Read Our Campus Tour Guide
7 Ways to Make the Most of Your College Visit
By Dean Tsouvalas | Editor-in-Chief StudentAdvisor.com
‘Tis
the season for the college tour. As
sure as the leaves turn burgundy here in the Northeast, millions of
hopeful college
freshmen, current high school seniors and their families begin the
journey to
discover the right college or university. With college application
rapidly
approaching, college tours are an extremely valuable way to answer the
elusive
question, “do I belong here?”
Dean Tsouvalas
gives his best advice for making sure that you walk away from your
college tour
with more than just a brochure.
1) Plan
a college tour
when school’s in session
You want to get a realistic idea of the actual day you might
experience at the school you want to attend. See classes in session,
visit the
cafeteria, try the food and check out a dorm. Is this campus a highly
social
campus with students gathering in common areas, or do people mostly
keep to
themselves as they move between classes? All of these aspects can only
be
discovered during an average day on campus. Learn if you can see
yourself at
this campus.
2) What should
you do before
you arrive on campus?
Contact admissions and let them
know that you are coming for
a visit. Colleges are getting overwhelmed by the number of
applications, and
they don’t know who is sincerely interested in the school. By taking a
tour you
can demonstrate your interest in the school and ideally improve your
chances of
getting in.
3) Ask intelligent questions while on the tour
Research questions that you
couldn’t find on Google. The best question to
ask on a college tour is “what type of student thrives at
your school?”
- it
gives insight into what the student body and community values and if
you can
succeed at the school.
Another example of demonstrating interest: ask questions to
current students. How often are you taught by a professor vs. a
teaching
assistant? What is there to do on the weekends? How many students are
involved
in clubs? Ask as many questions as possible that relate to your
strongest interests
– and ask as many questions as you can about things you see that stand
out to
you.
4) Look for the ‘aha’
moment
An “aha” moment is a clear moment when a student can picture
themselves joining clubs, eating in the cafeteria, walking to class on
the
campus they are visiting. One of the most important thing to think
about when
visiting a campus is “how you feel” while walking around. On a college
tour,
students can usually refer to their “aha” moment, or lack thereof, to
answer
the question “do I belong here?”
5) Avoid an overnight
disaster
Doug (name changed), a friend and colleague of
StudentAdvisor, shared his personal story about how his college visit
turned
bad. Doug’s parents drove him down to his freshman orientation, where
went to a
party on campus and drank for the first time. When Doug returned to the
orientation dorm, he fell down a flight of stairs and was found
inebriated by
campus police. The campus police then brought him to the hotel where
his
parents were staying nearby at 3 a.m. The next day, Doug and his
parents
learned he lost his scholarship to attend the school that fall.
Many high school students who visit colleges
overnight get
into trouble. Students can have their acceptances
revoked or lose
scholarships
because of inappropriate behavior. So, if you are going to stay
overnight make
sure you only visit people that you and your parents trust. Read more
about
avoiding dangerous college visits.
6) Be Organized
To maximize your benefit from college visits, you’ll want to
be as organized as possible. Take notes at each school or use your
phone or
camera to take photos of the campus. This way, you’ll have valuable
information
that is easily reviewed when it comes time to make your decision.
7) What if you
can’t attend a
college tour?
Some colleges will arrange for you to meet a local alum to learn more about the college. Some schools are creating virtual tours and even informational interviews via Skype or Google Plus. Try to get in touch with current students via Twitter, watch student-produced YouTube videos, and read college reviews on StudentAdvisor.com.