Get the Most Out of Your College Visits
HS2 Academy Head Counselor Mihir Shah
At the start of high school, college names are
bounced around until they take a life of their own. Stanford and Harvard become
legendary names that everyone has heard of, but very few truly know. Visiting
colleges is vital to fully understand where you, the student, fit in, and to
identify subtle differences between similarly ranked and regarded colleges.
Once you have determined which college you
would like to visit, it is imperative that you create an itinerary for
checkpoints to visit. To get the most out of your college visits, first conduct
research on the college website. Going in ‘blind” to a college visit can
prevent you from taking full advantage of the information and access offered by
admissions representatives. First and foremost, have a notebook on hand to jot
down everything on your guided tour, from questions to insights as the tour
progresses. Bring a camera to store the most impactful memories of the college so you can go back and research them at your
leisure.
While each college’s policy for tours varies,
there are numerous commonalities: a walk through of the most active parts each
college has to offer (e.g., libraries, food courts, dormitories, etc.). For
some colleges, a seminar in the lecture hall will be provided to better
understand college admissions, while others will allow students to speak to
current undergraduates.
Without question, maximizing college visits
requires being engaged. Be prepared with questions as you embark on your tour,
and continue to jot down more thoughts. After the tour is completed, take a
stroll through the campus and experience their opportunities, from college
libraries to gymnasium facilities. In many cases, even casually asking college
students about their experience as they walk by results in unique college
information that would otherwise be unavailable. Ultimately, the key is to
learn about the college from the different perspectives possible.