It is important to visit the colleges of interest to you. The commitment of many years of your life and thousands of dollars will be going into this decision, therefore, choosing a place that is a good match for your personality and interests is critical. To get the feel of a college, it is a must to visit the campus. Following are tips for getting the most out of your college visit.
It is important that you take the official campus tour, but also allow time to look around on your own. The trained tour guides will show you a school's selling points, but the oldest and prettiest buildings do not give you the entire picture of a college, nor does the one dorm room that was given extra touches for visitors. Walk the extra paces and get the complete picture of the campus.
When you visit the academic buildings, residence halls, and student center, stop for a moment and read the bulletin boards. They give you a birds eye view of what is happening on campus. You will find ads for lectures, clubs, recitals, and plays which can give you a good sense of the types of activities going on outside of the classrooms.
Eating in the dining hall can provide a good feel for student life. Sit with students if possible, but even if you are with your parents, observe the activity around you. Do the students seem cheerful? stressed? bored? Also, is the food desireable? Are there plenty of healthy options? Many admissions offices will give prospective students coupons for free meals in the dining halls.
If you know what you want to study, a class visit is a wise choice. The class visit will let you observe other students in your field and see how interested they are in classroom discussion. Talk with the students after class to hear their remarks of their professors and major. Call in advance to schedule a classroom visit -- most colleges do not allow visitors to drop in on class without previous notification.
Schedule a conference with a professor in the field you have selected. This will give you a chance to see if the faculty's interests agree with your own. You can also ask about specific information in your field, including graduation requirements, undergraduate research opportunities, and class sizes.
The campus tour guide has been put together to market the school. Find students who aren't getting paid to win you over. These off the cuff conversations will provide you with information about college life that isn't part of the admission's rehearsed script. Not too many university officials will tell you if their students spend all weekend drinking or studying, although, a group of random students might.
If you can, spend a night at the college. Most schools encourage overnight visits, and nothing will give you a better sense of student life than a night in a residence hall. Your student host can provide much information, and you will be able to have many discussions with other students in the hallway or dorm lounge. You'll also get a better view of the school's personality. For example, what exactly are most of the students doing at 1:30 a.m.?
Document your visits, especially if you are visiting several colleges. The details may seem clear at the time of the visit, but by the fourth tour, the schools will start to mix up in your mind. Along with facts and figures, try to record your feelings during the visit -- it is important to end up at a school that feels like home and matches the morals of your up bringing.