College Visits - Part II

The Campus Visit

- Information Session – Generally schools offer a group session in which an admission
counselor (and sometimes a faculty member and current student) discusses basic
information about the school. The presentation is often followed by a question-and answer
session so it’s a great opportunity to learn more about the school.

- Tour – Typically tours are given by current students. Depending on the size of the
campus, the tour can last anywhere from 45 minutes to well over two hours. This is
your best opportunity to get a guided tour of the school. You might even have the
chance to see residence halls and dining facilities.

- Interview – Some schools offer prospective freshmen (that’s you) the chance to
interview during a campus visit. Determine if you can interview while you are on
campus and knock out a couple of birds with one stone.

- Observing Classes – You might be thinking why on earth would I want to sit in on a
class when I’ve planned this whole trip to get out of going to class. Point well taken,
but don’t you want to get a glimpse of what college classes will be like? You don’t
have to stay for the entire class — sit in the back and try to observe for a short time.
Note the interaction between students and faculty and get a feel for college classes.

- Food – Explore the different on-campus food options. You’ll probably end up visiting
over lunch or dinner anyway, so you may as well try out the food while you’re there.
Some schools will even give you a meal on them. Who can pass up free food?

- Staying Overnight – Schools are going to have widely varying policies on the
overnight visit. If you know a current student and can stay with a friend while you’re
visiting, that’s always a good idea. Also, you may be able to arrange a visit through
the admission office. The overnight visit is one of the best ways to really and truly
experience a school. You’ll get to see the campus without parents and get a feel for
what “real” students do.

- Special Visit Days/Weekends – Almost every college and university offers special
visit days/weekends. This can be a great time to visit campus. Just think, you’ll get
to meet tons of potential classmates. Pay attention to your

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