College Visits
Actually visiting a college is the best way to get a feel for the school, campus, students, classrooms, food, and dorms.
When should you visit colleges?
Summer between 10th and 11th grade - great time to start, maybe go to a few close by. Explore a few with different campus types, i.e. urban, rural, large, small.
Spring break of junior year and the summer between junior and senior year - go back to schools you want to see again or go see some new ones.
Winter break, spring break and school holidays - but always check the college's calendar to see if they will be open during those times.
What should you do when you visit a college?
Campus tours, information sessions, residence hall tours, department or academic sessions. The colleges will list their offerings under Visit or Prospective Students.
Register for the tours and sessions. Usually space is limited and this ensures you have a spot on the day you plan to visit. Some campus tours include a trip through a residence hall and some do not, so be sure to ask when registering if you are not sure what is included.
Register early. Especially if you are planning on going during spring break which is only a week long or on a school holiday weekend.
Special Visitor Days, Junior Visit Days, or Admitted Students Day - Some colleges offer these and they are usually longer and offer more events. If you don’t see these listed on the website, contact the Visitor Center or Admissions Office and ask.
Besides the tour, what else should you do?
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Take pictures! These will help you remember what the campus looked like from your perspective.
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Eat in a dining hall! Try out the food.
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Go to the bookstore!
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Visit with the department or a professor in your major of interest. Go to the webpage for the department and find the phone number or email address of a department chair or administrator. They are usually glad to set aside time to discuss curriculum and possibly give you a tour of the classrooms or labs.
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Check out your extracurricular passion! For example, swimming pool, tennis courts, computer room, theatre, gym, etc.
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Drive around the campus. Get a feel for the boundaries. Are there restaurants and stores within walking distance from campus? Where is off campus housing or apartments?
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Try a local restaurant! Ask the tour guide for a suggestion. Even if you already know where you are going, it is interesting to hear what they recommend.
After the college visit.....
After each visit take time to fill out a Pros and Cons list for the college.
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What things did you really love about the school, campus, people or department?
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What things did you not like too much or were missing or just didn't feel right?
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Was there anything interesting about the college or the campus?