Scheduling College Visits

If you are a high school student interested in going to college, it’s never too early to start thinking about scheduling college visits.  In today’s information age, an in-person visit may not seem necessary.  But taking the time to visit the campuses of colleges and universities you are interested in attending will provide you with insight you can’t get from brochures, the internet or other information you have received.

It is a good idea to begin visiting schools before your senior year.  Touring different campuses will help you narrow down your search and doing so before your senior year will give you a chance to re-visit your top choices before you have to make a decision about what school you want to attend.  Below is a list of four reasons you should consider when scheduling college visits.


Speak with Current Students

Visiting the college campus will give you an opportunity to speak with students who are currently enrolled at the school.  This is the best way to get honest feedback about what it is truly like to attend a particular college or university on a daily basis.  While other individuals may be interested in representing the school in only the best possible light, students typically have no problem telling you what they like as well as what they don’t like.  This kind of honest feedback can be invaluable in helping you choose the school that is right for you.


Speak with Teachers and Administrators

Scheduling college visits gives you an opportunity to speak with teachers and administrators who can provide details about different academic programs the school offers that aren’t available on the website or in the marketing literature.  They can give you an honest assessment about what is required for acceptance into different programs as well as what will be expected of you as a student.


See the Grounds and Facilities

The photos you’ve seen from the school’s website and brochures may not provide an accurate view of what the campus is really like.  Scheduling college visits will give you an opportunity to take a tour and see the grounds and facilities in person, so you can draw your own conclusions about the dorms, libraries, dining halls, classrooms, fitness facilities and more.  Furthermore, touring the grounds will give you an idea of how large or small the campus is, so you know how far you will have to walk from the dorms to your classes and other areas of campus.


Observe a Class

Large lecture halls, small seminars, labs and more.  By the time you graduate from college, you will have had a chance to experience all of the types of classes the school of your choice has to offer.  But for a high school student who has never been to a college campus, the classroom experience at a college or university can be intimidating.  When scheduling college visits, you can ask for permission to observe a class in session, so you can get a feel for what it is really like and how it differs from your high school classes.