My Experience Visiting Colleges

My experience visiting colleges was not as great as others. I remember my high school had a day where you could get an excused absence for visiting colleges. Although I’m glad I ended up at DePaul, I wish I visited more colleges- especially out of state ones. Here are some ways to plan a great college visit and get the most out of one:

1. Make sure you visit at the right time. 

It’s important that if you want to see what it would really feel like to attend a particular school, that you go during school hours. It may be easier to go during breaks or holidays, but I recommend seeing how campus life is when classes are in session.

 2. Study the school or read up on their newspaper.

 This can show you what’s going on with the school and if   there is anything you need to be aware of before you visit.

 3. Get a map of the campus beforehand.

 See what it would be like for you to get to your classes (I   didn’t know DePaul had two Campuses until my   orientation).

4. Schedule a campus tour.

It’s great to have a guided tour when visiting colleges. It’s best to get great facts and tips from your tour guide who will likely be a student.

5. Explore on your own.

It’s important that you get to know the area of the college so you can see what kinds of things there are to do on your free time.

6. Take virtual tours.

Sometimes you can’t see everything inside every building, but a lot of colleges have virtual tours where you can see things with more detail. These are great if you want to compare dorm rooms. 

7. Document your visit.

You may be visiting a lot of campuses so make sure to take notes and pictures for you review later and compare campuses.

8. Ask if you can sit in a class.

Some schools may not allow this but if you want to see what the learning environment is for your school this is a great thing to check out.

9. Ask questions!

Ask students around you any questions you have along with your tour guide.

 10. Know the admission process.

 Get information from the admission office and their contact information if you have any   further questions.

– Richa Patel