Big Campus, Little Time: Maximizing the College Visit |

By Neil Patrick O’Donnell

Lots Riding on a Short Visit

Can you picture the event? You drive up to the campus, you step out of your car and instantly all your questions are answered.

Don’t get your hopes up.

While a campus visit can provide important answers to help determine if a particular college is right for you or your child, a poorly planned visit could leave you with more questions than when you started. College visits require preparation in line with any family vacation. Where do you begin? What departments and offices should you visit?

A List to Guide You

Before you set foot on a campus, take a virtual tour at the college’s website. You can study the campus’ landscape, read bios for faculty and learn about the available student services without even leaving your home. It’s a great way to map out your visit in advance.

Visiting for a few days is always best, but rarely practical. Call the college’s admission office to let them know you’re interested in a tour, and ask for a guide. Specify any academic and recreational interests you or your child have; the admissions office can plan accordingly.

Contact the chairpersons of departments of interest, and ask for a meeting with a professor during your visit. Professors can provide valuable insight into the department’s resources and clarify what the major truly entails.

Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner on campus. Hey, the sooner you sample the cuisine choices, the better. While you’re at it, ask current students where the best places to eat are (on and off campus).

Visit the dorms. Like campus food, there are bound to be choices in dorm style such as individual, double occupancy or even triple occupancy rooms. Some dorm rooms are updated with the latest technologies, while others are little more than four walls, a roof and a screen door. You don’t want to show up at campus with your luggage to find your dorm room resembles a shed. All right, a little bit dramatic, but I think you get the point.

Stop by the campus career center. Most students change their major multiple times, something to be expected and accepted. Ask the career center staff about occupation assessments such as the Strong Interest Inventory, which can help in pinpointing potential career paths. This is an especially important visit consideration, because the college might not offer the major that best matches a student’s interests.

Pick up copies of the college paper and one of the local newspapers. Additionally, take a look at bulletin boards across campus, which will provide an idea of the organizations supported by the college as well as the variety of speakers hosted by the college.

Visit the Financial Aid Office. This is another meeting best prearranged, because the Financial Aid Office staff will be busy. Ask what a semester bill entails (tuition costs, fees, etc.), what scholarships are available and how any scholarships would affect government funding you or your daughter/son might be eligible for. You should also ask about “workstudy” opportunities. These are campus jobs set aside for students, which provide study time during a work shift.

Visit the college’s bookstore. Everyone hears about how expensive textbooks are, but few think about investigating the essentials like toilet paper, shampoo, toothpaste, combs, pens, pencils, and notebooks. Why is this an important part of the trip? If TP is $5.00 per roll, you’ll know in advance to bring your own.

These are basic concerns to consider when visiting potential colleges. A final recommendation is to ask family and friends what they wished they had looked into before going off to college. Their tales of woe could make your experience all the better, allowing you to maximize the benefits of a campus visit.