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Counselor's Corner |
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My juniors say that deciding where to apply is confusing -
until they visit a college or two! Visiting gives you a sense
of what you really want and don't want in a school.
What does "big" mean to you? Five thousand students? Ten thousand?
Twenty-five thousand? Do you like the vibe on a traditional campus
or the rhythm of street life at an urban school? Can you imagine yourself
hanging out with the students you see?
Those are just some of the things you can't learn in a book or online or at a college fair.
Right about now, high school students around the nation are debating the merits of visiting college campuses.
Although the cost can be quite high for families to make a big trip, I do think there is great value to the experience.
Spring break is the optimum time to visit as college is in session and you get to interact with current students.
If you are on the fence, think of this: you wouldn’t buy your first car without test driving it,
so how can you decide on a college without giving it a test run? To put it in plainer terms –
would you buy a pair of jeans without trying them on?
Pre-Planning – Decide Where You Want to Visit
The first step to a successful college tour is to decide where you want to visit.
Which colleges on your college list do you find most appealing?
What do you hope to achieve while on campus?
Do you want to meet professors in a particular department to assess if you like their approach,
or do you want to meet with a coach to determine a personality fit?
Do you want to sit in on classes or stay overnight to get a true insider’s look at college life?
You also need to consider the types of colleges you will visit and be realistic about your chances.
I do not recommend focusing solely on your dream schools,
but rather make sure you see a variety of possibilities as your reach might not pan out.
Tips for Booking Your Trip
Once you decide where you want to visit, you will want to review each college’s visiting website.
Jot down the tour and information session times, as well as information about parking and their physical address.
Then I would pull out a map (or use MapQuest)
and see what might be feasible to fit together in one day and then start booking.
Their website will be specific about how they would like you to book an appointment –
whether by phoning them directly or using an online booking tool.
Keep in mind that tour spots do fill up well in advance, especially at larger universities.
Do not discredit the value of making an appointment.
If you don't have an appointment, then the college does not have record of your visit, and hence,
will not know your level of interest when reviewing your application.
You should also review the literature about interviews – are they offering them at this time and to whom?
If you are making a big trip, it makes sense to make this part of your visit.
If you are feeling brave, you may want to review the information about staying overnight with a campus host,
as well as attending a class or meeting with a professor. The more information you can take away from your visit,
the more informed your decision will be about if this school is right for you.
It is very difficult to visit more than two colleges a day. You have to factor in driving times, meals and the unexpected.
Not to mention the fact that colleges tend to have very limited times in which they offer appointments.
The trip can feel rushed so try to plan accordingly. It helps to stay in a hotel close to your first appointment,
to allow you to get to campus without feeling frazzled.
Use the evenings to drive to a hotel closest to the next day's first appointment.
The admission website might also have information about area hotels that offer discounts to visiting families.
Finally, make sure you know the colleges you are visiting.
Spend some time reviewing the website and literature
so you come armed with questions that are specific to your area of interest.
Prepare questions that you truly want to know the answer to – information that is not obvious on the website.
The views expressed herein are those of their authors alone, and do not necessarily represent the views of Hundreds of Heads or of IECA.
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NEVER VISIT ON A WEEKEND MORNING.
Several of the colleges were dead when I visited.
No one was on campus and there didn’t seem to be any atmosphere.
Then it hit me: Everyone was still asleep. Now that I am in college,
I completely understand why everyone is sleeping.
The most important time to visit is later in the afternoon on a spring day.
There are more people on campus and I could get a feel
for what the school was really like.
Spring is amazing: people lying in the quad getting sun,
everyone is happy. That is the best time to visit.
-- ROB FEHN
LAFAYETTE COLLEGE
VISIT YOUR NUMBER ONE CHOICE LAST.
That way you can compare it to the others with an open mind.
If you go to your number one choice first,
your opinion of the others will be tainted
because you think you have seen what you want.
-- BETSY LILIENTHAL
UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE
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Bookmark the colleges' Admissions Web sites if you haven't already.
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Depending on your schedule and on where the schools that interest you are located,
you might prefer to do a slew of visits all at once
during Spring Break or over the summer -
or you might just visit schools here and there on random weekends.
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