College visits are a vital part of the college selection process. Follow my tips below to make sure you are using them wisely.
One of my former students just reached out to me for tips on how to prep for his college visits. He was thinking he needed to prepare specific questions to impress them, etc.
I reminded him what I taught him in class–that the college application process is dating.
And when you are visiting a college campus, this is when the pressure is on for them to impress you.
🗝️Ask yourself these questions as you visit the college campus:
Can I see myself on this campus walking back to my dorm?
Does this feel like it could be my second home?
🗝️Pay attention to your intuition on a visceral level in terms of your overall reaction to the campus.
🗝️Before you go on your visit, try to make a list of things you might need on a college campus:
🗝️When the visit is wrapping up and you are back in your hotel or going home, jot down some impressions while they are still fresh.
🗝️Some students like to create a college journal with a section for each college. Others prefer a spreadsheet.
A cautionary note: if you are visiting a college campus on a miserable rainy day, that is going to affect your perception of the campus. I remember being at Purdue University when it was pouring rain during my senior year of high school, and it really turned me off. Only years later when I taught at Lafayette Jeff and walked the grounds on beautiful fall weekends did I find the parts of the campus that are quite beautiful.
Remember, when you get home, get out those admissions cards and write the individuals from the admissions office who took the time to educate you about their campus. You can keep it short and simple.
Handwritten notes mean even more today than they did when I first started telling my students to write thank you notes all the way back in the dark ages in the 1990’s. Who doesn’t like to get a handwritten card today?
Final thoughts:
The college visit is all about helping you make the most informed choice in picking the college that is the optimal fit for you. I am always extremely nervous for my students who select a school without ever having set foot on the campus. I have lost track of how many students loved a school until they visited it. There is no better way to do a gut check than to walk that campus, ideally when school is in session, and you can feel the vibe of the campus.
🗝️ Related Tools & Resources Check out my separate post about keeping track of what you are looking for in a college. For my spreadsheet people, I've created a template to help you organize your thoughts on the colleges you visit and compare them across various aspects. |
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