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MAKE THE MOST OF EACH CAMPUS VISIT
by the student editors of CHOOSE THE RIGHT COLLEGE & GET ACCEPTED!, a Students Helping Students® guide
If at all possible, you should visit any school you’re seriously considering. No matter how much you read about a college or find out from other people who’ve gone there, there is no substitute for visiting. Actually being on campus and soaking in the atmosphere is the closest you can get to being part of a college and knowing what it’s like to actually go there.
Here are some tips to make sure that you get the most out of every campus visit to help you make up your mind about where to apply to college:
• Go when students are on campus. The best time to visit a college is when things are in full swing. You can still learn a lot even when students are on vacation, but it’s not the same as visiting it during the hustle and bustle of a regular day on campus. For this reason, you shouldn’t plan all of your visits in the middle of the summer or over the Thanksgiving or Christmas holidays (when most schools are actually closed). High school holidays are a great time for visits, especially during spring vacation.
• Choose your companion carefully. Your parents are great if they help keep you organized, but if they tend to be overbearing, then consider visiting a few schools without them. If you go with a friend or a group of friends, make sure that you do things that interest you rather than following others. This is your time to learn as much as you can and you need to get as much out of it as possible.
• Take a tour. Taking a campus tour is a great way to be introduced to the college. You’ll get to hear about the history of the college and see all the important sites like the library, classrooms, dorms, dean’s office, dining halls, and sports facilities. Your guide might take you to places you hadn’t thought to check out or didn’t know about.
• Stay overnight. If you can, plan to stay overnight during at least a few college visits. Just as you want to know what a campus is like on a busy school day, you also want to get a sense of what it’s like at night. You’ll usually room with a current student, and there’s no better way to get to know the student body and what people are really like.
• Ask lots of questions. While on campus ask as many questions as you can of as many people as you can. Talk to the students, the admissions staff, and your tour guides. It’s also a really good idea to talk to professors who teach subjects that interest you. You can ask about the courses, the workload, and what typical assignments are like.
• See as much as you can. Check out dorms, cafeterias, study areas, libraries, classrooms, popular hangouts, outside areas, computer facilities, gyms—anything and everything that’s on campus. Also take some time to explore the town or city where the campus is located and make sure that you feel comfortable and safe walking around there.
• Write down your impressions. You’ll probably visit at least a few schools and because there’s so much to take in at each one, it’s a good idea to take notes. If you don’t, the many schools you visit may all start to mix together. The best time to record your experiences is either during your visit or right afterwards while things are still fresh in your mind.
“The most useful thing was coming out here, even though it was only for a day. You obviously can’t glean that much from one day, but a lot of judgments I made on that day turned out to be right.”
Recent Grad,
UCLA
Copyright © by NATAVI GUIDES.
For more student advice like this, buy CHOOSE THE RIGHT COLLEGE & GET ACCEPTED!!
Check out more student advice on college and your apps...
• COLLEGE ADMISSIONS MILESTONES
• CONSIDER EARLY DECISION
• APPLY TO A DIVERSE SET OF COLLEGES
• TACKLE STANDARDIZED TESTS
• ACE YOUR COLLEGE INTERVIEW
• LEARN HOW TO GET GREAT RECS
• WRITE KILLER COLLEGE APPLICATION ESSAYS
• DEAL WITH COLLEGE APPLICATIONS STRESS
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For more helpful tips and proven strategies from students and recent grads on choosing the right college and acing every aspect of your applications, buy the Students Helping Students® guide titled CHOOSE THE RIGHT COLLEGE & GET ACCEPTED!, available at bookstores and online stores, such as Amazon.com.
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