Getting the Most out of College Visits

February (and spring) break is a great time for juniors to start getting out on college campuses! If you’re going to get on a plane (or even drive a long distance), you want to make sure you are getting the fullest picture you can of a college on a (relatively) brief visit. Here are some great tips to help guide you!

1. Plan visits well in advance - scheduling guided tours and info sessions where possible

(though self-guided tours can be useful too!) Even if you’re not going on a tour, stop in to

the admissions office to let them know you were there. Colleges take acts of

“demonstrated interest” into account! Leave yourself plenty of time on each campus (I

don’t recommend trying to fit in more than 2 a day).

2. Also, if possible, arrange in advance (through the admissions office) to be able to sit in

on a class within your department of interest. Even better, if you can get some

one-on-one time with the professor before or after class!

3. Dress comfortably! Sneakers, jeans, and t-shirts are fine! Remember that this is your

chance to judge the college, not the other way around! If you are doing on-campus

interviews (which have become increasingly rare), bring a “professional-looking” change

of clothing.

4. Try and have a meal or at least a snack on campus at one of the dining halls/snack bars.

You want to know that you will be able to live on this food for 4 years! My go-to on

campus visits has always been a burger and fries; I’ve found the quality of those

essentials very telling. Vegetarians, adjust accordingly!

5. Make sure you visit the student center (or go back if you already saw it on the tour.) This

is usually the hub of student activity on a campus. Check out the posters and fliers

advertising the goings-on to get a sense of what is driving the social life on the campus.

Grab a copy of the school newspaper and flip through it to feel out what the students

care about. And honestly, just spend some time people-watching. Try and get a sense of

the energy and what types of students you see and if you feel you could see yourself

there.

6. TALK TO STUDENTS! This is quite possibly the most important of all of these tips. I

know it can feel scary to approach older students you don’t know, but there is no better

way to learn about a school than by talking to its students (besides the paid tour guide

whose job it is to make the school look good!) I assure you, most students love their

school and are overjoyed to talk to prospective students. Ask them not only what they

love the most about the school, but what their biggest complaints are.

7. Take lots of notes and pictures! Especially if you are visiting many schools in one week,

they will all start to blend together. Even just jotting some quick thoughts on your phone

as you walk around will help you when you’re assessing whether to apply (and what you

might write about in that school’s application essay!)