Tips For College Visits
College Visits Are An Important Part Of The College Admissions Process
Copyright (c) 2010 Marjorie Hansen Shaevitz
Often I am asked by students and parents about the value of visiting colleges. What I say is that if at all possible, college visits should be a part of every student’s admissions process. You can take a tour of a school, talk with students, sit in on a class or two, and find out what makes the college either a good or not good fit for you. You can also check out the town or adjacent community to get a feel for what it would be like to live there for four years.
College visits offer a great opportunity to meet with admissions people. In a concept called “demonstrated interest,” some colleges respond very positively to students showing interest in their colleges. In fact, making contact with an admissions office can be a tip factor in your acceptance there. You see, admissions staffs prefer to accept students who really want to go to their schools and there is no better way of showing that interest than by visiting the school. In order to make sure they notice your visit, sign in at the admissions office or if the office is closed, send them a note letting them know that you were recently on campus.
Once you have decided to visit a college, there are a number of things to consider. Deciding when to go is a good starting point. To really experience what a college is like, it’s best to visit it when classes are in session and not during exams or holidays. However, if that can’t be arranged, visiting a college any time is better than not visiting it at all.
In 9th and 10th grades, you can start exploring colleges by spending a little time at local colleges and universities in your own hometown. Also, as you and your family pass through different towns and cities on family trips, consider taking a “windshield tour” of a school or two on the way; that is, drive through a college in your car to see what the campus looks like. This quick look will often give you a feel for whether the college is a place you might want to go to school. Malcolm Gladwell, author of the bestselling book, Blink, says that people’s first impressions are usually right on. Windshield tours are a perfect way of getting a first impression of a college and whether you like it.
11th grade is when you should get serious and plan vacations around college visits, or plan a trip solely for the purpose of visiting a college you are interested in. You should try to visit as many colleges as you can. And summer before your senior year is a great time to take a look at schools. Fall of your senior year is when you should take college trips that include interviews at the schools.
You will need to coordinate your and your parents’ schedules to fit this all in. Also, factor in travel expenses as a part of your planning. For students who need it, some colleges offer “fly-in” expenses. Contact individual admissions offices to see if this kind of support is available to you.
Once all the planning is done, enjoy the trip, experience life at the colleges you visit, and be sure to have have some fun. Don’t allow college visits to become another thing you have to do. No websites, brochures or presentations can replace the insights you get from seeing a college first hand.
About the Author
Marjorie Hansen Shaevitz spent much of her life working for colleges and universities, notably Stanford University, UC San Diego, and East West Center at the University of Hawaii. Her writing career began as a co-author of So You Want To Go Back To School, a book for adults. She has counseled scores of adults and high school students about how to find, get accepted to and thrive in quality
colleges and universities
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What are some tips for dealing with missing your significant other in a long distance relationship?
So my boyfriend and I are currently going to separate colleges. He just visited me this weekend and it was great but when he left was just heart wrenching. I’ve never missed him more before and now I’ve been feeling really sad and depressed these last couple hours. He’s transfering to my college next semester so that’s great but does anybody have any tips or advice they could give me to help deal when I’m missing him?
You’re honestly so lucky! I’ve been with my boyfriend almost 6 months and he lives in another country for 2 more months. Maybe do things like calling him, emailing him, IMing him ummm.. Write him letters etc. Tell him how much you miss him in them. Write poetry, think of the good times you’s have had together while he’s away and think of how many more you will have! When you desperately need to hear his voice, text him and tell him. Maybe go out shopping to keep your mind off it. Hang out with some friends. Volunteer for something 
just things that will pass the time by. I know it’s hard, but you CAN do this. Good luck 
Clips: “The Inside Scoop on Making the Most of College Visits” by Collegiate Compass
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The campus visit: am I really going to live here? The top 10 tips and tricks to remember when scoping out your future home.: An article from: Careers & Colleges $9.95 This digital document is an article from Careers & Colleges, published by 360 Youth LLC, DBA Alloy Education on March 22, 2009. The length of the article is 1092 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.Citation DetailsTitle: The campus visit: am … |
