The Campus Visit is often the determining factor in the college decision process. Here are some tips to make it as useful and effective as possible. ·

The virtual tour:

Although a virtual tour isn’t the same as being there, it is a great way to get a flavor for a lot of schools without having to get on a plane or sit in traffic. In addition to the school’s website (which is a great place to start) there are plenty of other online resources out there. Youniversity.com has a terrific site that is easy to use and has well done campus videos. Websites like Unigo.com and CollegeClickTV.com have student-made videos that can give you some insight from people who actually attend school there. ·

Timing is everything:

Although summer and school breaks might be a convenient time to visit schools, don’t expect to get a true feeling for campus life. Most schools come back to life in late August, but empty out for at least a month from mid December to mid January. So, make sure you check the school’s calendar before you book your trip. An empty campus may be beautifully manicured, but it won’t give you a feeling for the student body, athletics, activism, or the pace of life. Ideally, your should visit in the fall before applications are due or in the spring after acceptances are sent out. Go on the school's website calendar to see if there is anything going on that might make hotel rooms hard to come by, like a big football game. Call the admissions office and ask if there are any dates that you should avoid. If interviews are oferred on campus it may be to your advantage to visit in the fall before acceptances are finalized. ·

Let them know that you are coming:

You should contact the admissions office at least a few weeks in advance, but be aware that they are busiest during the fall after applications start coming in. At the very least you can see when they offer group campus tours, but it would be to your advantage to make an appointment for a tour and possibly an interview. Beware, if you are travelling with a group of prospective students some colleges may require that you schedule a tour up to a month in advance (usually for more than ten people).

Dorm Stays/ Prospective Frosh Programs:

Many schools offer prospective students a dorm stay, where you can stay overnight with a current student. This is a great opportunity to see what campus life is really like, but don’t generalize too much about the school based on your host (the same should be said about the tour guide). Remember that this is a student who volunteered to take in a stranger because they really like their school. That sort of school spirit may or may not appeal to you, whether or not you like the school. ·

Be prepared:

Write down questions you have in advance, so that you don’t forget once you get there. Use the research you have done to make your questions meaningful and specific. Also be aware that the tour guides are hired for their bubbly personalities, the ability to tell the same joke hundreds of times, and to be able to walk backwards without getting run over by a bicycle. They might not have all the answers to your questions. However, they will probably be able to point you in the right direction. ·

Take Notes/ Compare Notes :

Take a few minutes to write down what you observe while you are on campus. If you are powering few several colleges in one trip, the details are likely to run together. It is also helpful to take your notes and see how your impressions compare to books and websites you have been using to research schools. Try to create categories that you can use to compare multiple campuses. Admitiipedia has discussion forums that are beneficial to see if your experience was typical.

• Quality of Life: food, dorms, quad, social setting, stuff to do, relationship with local residents, weather
• Academics: class size, library (hours, computers, accessible, size), professors vs. grad students, programs offered, research opportunities, science labs, language labs, tutors, required core classes, class availability
• Financial Aid: need based aid vs. non-need based aid, athletic scholarships, merit scholarships, work-study programs
• Extracurriculars: intramural sports, newspaper, art and theater, whatever you are interested in.
• Study Abroad: university program vs. allows transfer credits from other programs, countries offered, classes offered, cost, travel, Semester at Sea, service learning