COLLEGE CAMPUS VISITS - PART ONE

College Campus Visits - Part One

Harbingers of spring, instantly recognizable, they appear yearly in groups on every college campus.  Their leader is a confident young adult with the amazing skill of walking backwards.  Ducks returning from lands to the south, you might ask?  No, what you are witnessing is the start of the campus visit season.  As a college consultant who has visited close to a hundred campuses and moreover a parent who has participated in this rite of passage with my own three offspring, I will share some tips with you to help make your campus visits productive and stress free.

Tips for Freshman/Sophomores

The most important thing I want to convey is that there is absolutely no better way to decide whether a school is the right match than to set foot on its campus.  My advice is to begin visiting a few colleges as early as freshman/sophomore year of high school.  The purpose of these initial visits is to get a feel for the types of schools out there.  Choose a few schools close to home of different sizes from a large state university to a smaller private liberal arts college.   Utilize family vacation time to informally visit colleges, in the area where you are traveling.  Remember that these visits are only preliminary to assist in formulating your needs and preferences.

Tips for Juniors

Junior year is the time to hone your college choices. Try to have most visits completed well before the fall of Senior year when the application process begins in earnest.  Visiting when school is in session is an ideal way to see the campus in action.  Realize that spring vacation of Junior year may be one of the last times you can visit campuses when students are there.

At this stage identify what factors are important to you in selecting colleges. Some areas may have higher priority than others..  Gathering information through visits and other methods will enable you to find schools that are a good fit and also to eliminate other schools. Focus on the following factors.

1.Type:  Choices include two year associates degrees or technical certificates; four year bachelors degrees; five-year programs with a co-op component and combined bachelors and master degree programs.

2.Location:  Factors include the distance from home and whether the college is in an urban, rural or suburban area.

3. Size:   Is the college large (greater than 10,000 undergraduates), medium (3,000 – 10,000) or small  (Under 3,000)?

4. Academics: Does the college have a strong program in your area of interest? Is the college geared to the Liberal Arts offering a broad choice of majors, which may be advantageous for students still exploring their interests?

5.Students:  What is the makeup of the student body? Are students mostly in state or out of state; commuters or living on campus?  How diverse are the students in terms of race, religion, political, sexual orientation, socio economic, and cultural factors?   What is the social atmosphere like? Most importantly can you envision yourself as part of this group living and studying together?

6.Cost:  What is the cost for tuition room and board? What percentage of the students receive financial aid? Would you qualify for merit-based aid?

7. Additional Factors: Depending on your individual interests and needs, investigate the following: athletic programs both NCAA, intramural and club sports; ROTC; and resources for students who need extra support due to physical, learning or emotional disabilities.

Finalize a list of schools to visit. If you have schools that are very similar and time does not permit pick one school and chose to visit the others later once accepted. Call, email or schedule your visit online with the admissions office well in advance since many schools require a reservation to take a tour or attend an information session. If optional or mandatory interviews are offered schedule those as well.

Carefully map out a logical route covering no more than two schools in one day. I found it worked well to drive to a location the night before and take the early  morning tour when well rested.

Tips for Seniors:  Utilize the early fall to make any last minute visits. Once you receive your acceptances take advantage of the opportunity to revisit schools during accepted student days.   Arrange an overnight stay in the dorms. Remember you are the one who will be living and studying on this campus. Review all of your options with a critical eye and get answers to any last minute questions you have. 

Part II will cover additional things to consider when visiting a college campus.

Francine Schwartz is the Founder of Pathfinder Counseling LLC.  As a Certified School Counselor and Educational Consultant she has guided numerous families through the college search and selection process.  For assistance contact Francine at: 860-460-8829 or fschwartz@pathfindercounselingllc.com www.pathfindercounselingllc.com

Article Reprinted from “The Jewish Leader” 2/25/11

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