Making the Most of College Visits




 

 

Making the Most
of College Visits


A high school senior and her parents walked into the dining hall at Reed College and found many students eating alone. That was all they needed to see. While the intellectual rigor of the school appealed to her, this student also wanted a more social environment, and she decided this wasn’t the place for her.


Friendliness, atmosphere—that’s the kind of information you don’t get from brochures and Websites. Once a student has clarified her educational goals, values and personal needs, there’s nothing like a campus visit to find out if a college will meet those needs.


Often, students don’t know what they really want until they see a college. One student loved the idea of a lush, sprawling campus. But when she visited Connecticut College, with its 700 acres of greenery, woods and water, she thought it felt deserted and decided to look at universities with a livelier, bustling atmosphere.


The more colleges you visit, the better you get at evaluating whether the school is a match. That’s why I suggest starting with a local college, even if it’s not on a student’s list. It gives you a base for comparison, and there’s always the possibility of discovering a great school your child hadn’t considered. After visiting a couple colleges, you’ll know what to look for, and will be in a better position to evaluate what you’re seeing.


On college trips, it’s hard to resist the temptation to see as many as possible. But visiting more than two schools a day becomes a frantic rush from one college to the next, with no time to fully experience each school.


Plan on spending at least three hours on campus to allow time for a tour, information session and lunch in the dining hall. If there’s more time, allow 60 minutes for the student to imagine herself as a student attending the school while a parent explores the surrounding community.


While student tour guides are very knowledgeable, they’re also fans of the school. That’s why they’re tour guides. That’s also why it’s important to talk to other students. All of them have gone through the college application process in the last few years, and they’re usually happy to share their wisdom.


I always ask what other colleges they applied to and why they chose this one. How has the school met their expectations or disappointed them? What kind of person is a good fit for this college? What are their three favorite things about the school and what are three things they wish were different? If their complaints are in areas that are important to your child, that’s useful information.


You also want to know if students have trouble getting into courses they want. While a student might expect to be shut out of classes at UC San Diego, it can also happen at small colleges that are committed to keeping classes small. Get a feel for the intellectual climate by asking what the most popular classes are, how many hours per day that students spend studying, what they do on weekends. Check bulletin boards and pick up a school newspaper to see what lectures, concerts and activities are scheduled.


Notice how far the dorms are from classrooms. This may not seem like a big deal, but especially if the school is in New England or the Midwest, come January, every minute of that walk will seem like a very big deal.


For a prospective student, it comes down to a gut reaction. Does she feel excited being on this campus? Can she see herself walking to class, hanging out with these people? If she feels good about herself while she’s visiting this college, if she sees people she’d like to get to know, she’s that much closer to making a good match.


If you have questions, please send them via e-mail to editor@theacorn.com or to the address on page 4, Attention: College Corner. I’ll answer as many as possible in future columns.


Audrey Kahane, MS, is a college admissions counselor in West Hills. She can be reached at (818) 704-7545 or via the Internet at audreykahane@earthlink.net.


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