a co-op program, how much help does the school provide to help you access those opportunities?

Campus Life:

1. What support does the school provide for freshmen during their first-year? (orientation and/or on-going advisory sessions)

2. What is a typical day like?

3. How do students spend their time when not in classes?

4. What is there to do on weekends and generally, for fun?

5. Do students frequent town businesses or organizations or do they largely stay on campus?

6. Do you feel safe on campus? What kind of security is there on campus?

7. How are the dorms?

8. Does the school offer housing for four years and if you do an internship or co-op, can you continue to live in school housing?

9. Which clubs and student organizations are most popular?

10. Are there fraternities and sororities on campus and how much of a role do they play in the college’s social life?

11. Where do you like to study?

12. Are sports popular? And, is there a lot of school spirit?

13. Do the facilities support student learning well - WIFI, Tech support, plenty of labs, space for the arts, theaters, libraries, gyms, etc.

Student Body:

1. How would you describe the students who attend this school?

2. Is there a generally friendly “vibe” and a good sense of community?

3. How diverse is the student body?

4. Does the school create a sense of community on campus as a whole or how do they organize the campus into smaller communities within the college/university? (ie: honors programs, themed housing)

Career Services:

1. Are there any experiential programs that are career-oriented? - co-ops, internships, service learning?

2. Is the Career Services Office helpful with career exploration and preparation?

3. Does the college help with summer jobs?

Review the colleges’ website and watch/read their online resources before or after your campus tour.  The colleges and universities have created some terrific online resources for those of you who won’t be able to visit a campus or who just want to learn more about a school prior to a visit.