How to Get the Most Out of Your College Visits

By
UFit College Consulting

If you are planning to visit colleges this spring or summer, you will want to get the most out
of each visit, whether it is in person or virtual. While taking a campus tour is an integral part
of every college visit, there are other important factors you should also consider in order to
gain valuable insight into each school.  After all, you are thinking of spending your next four
years there! If you were looking to buy a car, you wouldn’t just look at the car’s interior and
exterior. You would take it for a test drive, read the reviews, and talk to current and previous
owners.

When it comes to looking at colleges, there are many factors you should consider and
explore before, during, and after your online or in-person college visit:
 

• Do some pre-visit preparation. Whether you are visiting a college in person or online, it will help you to learn some basic information and do some planning ahead of your visit. If you are doing a self-guided tour or a virtual tour, attend a virtual information session beforehand. Even if you are visiting campus in person, seeing a virtual tour first can help give you perspective once you are on campus.  Before you leave for your visit, we also recommend you make one list with the things you hope to accomplish during your visit and another with what you need to plan or set up ahead of time.

 

• Connect with current students. There is no better guide than a current student who can give you deep insight about a college campus. If you don’t know anyone at the school, ask the admissions office ahead of time and they will likely provide a list of students who have offered to talk to or meet up with interested candidates.  Even if you are going on an official college tour, it is helpful to have a student who is not affiliated with the admissions office show you around and provide unbiased inside information. 

 

• Ask questions.  When attending  information sessions and tours, don’t be a passive listener. During information sessions you can ask questions about college resources, advising, research and internship opportunities, changing majors, etc. On tours, talk to your student guides to gather their feedback about their classes, professors, living arrangements, extracurricular activities, or anything else that is important to you. You can also ask them some tough questions that will get them to go off script and give you information you won’t find anywhere else. For instance, you could ask your guide what they would change about their campus. Finally, write down the names of your tour guides and information session presenters so you can send them brief thank you emails and perhaps mention them in school-specific application essays.

 

• People watch.  While you are walking around campus, pay attention to the people you see (students, faculty, and staff) and watch how they interact with each other.  Observe their body language. Do they seem friendly? Relaxed? Intense? Stressed? Do the people on campus reflect the type of diversity you are looking for? If the opportunity arises, strike up some conversations with students or faculty you encounter throughout the day.

 

• Attend a class. While joining an in-person class may not currently be possible at many colleges, a visit to a virtual class can be arranged with the admissions office. While sitting in on the class, observe the ambiance and energy in the classroom. You will gain first-hand knowledge of how students and professors interact within a classroom and will be able to think about whether or not you could picture yourself in that classroom one day.

 

• Request a meeting with a department chair or a professor. This is a great way to learn about academics, especially if you are interested in a specialized major. For example, if you intend to be a music major in a liberal arts school, you should reach out to the music department to see if you could meet with the department chair to learn more about their music program and get a tour of the music building. Remember to send thank you emails after your visit.

 

• Explore the areas surrounding campus. Walk around off campus a bit to see the surrounding areas. If you are visiting virtually, you can use Google Maps to explore nearby off-campus areas and learn what they have to offer.  

 

• Collect college brochures. Hold on to any materials that colleges provide because they offer a way for you to take notes on and remember specifics from a particular school. You may also want to refer to them when it is time to write your school-specific application essays. 

 

• Take pictures and record your thoughts and feelings. While in the moment you may not think it is necessary to take pictures or jot down notes during your college visit, but you will be happy that you did, especially if you are planning to visit multiple colleges. You will be surprised by how much your memories will fade or get mixed up over time, due to the numerous similarities among campuses. Even if you don’t want to take notes while you are exploring, put aside some time in the evenings to record what you learned as well as some of your thoughts and feelings about the college you visited that day.  Make sure you write down your own assessments, not what your family members think. These personal notes will come in very handy when you are deciding which colleges to apply to and, ultimately, attend.

 

• Have fun! Make sure you don’t get so caught up in the details that you forget to look at the big picture and enjoy your time learning about and exploring different colleges. This is a truly exciting time in your life, but it can also become overwhelming. With a little planning and guidance, you will be able to enjoy your college visits and come home armed with everything you will need to help you find your home for the next four years. ​