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College Guidance: The College Visit The Common Application | Developing the College List | Glossary of Admissions Terms | The SAT | SSDSEU's College Guidance Policies | Financing a College Eduation | Web Resources | Back to Student Services and College Guidance Visiting a prospective college is the best way to get the “feel” of the campus. The visit can not only tell you about the college, but in some cases can also tell the college some important things about prospective students. Parents can help with travel arrangements but should encourage students to make their own calls and inquiries to colleges.Visits should not be made randomly; make some initial decisions about the type of school you are interested in before putting an itinerary together. A summer or fall visit is useful for collecting general information and interviewing. A spring visit, after decisions are mailed, can be more thorough (many colleges have weekends for accepted students). Visits in December/January/February/March or the first week of a semester are usually not advisable. Ideally, students should attend classes, stay in a dormitory, and talk with current students and an admission person. Practically, a visit most often consists of a campus tour and perhaps a group information session. Parents should try to take a back seat at these times and let the student ask questions. (Interviews are often optional or not given on campus; ask ahead of time for information and an appointment if the college has interviews.) Because of the commitment expected if accepted, SSDSEU expects that students applying to a college or university under an Early Decision program will have visited their ED institution. The following suggestions can help you prepare a college visit. Don’t try to do more than two schools a day or four or five in a week, and be sure to consult a map before you go so you can accurately gauge distances between campuses. Most institutions have set times for tours and information sessions. You generally do not need appointments for these. Call ahead, or look on the website for times and dates. Check to make sure that students will be on campus and not on vacation or in the midst of final exams. Make arrangements in advance if an interview is requested or an overnight stay is possible. Ask for directions from the nearest airport, train station, etc. if needed. If you are going to multiple schools on a trip, make sure that you allow for travel time between campuses. Be sure that absences from school are OK’d and that work missed can be made up. Consider using PSAT test dates, parent conferences, and professional days when school is closed as well as other school breaks for travel. Visit during the week if possible to sit in on a class. Learn something about the college before your visit. Be prepared to ask smart questions about the institution (NOT “How many students do you have?” but “Can you tell me more about your program in Russia?”) Don’t hog the limelight. In a group interview or information session, everyone should get a chance to ask questions. You can create a more favorable impression by sharing the stage. Students should be prepared to give information about themselves if they have an interview. However, unless they’ve been asked to do so specifically, they do not need to bring transcripts, portfolios, etc., especially on the initial visit. Dress comfortably but neatly. Students should wear walking shoes and clothes appropriate for meetings with other students, families, and admission officers (mature and conservative, mostly, but consider where you are visiting as well). Take notes either during or immediately after your visit. A video or still camera can be helpful also. (A digital camera is ideal since it automatically keeps track of dates and photos can be reviewed instantly.) Keep track of what was especially positive/negative. Pick up the school newspaper and other printed materials when you are on each campus. Handwrite (don’t e-mail) thank you notes when appropriate. Good manners count and e-mail, while more convenient, isn’t as personal as an actual note. The extra effort is worth it! Let your college counselor know what you think of the schools you visit. If something goes wrong on your visit, be sure to let the college know. If your tour guide makes inappropriate remarks or there is a mix-up, send a note about it so they can try to correct the situation. Colleges want you to have a good experience and will try the best they can to remedy any problems. Don’t assume that a bad tour guide or bad weather means the school is bad! It might be exam time or the guide might just be having a bad day. No excuse, but remember he or she is a student, too. Try not to make snap judgments and balance everything you see and hear with all the other information you collect. Enjoy your trips! They can be great “family time” opportunities. Try to discuss issues that come up from college to college and compare notes. Again, parents, we recommend that you let your child take the lead.
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