By North Shore College Consulting
If you’re the parent of a soon-to-be college student, then it's likely that spring break is the perfect opportunity to visit potential schools. Without the pressure of classes or extracurricular activities, parents and students can use this time to explore their options more thoroughly! The key to successful college visits is maximizing your time and energy! With the right strategies in place, you can cover several prospective schools during spring break and come away with a sound understanding of which ones meet both your student’s academic goals and personal preferences. After all, making an informed decision while choosing which school suits your student best is essential! Read on for our top tips on how to get the most out of each college visit.
Make A Plan Ahead Of Time
Planning a college visit itinerary can be daunting. Before your trip, sit down with your student and make sure they have realistic expectations about what they want to accomplish on their visits. It's important that they prioritize the colleges they want to visit to make sure that your travel plans are optimized. It’s also important to give yourself enough time between each visit so that you can see all the important spots on each campus without feeling rushed.
Attending official information sessions and taking campus tours can give your student valuable insight when choosing the college that fits your student’s needs. Information sessions are frequently run by representatives of the college or university, and they will provide useful information on topics ranging from admission requirements and housing availability, to academic options and requirements, to extracurricular activities. By participating in a campus tour, your student will be able to get a first-hand view of the facilities available such as dorms, libraries, classrooms, and labs, all of which help your child determine if this is the right fit for them. Additionally, official campus tours give your child the opportunity to encounter first-hand what it's like to study and live on the campus itself—everything from walking around the grounds to imaging themself in lecture halls and learning how university resources are available for students are essential experiences when visiting a college. Without official visits and events, getting a good feel for the atmosphere (and potential fit) of a school would be almost impossible! One word of warning, however, make sure your student registers for those official information sessions and tours online on the college’s admissions website well in advance of your visit since these do frequently fill up quickly.
It also can help to create an itinerary for each day of the visit and make sure it includes enough time to unofficially explore, learn about the campus, access any recreational activities - or just hang out and get a feel for the campus atmosphere. It's also important to make sure there is enough time to speak with faculty members and admission officers and get any questions answered.
Visit Department Offices, Speak To Faculty Members, & Arrange to Sit in on a Class
Visiting academic departments and talking to faculty members during your child’s college visit is an important step before deciding on a school. Professors can offer insights into what it is like to study a particular program or major, and they are often the most knowledgeable source when it comes to understanding the culture of a department. Not to mention, professors can point your child in the right direction if they’re still unsure of which department interests them most. Professors also typically have insight into special research opportunities or internships that may be available, which could be invaluable pieces as your child tries to find the best college fit! Furthermore, these conversations can help build connections and familiarize students with their potential new advisors so that they can get the support they need for a successful educational path during the admissions process.
An often overlooked way to learn about a college you visit is by arranging to sit for your child to sit in on a college class during your campus visit. To arrange this, your child should reach out to an academic advisor or professor well in advance of your visit. Sitting in on a class can give your child first-hand experience with faculty, students, and the culture. Experiencing this type of personal connection can provide information to help determine if that college is the right fit for your child’s educational goals. Seeing how professors interact and teach could be a powerful tool in making a final college choice.
Advisors are likewise available to help map out future paths and goals - an invaluable support system once your child is officially enrolled. Talking to members of the faculty goes beyond learning about course offerings; it also provides invaluable personal connections and a more intimate understanding of the campus culture and community. Don't miss out on this opportunity - get the inside scoop from those who know the school best!
Get A Feel For Campus Culture & Student Life
When touring colleges, gaining personal insight from current students can make all the difference in finding the best fit for your child. Tell your child not to be shy. They should try speaking to students who are out and about on campus during your visit. Talking with people who actually attend the school can give your child an inside look into its social life and culture. Current students are usually eager to share their experiences and should be able to provide a better understanding of what college life is really like. They usually have an interesting perspective that your child may not be able to get from the university’s website or brochure. Asking questions about academics, student interactions, extracurriculars, and housing during your college visits will help you and your child gain valuable information as they decide which school is right for them.
During your college visit, make sure to check out some of the events on campus hosted by the university. Whether it's an on-campus concert, a lecture by an esteemed guest speaker, trivia night, or any other campus event, these activities allow your child to connect with current students and better understand the social life and culture that students experience day-to-day. It's a great way to have a personal experience and gain an even richer glimpse into life on campus that your child won’t find in brochures or online or through tour guides and admissions counselors.
Prepare Questions Prior to Your College Visit
When preparing for a college visit and campus tour, it is important for your child to take the time to prepare questions ahead of time to ask during your visit. Your child can ask current students why they chose that particular school, what classes or majors are popular and well-liked among their peers, whether there are any fun campus traditions or student organizations that make college life memorable and interesting, what kind of cultural events or activities their college offers and finally, get personal insight into what current students like (and don’t like!) about their collegiate experience. All these questions can help paint a picture of campus social life and culture while connecting your child to students who will be part of their community in the future.
Take Notes During Your College Visits
Taking notes during your college visit is essential to capture the college’s unique offerings, such as its unique academic or extracurricular opportunities, campus culture, college-specific traditions, or student life. In addition, by noting specific experiences such as conversations with college tour guides or events that caught your child’s interest, it becomes easier to distinguish each college they visit from another. Even small phrases like “I feel X or Y about this college” can help jog your child’s memory and make college applications less stressful down the line. Accurately recalling specific college experiences can help your student when filling out college applications, writing supplemental essays, or writing admissions officers later on. These details will help your child demonstrate on their application why a college is a strong fit for them which which will help their application to stand out during the admissions process. Therefore, regardless of how many college visits you plan on taking, spending a few minutes jotting down some key points from each one is always a wise choice!
Visiting potential colleges in person is an excellent way for college-bound high school students to gain insight into which universities might be the best fit for them. Even though spring break may only last one week, it is still possible for students (and parents) to maximize their college visits by planning ahead, speaking with faculty members and current students, sitting in on classes, and taking advantage of campus events offered during the break period. By doing so, students can come away from their college tours with real knowledge that will help inform their eventual decision regarding where they want to apply and ultimately attend college. With the right kind of preparation and research, a weeklong spring break can be just as helpful in the college selection process as taking more extended visits during other times of the year.
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