How to Make the Most out of Fall College Visits
How to Make the Most out of Fall College Visits
The timing of your college visit will have a major impact on how you experience the campus. For a lot of students, summer is the only time they have a chance to see their favorite schools.While there is much you can learn from a college visit during the summer, visiting colleges in the fall will give you the best chance of experiencing campus life in action. Live life as a college student for a day and get a well-rounded picture of what you could expect if you were to enroll. It is important to have a game plan for your college visit, so you can spend your time effectively. Here are 10 tips that will help you get the most out of your time visiting colleges this fall.
Stay Overnight
To truly soak up the college experience, allow for as much time as possible for your visit and plan for an overnight stay. Experience dorm life as well as classroom life. A lot of what makes a college special is the camaraderie between students. Some of the best conversations happen in common rooms late at night. Experience this firsthand and get a true glimpse of campus culture in action. You will able to tell a lot about the feel of a place after business hours. Does the campus die down? Are there many different activities available? How does the campus energy fit within your own preferences?
Attend Classes
Have a real academic experience. Test drive several departments by auditing classes while you are on campus. Go through the catalog to find the classes that are most interesting to you and contact the professors in advance to make sure that it's OK for you to attend. Since the primary reason you are going to college in the first place is to learn, it's important to make sure that you feel comfortable with the size and feel of the classes. Try to pick several to attend, so you can experience multiple departments during your time on campus.
Visit Office Hours
The professor that you want to meet may not be teaching a class on the day of your visit. However, he or she may be holding office hours that you can attend. If so, it's a good idea to spend a few minutes asking questions about the department or their research. You will gain valuable insight about how the programs that matter to you really operate. And you will begin building a support network on that campus. If the professor’s research overlaps areas of your own interest, you may begin to develop a rapport that extends beyond your trip.
Eat in the Cafeteria
Not all dining halls are created equal. Make sure you enjoy meals in the cafeteria while on your visit to get a real sense of what your experience will be like as a college student. While you’re at it, find out if the school has any other eateries or places students gather for a quick bite. And check out the options around town that may feature special discounts for students.
Go to a Club Meeting
Most of your time in college will be spent outside of the classroom. While you are on your visit take the opportunity to poke your head in at some of the student clubs that are available to you. Perhaps one of the a cappella groups will allow you to attend a rehearsal. Maybe the gender equality club is featuring a guest speaker. Use your resources, like your student host or the campus newspaper, to find out what's going on around campus and see what you can attend. Some clubs even let the public attend certain meetings, so this may be a great way to explore an interest at a local college as well.
Have Coffee with an Organization Leader
Do you have a particular passion that you are hoping to pursue while in college? A great idea is to start making those connections even before you're a student there. If you can schedule some time to have coffee or a quick chat with the leader of an organization or club that's of interest to you, you will gain a better understanding of how that particular college works. That student leader may also be able to give you valuable insight that could boost your application, especially your supplemental essays.
Observe the Sweatshirts
Pay attention to the people around you as you are evaluating the college. Do you notice that many students are wearing sweatshirts and other gear that represents their school, or does it seem like school spirit is relatively muted? Do students seem happy or particularly stressed out? When you smile at someone, do they greet you back, or is everyone engaged in whatever is happening on their cellphones? Think about how the outward expressions of school spirit and community resonate with your own desires for your college experience.
Take a Newspaper
Get the inside scoop about the climate on campus by taking a student newspaper or magazine. What issues are pressing on the minds of the student body? Is there tension between ideas that is affecting the larger campus community? What sense of trustworthiness do students seem to have about the administration? You can learn a lot about the culture of a place by observing its publications. Think about what you're looking for and how that fits with the atmosphere you're noticing during your overnight visit.
Pretend You're Lost
Another great way to assess the spirit of a place is to see who is willing to be helpful. Ask for directions even if you think you know how to get somewhere. Ask for advice about events that may be happening on campus or opportunities to further engage on your overnight visit.If you notice that students are helpful and informative, that should give you more confidence about your experience if you were a student on that campus.
Takes Notes (and Pics)
Don't simply rely on your memory. Record as much information as possible about your visit. Remember that you aren't here just to have fun. You are trying to make the most informed decision that you can about your future.If you've seen more than a few colleges, at some point they will all start looking and sounding alike. But having a record with pictures of what you saw, who you met, what impressed you, and what follow up questions you may have is a great way to make sure you don't miss anything. Make a point to keep a timely record of your personal pros and cons of every school you visit. Now that you have an actionable list of how to benefit from visiting colleges this fall, it’s time to get out there and put it into practice. Enter this application season with full knowledge about your colleges of interest. Doing so will help you put your best foot forward in your applications.
The expert admissions consultants at Wise World Prep have helped hundreds of students maximize their potential of being admitted to their top choice colleges and universities. Over 20 years, we have successfully guided students through each stage of the application process – from choosing competitive high school courses to building an appropriate college list to drafting winning essays to writing persuasive update and appeals letters. We would be happy to answer your questions and partner with you to create a successful admissions roadmap.
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