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Finding the Right College:
» What's So Important About Campus Visits?
Beyond The Brochure's Pictures Of Happy Kids On Library Steps
You hear it from colleges. Come visit! You hear it from your high school counselor. Have you visited any campuses yet? And you hear it from us. But what's the big deal about seeing a college?
You can't judge a school by its brochure
A campus visit is your opportunity to get a firsthand view of a college. A college catalog, viewbook, or Web site can only show you so much. To really get a feel for the school, you need to walk around the quad, sit in on a class, and visit the dorms.
Get answers to your questions
A visit also gives you the chance to talk to students, faculty, and financial aid and admission folks. You can get answers to questions, such as:
- Are the lecture halls large, or are the classes generally smaller and interactive?
- Is the food in the dining hall decent, or mystery meat?
- Is there ample space in dorms, or does there seem to be a housing crunch?
- What's the social scene like? Does it revolve around the Greek system?
- What do the other students wear?
- What's the diversity really like?
- Do I feel at home here? Is this what I pictured college to be?
- Does everyone go home on the weekends?
Get valuable information
Pick up any official school material you see, such as brochures and financial aid forms. Don't forget to get business cards, too, so you'll have a real, live contact if you have a question about admission or financial aid.
Student-produced material will give you a sense of what campus life is really like. Look around for newspapers and activity calendars. Check out bulletin boards, too, to see what bands are coming to the campus, parties are advertised, internships are posted, and generally what the day-to-day energy of the place is.
Is this college right for you?
Ultimately, it's your decision. Listen to your gut. Do you feel comfortable walking around campus? Do you click with the students and faculty? Spending time on a campus allows you to determine if a school is a good match.
Preparing For A Campus Visit
Know Before You Go
It's tempting to just yell "roadtrip!" and head out to campuses, but you'll get more out of your visits if you plan ahead.
Research the college
It's important to know something about the college before you arrive on its campus, especially if you have an interview scheduled.
- Review the school's viewbooks, course catalogs, and any other information of interest.
- Spend some time surfing the college's Web site.
- Talk to currently enrolled students or alumni about their college. Some college Web sites let you contact them online, or you can get their numbers from the admission office.
Schedule your trip
Pick a time that's convenient to you, but make sure the school is in session. That way, you can sit in on a lecture or stay in a dorm overnight. You'll only get a true feel for the campus if you're there on a day when classes are in full swing.
Schedule your time on campus, too, to make sure you'll have time for everything you want to do:
- Find out how often college tours run, and if you have to sign up in advance.
- To save time, get a map of the school. You don't want to spend half your day trying to park or find the admission office.
- If an interview is suggested, be sure to make an appointment. Also, consider meeting with the financial aid officer.
- If you're curious about a club, program, or a sport, arrange to attend a practice, rehearsal, or meeting.
Pack a camera and notebook
Was it X College or Y University that had that excellent exercise equipment in the gym? Where did I talk to that cool psychology professor? You think you'll remember everything, but you'll be surprised how colleges start to merge after you've seen a few.
Understand what's important to you
Make a list of what college characteristics are most important to you, so you know what to evaluate. Do you feel overwhelmed in a large lecture hall? Check out the class size. Do you have your heart set on joining a sorority or fraternity? See what the Greek system is like on campus. Is there a major that you have your heart set on? Talk to current students or professors in that department.
Develop a list of your preferences. Take this list to the schools that you plan to visit, and compare them when you get back home.
Campus Visit Checklist
How To Make The Most Of Your Trip
Here are things you should not miss while you're visiting a college. Print this page and take it with you on your visit. We left some blanks for your own action items.
- Take a campus tour.
- Have an interview with admission officer.
- Get business cards and names of people you meet, for future contacts.
- Pick up financial aid forms.
- Participate in a group information session at the admission office.
- Sit in on a class in a subject that interests you.
- Talk to a professor in your chosen major or in a subject that interests you.
- Talk to a coach in your chosen sport.
- Talk to a student or counselor in the career center.
- Spend the night in the dorm with a current student.
- Read the student newspaper.
- Try to find other student publications -- department newsletters, "alternative" newspapers, literary reviews.
- Scan bulletin boards to see what day-to-day student life is like.
- Eat in the cafeteria.
- Ask a student why he/she chose this college.
- Wander around the campus by yourself.
- Read for a little while in the library and see what it's like.
- Search for your favorite book in the library.
- Read the bulletin boards around the campus.
- Ask a student what he/she hates about the college.
- Browse in the college bookstore.
- Ask a student what he/she loves about the college.
- Walk or drive around the community surrounding the campus.
- Ask a student what he/she does on weekends.
- Listen to the college's radio station.
- Try to see a dorm that you didn't see on the tour.
- Imagine yourself attending this college for four years.
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If You Can't Go
Visiting Colleges With A Click Of Your Mouse
What if, for whatever reason, you can't visit colleges in person? Nothing can replace the face-to-face experience, but you can use the Web to learn about colleges without actually setting foot on a campus.
Visit the college's Web site
Once you've arrived at the college's home page, there's tons of information available if you know how to find it. Of course, just like the schools themselves, these Web sites aren't identical. Some schools have elaborate interactive sites while others are more basic. Here's what you'll find on most sites.
- General information
This section provides facts and figures such as the size of the student body, its founding date, number of buildings, campus acreage, and names of famous alumni. These are good places to start to get an overall impression of the school.
- Virtual tours
You can take a virtual campus tour on most college Web sites. Some sites present you with an interactive campus map -- you click on a particular building or area to get a closer look. Others offer you simulations of their regular tour in which you're led to the different parts of campus.
- Student or alumni contact information
Most college sites allow prospective students to contact current students or alumni, so you can get feedback from people who really know the school. You can find a student or alumnus through the college's e-mail directory or white pages. Some sites even have live chat rooms for prospective students to talk to current students.
- Academic information
Read the academic calendar and a syllabus of a class you're interested in.
- Policies and services
Dig around to find the campus handbook, which has information about academic rules and conduct, and the student services section, which has information about housing, career planning, counseling, and financial aid.
- Newspapers
Check out newspapers online -- the school's and the community's. You'll get a sense of issues, activities, safety, and even local weather.
Finding the Right College
Types of Colleges
» Campus Visits
Tips for Finding Your Perfect College Match
The White House Initiative gratefully acknowledges collegeboard.com for providing the content found on this page.
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