Making the Most of your Visits to College Campuses

Once you have completed some preliminary research on colleges, you will probably have a good idea of which ones merit further investigation – i.e. a visit. Visiting college campuses is crucial for two reasons:

• You are able to gain a feel for the campus, students, academic departments, and areas that interest you specifically, rather than those that interest the editor of the view book.
• You can demonstrate your interest in the school, and simultaneously apply the homework you have done prior to your visit.

When you’re visiting a school, your goal should be to balance the impressions you have gained from your preliminary research with your own personal instincts. In other words, don’t believe everything that you read or hear, but use the information to guide you towards asking the right questions in the limited time that you have on any given campus. Be tactful, but ask good questions of the right people at each school you visit. That might mean setting up a meeting with someone in the English Department, the Athletic Department, or with the editor of the college’s newspaper. You might be able to set up these meetings by doing research on the college's website and emailing any contacts you find.

When to Plan Your College Visits
The best way to learn about colleges is to visit it when the students are in session. Since you are also enrolled as a student, this is not always possible. Do your best to visit when you can see the students, sit in on a lecture, meet faculty members from the departments in which you are interested, etc. You should certainly check the admissions websites of the colleges on your list to determine their school calendar and to see if or when they offer interviews. If you are not able to visit when students are on campus, it still may be worth it to visit and take a tour and attend an information session.

Maximizing Your College Visits
While it is possible to have a successful college weekend with very little prior planning, the best way to make the most of your visit is to plan ahead. If you ‘re going to visit schools with your parent(s), make sure you sit down to plan a calendar of visits. Your parents most likely want to help you in this process in every way that they can. Ask them for advice about contacting schools, or ask them to help you set up appointments. Of course, it’s best if you do most of the legwork yourself, because you will appreciate the effort that went into your visit and learn more in the long run. Here are a few thoughts to get you going on planning your visit and setting up meetings with the appropriate people:

• Plan to spend at least half a day at the school.
• Look at the admissions website or call the admissions office to arrange an interview if they offer interviews on campus. If they don’t, see if it is possible to schedule an alumni interview in your hometown.
• Incorporate one of the school’s general information sessions into your day.
• Go on a campus tour.
• Remember, let the college know you are there by signing up for tours ahead of time, or signing in at the admissions office. The admissions office wants to know you are visiting.
  
• Try and eat in one of the dining halls. You might need permission or instructions from the admissions office to plan this. Ask the admissions office ahead of time if you plan to eat on campus, as many colleges have private dining halls.
  
• Niche interviews: If you haven't had any luck with your own research, ask the admissions office for the name(s) and phone numbers/email addresses of the athletic coaches, and/or the music/art/drama/dance professors who represent your interests. Contact them to let them know that you are coming and ask whether it might be possible meet with them or someone in their department.
• Academic interviews: Call or email the departments in which you are specifically interested. Remember, this is a time for you to continue your research into the academic departments and establish contact in case you have any questions in the future.
  
• Contact any friends/acquaintances/current students you know at the school and try to meet them for coffee or lunch. These are frequently the best sources for the inside scoop … but remember to maintain your objectivity and form your own opinion.

Etiquette During Your Visit
When you visit a school, remember that you are representing both yourself and your high school. In other words, act naturally but remember that what you do or say may ultimately impact your standing in the admissions office. You will never understand the complexities of each school’s network, so assume that everyone you meet is in some way connected to the admissions process and treat them with due respect. This means dressing appropriately (it doesn't need to be formal) for your visit and conducting yourself in a positive manner: from your initial handshake, to your undivided attention, to your parting thanks and gracious good-bye. Remember, you have requested to spend time with their staff, so make the most of the opportunity.

After Your Visit
It is always a good idea to send a thank you email if you met with anyone individually or had an interview. While this note may wind up in your admissions file, the best reason for doing so reverts to basic rules of courtesy. Especially with the ease of email, a brief note is an effortless way to show your appreciation for someone having spent time with you.

Make Every Piece of Communication Count
Whenever you contact the admissions offices at the schools to which you are applying, assume that your phone call, email, letter, or fax is recorded and added to your file. Make it concise, polished, and something that accurately conveys your character and persona. If you have questions about potentially meaningful addenda to your application, consult your college counselor.

Enough Is Enough!
Remember to keep your correspondence with a college at an appropriate level. Use your judgment or ask your counselor to help you determine what “appropriate” might be, in your case. Do not barrage an admissions office with daily letters, phone calls, or email. Doing so would lead to your name being uttered with dread in the office. Do make sure that your correspondence is meaningful, memorable, and well presented.

Getting Organized
After each visit, you ought to consider recording your impressions in either a journal or on a checklist.

• Write down the names of all the people you meet and anecdotes that will help you remember who they are and what they do.
• What sort of feeling did you get from the school?
• How was the music department?
• Was the campus appealing to you?
• Could you imagine yourself there for four years?
• Keep in mind that your visit gives you a one-snapshot impression; don’t overreact to a poor tour or bad weather.
• Keep copies of your correspondence with every school you are considering. The best way to do this is to start a file on each school as you begin your preliminary research and add to it as the process evolves. You never know when you might need to reference a postcard that you sent to a director of admissions!
• Keep track of everything that you send.

Final tips for campus visits:

• Wear comfortable shoes. Campuses are big.
• Ask in advance if it is possible for you to meet with a financial aid officer, or if there are other opportunities to learn about applying for financial aid.
• Seek out facilities that are of special interest to you but may not be on the tour. You may even find a professor willing to chat with you. Ask for a campus map in the admissions office.
• Read everything – bulletin boards, posters, flyers.
• Talk to students. This may seem like a daunting prospect, but the information and the sense of the school that you will gain are worth it. Strike up conversations in the dorms or common areas. Be ready with a few questions that are important to you.

Research: where can you find information about colleges?

There are many sources of information on colleges and the quality and types of information available from these different sources is as varied as the sources themselves. Below you will find a list of resources to tap when researching colleges.

Counselors: Your high school college counselor or guidance counselor should be available to help you weigh the pluses and minuses of different colleges and can help steer you in the direction of schools that might be good matches for you.

Current college students: Perhaps the best source of information on a college is someone who is a student there now. Check out the website UNIGO to see what current students are saying. To make the information even more relevant to you, see if you can get into contact with alumni of your high school who are attending colleges you are interested in. Using a social networking site like Facebook might enable you to get in touch with graduates of your high school.

Alumni: People who attended the college you are interested in can provide you with their experience at a given college. Keep in mind that colleges change over the years and recent graduates can provide you with information that will bear more resemblance to what your experience might be like than what the experience was like for your parents.

College admission publications: Colleges and universities spend millions of dollars each year on the production of literature designed to inform you and educate you about their institutions. Your own high school counseling office might have catalogs and view books from schools available for your perusal. College catalogs are not flashy, but they contain information you might find helpful, including academic and student life policies, requirements for degrees in all of the departments at that school, a listing and description of all of the courses offered, and a listing of the faculty members. The view books are slick, photo-filled marketing tools designed to show you what the campus is really like. The text is brief, but most view books list programs available at the school as well as its activities and organizations. They also contain practical information on the admission procedure, as well as financial aid information. Many view books have applications or instructions for applying to that particular college.

Writing for your own information: Most likely you have already received literature from many colleges and universities who have purchased your name and address from any one of a number of sources (including the College Board- remember that little box you could check on the PSAT?). Chances are, however, there are other schools about which you will want to learn more. More and more students are using email to communicate directly with colleges and universities and it is a great way to acquire information.

Guidebooks: There are many college guidebooks available at bookstores. Many people prefer to shop online where you can find bargains on second-hand guidebooks on sites like Amazon. The guidebooks fall into two main categories: objective or comparative guides, and subjective or ranking guides. The first type includes such books as those published by Peterson's, Barron's, and the College Handbook by the College Board (among others). Most of the information included in these guides was obtained directly by the publishers from the admission offices. They provide quick-reference information and a lot of statistics. Be careful! Statistics can be manipulated to suit the needs of the person or institution presenting them. The subjective guides include those by Fiske, the Yale Daily News, Rugg, William Buckley, Princeton Review, Kaplan and Students' Guide to Colleges edited by Jordan Goldman and Colleen Buyers. When reading these guides and reviewing the manner in which they rate various aspects of the institutions they are discussing, keep in mind that you are reading the opinions of only a few people. On the other hand, even though the information will be two or three years old, it is possible to read several such descriptions and put together a good idea of what life at the school might be like. In my own experience, I have found that the Fiske Guide provides a well-balanced approach.

Online: Every college has a website where you can find a wealth of information about the school. The depth and breadth of information will vary greatly from college to college, but typically you will find up to date information about the school's programs, policies, activities, events, and its application procedures. Some sites include "virtual" tours, and others allow you to apply electronically to the institution. Most sites will provide an email address for you to use to ask questions and communicate directly with the admission office.

Videos and DVDs: Although most colleges are now offering videos and virtual tours on their websites, many have produced videos and DVDs for admission office use. Check out this example from Hamilton College to see a very nice virtual tour of their campus.
Some schools will automatically send you a CD if you are on their mailing list; others will send you one if you request it. Some may charge for their videos, and a few companies specialize in producing college videos and selling them to prospective applicants.

Your high school's admission statistics: If you like numbers, you will probably enjoy looking through a website which contains the admissions history of recent graduates from your high school at popular colleges and universities. Usually, the information is presented by students' grade point averages and SAT/ACT scores (not by name of students). The information can allow you to gain some insight into how realistic a school might be for you when considering numbers. Keep in mind that numbers are just part of the application process and there are many other factors considered by admissions officers as they evaluate applications. My high school uses Naviance to track the admissions histories of our students and I am a huge fan!

College fairs: Many high schools plan college fairs for students and their parents at some point in the school year (ours is always in the spring). Representatives from many colleges in the United States, Canada and Europe attend the college fair, providing an excellent opportunity for students and their parents to gain first-hand information about colleges of interest to them.

The National Association of College Admission Counselors also sponsors larger college fairs around the country which bring together representatives from a few hundred colleges. Information on the fair in Manhattan, held in April, can be found on the NACAC website here. Another great fair is the Colleges That Change Lives Fair (information here), which is a grouping of colleges celebrated in Loren Pope's amazing book by the same name. These fairs can be good forums for you to talk briefly with the representatives, pick up literature, and put your name on their mailing lists.

College representative visits at your high school: Each fall, many colleges and universities send admission representatives to high schools all over the country to speak with students and answer their questions. The presentations are a convenient way for students to establish contact with an admission office and to learn more about the school and its application procedures from someone working there. The meetings are also a good chance for you to learn more about schools about which you might know very little. You should attend at least a couple of the meetings just to find out what they are like and to hear what an admission officer has to say to prospective applicants.

One added benefit to the meetings is that (in many cases) the representative will be one of the people who will be reading the applications from your high school and contributing to the decisions made by the admission office. It is definitely to your advantage if that person gets to know you as a person, rather than as just another application. Arrive at the meetings on time and with at least some knowledge of the school so that you can ask informed, intelligent questions and make a good impression.

If you are even considering a college, and that college is visiting your school, I strongly suggest attending the information session. These admissions representatives travel all over the country to meet in small groups with students. The least you can do is spend your lunch period meeting with them. I am always shocked when students at my school choose not to attend the on-campus information sessions. When students choose not to attend, it sends the message that students do not place a high value on the time of the admissions officers and on the application process in general.

Interested in a particular college? Just about every college will keep track of how much interest you are showing in their school. They know how many times you have requested information in writing or by phone, they know if you spoke with a representative at a college fair or at a meeting at your high school, and they know if you have been on campus and had an interview. Regardless of how many times you have been asked to complete information cards for an admission office–on that campus or elsewhere–do it again. Also, remember that the more personal you can make the process, the better it can work in your favor. Get to know someone in the admission office–that person could be an important advocate for you later.

The Visit: Questions to help you evaluate the colleges you visit and research.

You may want to create a list of questions to answer for each college that you investigate. Such questions could include:

Admission

• How selective is the college?
• Realistically, what are your chances of getting in?
• Difficulty: Will the work be challenging or too easy? Is it a school where every student works hard? A school where parties are a top priority?
• Financial Aid – what kind is offered?
• What will it cost, including tuition, fees, room and board, transportation, travel to and from campus, pocket money?

Physical Environment

• Is the location rural, suburban or urban?
• How many students does it have?
• How far is it from home?
• Are the students mostly commuters or resident?
• Is campus housing available and guaranteed for all four years? Can you choose co-ed or single sex dorms?
• Safety: Are the dorms secure? Is there an escort service at night?
• Facilities: Are there adequate sports and recreational facilities? Music, art, drama? Where do students eat? What meal plans are offered?

Academic Environment

• Quality of programs: What are the strengths and weaknesses?
• Does the college offer academic programs in which you are interested?
• Faculty: Do students have access to faculty? Do all professors teach undergraduates? How many classes are taught by teaching assistants?
• Curriculum: Is there are core curriculum? How much freedom do you have in course selection? What courses must you take to satisfy requirements?
• Library: How many books are in the library? Is it fully computerized? Is the campus tied to a larger network?
• Computers: Are computers required of freshmen? What kind of computer facilities exist on campus?
• Advanced Placement: Does the school accept AP credits? For what scores?
• Honors Programs: Are they available? Who is eligible?
• Study Abroad: Is it offered?
• Internships: What is available? Do any of them pay a salary or stipend?
• Graduation Rates: What percentage of students graduate? How long does it take most students to graduate?
• Graduate School: What percentage of students go on to graduate or professional schools? What percentage are accepted to the school of their choice?
• Career Opportunities: How many graduates go directly into the marketplace? Is there a helpful career services office?

Student Environment

• Student Body: How would you describe a “typical” student? What is the male/female ratio?
• Geographical Diversity: Is the college regional, or does it attract students from all over the US? Are there international students?
• Ethnic Diversity: What percentage of students are considered students of color? How well does the institution address issues that concern students of color?
• Athletic Programs: In which division does the college compete? Are there equally strong programs for men and women? Does the school offer a variety of intercollegiate and intramural sports programs?
• Social Life: Is there a wide range of social activities? What do students do on a typical Saturday night? Or Wednesday night? How important are fraternities and sororities?

NOTE: This list of questions was adapted from “The Boston Latin School College Handbook” for inclusion into the Hunter College High School "College Counseling Handbook" by permission of the Counseling Office at Boston Latin School.

Myths About the College Application Process

I need to decide on my career before I can choose a college.

College is your time to explore. Except in a few specific situations, you can choose a major in your sophomore year and still complete the degree in four years. A surprising number of students discover their ideal field while taking a course they didn’t expect to like. If you're not ready, don’t let well-meaning friends pressure you into deciding on a major field or a career before you choose a college. Take your time.

If I haven’t heard of a college or university, it can’t be very good.
You may not hear about many of the nation’s finest colleges until you are well into your adult life. Athletics on television is how most colleges get to be known, but many great colleges do not get that kind of exposure. Some of the nation's finest colleges don’t play big-time athletics. Judge a college on its own merits. Don’t let name recognition determine a good or bad college.

A lot of out-of-class activities will compensate for poor grades.
Admittedly, colleges consider out-of-class activities such as athletics, student government, and music when they review an application. But colleges look at your academic performance first. Lots of out-of-class activities help only if the college already believes you can do the work. "The thicker the file, the thicker the child" is an expression admissions counselors use when a prospective student submits materials on all that he or she has done, but the student still has poor high-school grades.

Big colleges are best if you haven’t decided on a major field.
Many students think that because there are more courses to choose from, a large college offers greater options for undecided students. However, choices alone should not be the deciding factor. If you are undecided, the best college is one that has core requirements or distribution requirements that ensure you will explore new areas and fields.

Also, look for colleges with the strongest academic advising and career counseling programs regardless of their size. Good advising can help you choose an academic and career path you will enjoy rather than one you think you might like right now.

The quality of the academic program in which I am interested is the most important characteristic of a college.
About two of five students change their major fields of interest before they actually enroll in college, and about one of two changes the major field once enrolled. Look for a college that has your current field of interest but is also strong in all its areas.

It’s worth noting that the research on success in graduate school and in employment after college suggests that the best way to master a major field is a combination of learning theory and active, hands-on-learning by doing. What's more valuable is having the opportunity to do research on your own or to work side by side with a professor on a project rather than simply taking more courses in the field.

The best time to visit colleges is after you have been admitted.
Many students have fallen for this myth only to find that none of the colleges to which they were admitted "felt" right when they visited. If possible, visit before you apply and again after you have been admitted. If you can visit only once, make it before you apply.

College is for only four years.
This is wrong on two fronts: 1) You can’t trade in your degree for another one if you didn’t go to the best college for you the first time. Your college is with you for life. 2) Only about one of five students completes college in four years. In fact, only two of five students complete college in six years. If you plan to be out of college in four years, learn what each college’s four-year graduation rate is.

Your life will be ruined if you don’t get admitted to your first choice college.
Thousands of students each year do not get admitted to their first choice college and most are happy, healthy individuals today. Yes, rejection is hard on your ego, but you will not be alone. Additionally, the vast majority of students who settle for their second choice end up happy at that institution anyway. Remember, college admission, especially at the more selective colleges, has to be subjective. With thousands of applications and only a small staff, it is impossible to assess each applicant objectively. Some applications stand out. Some don’t.

You will have a better chance of getting into professional or graduate school if you go to a university that offers these graduate programs.
Many students and parents mistakenly think that attending a university with a law school, medical school, or graduate school guarantees admission into that program at graduation. Very few universities give their students special preference for graduate study, and those that do reserve it for only the very best students. Many small colleges and universities have excellent records in placing students in professional schools and graduate programs. The key to admission is succeeding in a strong major program at a challenging college, not where you go. Regardless of where you attend, there are no guarantees.

Liberal arts colleges do not have good science programs.
The "liberal" in liberal arts means "broadening" and "freeing" – as in freeing one’s mind from narrow thinking. The term "liberal arts" is a shortened version of the full title: liberal arts and sciences. Most liberal arts colleges have been emphasizing science for all students for a century or more. Since the best way to learn science is by doing science, small colleges with small classes and fewer students in the laboratories often have an advantage. Proportionally, far more physicians and Ph.D.s have earned their undergraduate degrees from small liberal arts colleges than from large universities.

Residence Halls are simply places in which to sleep.
This is true at many large institutions, but it is not at smaller colleges. At "residential colleges" the staff takes advantage of the 24-hour learning experience. Many small colleges have regular activities in the residence halls ranging from those focusing on wellness and personal growth to film festivals and Super Bowl parties. A residential college offers a unique time in your life to blend your academic, social, personal, and recreational life. The famous college tradition, the late night "bull session", often deals in subject matter from academic courses, personal beliefs, and arguments over the views of famous philosophers. Residential life can add a great deal to your college experience.

Large universities have greater diversity.
This is true if "diversity" simply means having greater numbers of African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and international students. Unfortunately, the size and nature of a large university often mean that there is little interaction among those of various ethnic and racial backgrounds. At large universities, groups of students can often choose to live and learn together and separately from other students. At small schools, however, the student population is small enough that you will get to know well, or in passing, virtually all students. If the value of diversity is to learn to understand and appreciate other cultures and groups, then small colleges often offer greater diversity.

Colleges are concerned only with my intellectual and academic development.
Many colleges and smaller universities pride themselves on their ability to "develop the whole person". Some of this personal development comes from requiring a broad-based general education that contributes to your understanding of the world and society. Some of the personal growth takes place in the residence halls where you learn things like tolerance and how to get along with different kinds of people. In some cases, personal and professional development is intentional. At these colleges, there are workshops open to students on time management, developing relationships, handling yourself at a job interview, and your responsibilities as a citizen.

Only the very best students receive financial aid from colleges.
If you are admitted and have financial need, colleges generally want to make it possible for you to attend. In fact, the greatest proportion of financial assistance at private colleges tends to go to students in the middle of the class. High-ability students or students with special talents may receive "merit-based scholarships".

State-supported institutions offer more financial aid than private colleges do.
State-supported colleges and universities offer very little of their own resources for financial assistance. As the name suggests, state-supported institutions are subsidized by their respective states and that allows them to charge less. However, state institutions are also more likely to offer only loans to students who do not have a high need.

The federal government provides most of the financial aid.
Government funds comprise only a very small proportion of the financial aid available. In fact, the government continually reduces the amount of grant money – money that does not need to be paid back. Private colleges, especially, supply the largest portion of financial aid.

Some secret strategy can get me admitted to a college. In our society and neighborhood, where money can buy almost anything, it is easy to believe this. Impressive letters of recommendation from famous people and gimmicky application or essay approaches will not get you into a school. YOU and your record will get YOU into a college – perhaps with a lot of guidance, assistance and support – but it will be YOU, and there is no secret strategy for any school.

Resources

ABOUT COLLEGES

http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/
The National Center for Education Statistics

http://www.utexas.edu/world/univ/state/
Links to university websites organized by state.

http://www.ctcl.com/
Colleges that change lives from the book by Loren Pope.

http://www.collegeview.com/
College information and search engine.

ABOUT THE COLLEGE SEARCH AND APPLICATION PROCESS

http://www.educationconservancy.org/
A non-profit organization committed to improving college admission processes for students, colleges and high schools.

http://www.commonapp.org/
An online application used by many private and public colleges.

http://www.universalcollegeapp.com/
An online application used by many private and public colleges.

ABOUT FINANCIAL AID AND SCHOLARSHIPS

http://www.finaid.org/
General information about financial aid.

http://www.fafsa.com/
Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

http://fastweb.com/
A free scholarship search service.

http://www.collegegold.com/
A division of FastWeb containing information and cost calculators.

http://www.hesc.com/
New York State Higher Education Services Corporation.

http://www.ed.gov/students
Financial aid information from the federal government.

http://www.profileonline.collegeboard.com/
A supplement to the FAFSA created by the College Board.

ABOUT STANDARDIZED TESTING

http://www.collegeboard.com/
Information on the SAT, SAT II, and AP exams.

http://www.actstudent.org/
Information on the ACT test, which can provide an alternative to the SAT.

http://www.fairtest.org/
The National Center for Fair and Open Testing.

Visiting Colleges (the short version)

Before you become too serious about attending any school, it is very important that you try and visit to get a feel for the campus and student experience. Spring break, summer vacation, and weekends are good times for you to visit campuses. All admission offices offer campus tours and information sessions for prospective students. Call in advance or check the website to find out when they are scheduled. Many colleges allow you to register for information sessions and tours on their website.

If you become serious about a school, many college admission offices will arrange for you to spend a night in a dorm, attend classes, and eat in the cafeteria. If you'd like to do an initial visit, plan to spend at least half of a day on campus. This should be enough time to do the following:

• attend an information session
• go on a campus tour
• eat on campus
• walk around on your own
  

When visiting a college, try to think about what life there will be like. Try and answer the following questions:

• How large are the freshman classes?
• Do you like the food?
• Do you like the dorms?
• What information can you learn from flyers posted around campus?
• What are the hot issues in the school newspaper?
• Can you see yourself among the students?
• How far do you have to walk to get to classes?
• Do the people walking around look happy?

Do your homework on the school before you go. Does it measure up to the way you imagined it? How does it compare to the way the school presents itself on its website and other advertising you have encountered?