One of the most important pieces of advice I give my clients when it comes to college admissions is to make every effort to visit the campuses on your list in person. Students (and parents) often have a preconception in their minds of what a certain school will be like, yet when they actually step foot on campus it ends up being not at all what they thought. Sometimes a school out performs their expectations and other times it just doesn’t live up to the hype. Glossy brochures and colorful website content of smiling, hand picked, good looking students does not always give a true representation of what life on a campus is really like.
Some campus qualities are tangible, like size, location or lists of majors. Others however are not as easily seen on a screen or by reading the pages of a carefully curated pamphlet. Every college campus has its own vibe and culture that often goes beyond the campus gates. This is why I highly recommend visiting schools when they are in session. Even if it is only summer classes that are happening, that is better than a visit during spring break. Just walking through campus and soaking in the atmosphere can give potential freshmen a feel for what life would be like there. Some campuses are bustling, busy places while others have a more studious, chill vibe. Is just about every student who passes by sporting some kind of school gear? How does that sit with you? Are the indoor areas like cafes and study nooks full of students prepping for classes or is it lawn on the quad that seems to be the main gathering sport? Students will often tell me after visiting a campus, “I loved the feel of it!” In other cases they will walk away saying, “I just couldn’t see myself living there for four years.” Knowing what you don’t like is just as important, sometimes even more significant, than knowing what you do.
In order to accurately get a full understanding of what campus life, culture, academic options, living situations etc, would really be like; I highly recommend allocating a full day to be at a campus location. A best case scenario is to plan to spend the night at a nearby hotel either the night before, or the night of your tour. First and foremost, both parents and students need to see what visiting your student will be like and what kind of travel is needed if they choose this school. How long is the drive and would your student bring a car? Are cars even allowed on campus? If not, as is the case at many schools, then how will your student get back and forth? Overnight accommodations are also an important consideration. Some campuses, like USC in Los Angeles have their own hotel right on campus, while other schools like Northeastern reside in big cities where hotels are plentiful but the prices can be steep. Yet there are other schools that are part of more rural communities where hotels are scarce and/or often need to be booked a full year in advance for popular weekends - think Penn State or The University of Alabama on a game weekend. All things to think about.
Proximity to a travel hub is another factor. How far is the closest airport or train station? Are direct flights available from your hometown? What would be the cost for your student to come home and also what would it cost for you (and maybe siblings) to go visit? It is my experience that families consider these questions in theory, but actually doing a dry run of what it would be like can be a game changer. For example I have a client who lives in New England. He had multiple southern California colleges on his list. After doing a college touring trip the summer after his junior year and experiencing the travel, time difference and cost; he and his parents decided that only one of the schools they visited was “worth it.” He narrowed his list from potentially four California schools to one.
Once you have adequately assessed the travel situation, a favorite pre or post tour activity I suggest for my clients is to visit the student center and have lunch. Most campuses have some kind of food court or quick service restaurant options available to students (and the public) in a central location on campus. First, it will give you an idea of food options first hand at this school beyond the traditional dining halls. Second, and more importantly, just sitting and taking in the atmosphere will tell you a lot about the culture of that school. Is it a crowded, bustling environment, or more of a quiet vibe? Try and scan the room and see if you can imagine yourself sitting at one of these tables. Listen in on some conversations of the students around you. Are they more academic or more social? A little bit of both? How does that fit with how you picture your college life? I guarantee that after sitting and observing for some time, you will walk away with additional insight that your official tour could not give you.
Another often overlooked college tour tip is to make sure you check out the off campus area. This can look drastically different depending on the school. Is there a “college town” or a “Main Street” with shops and restaurants often visited by students? If so, make time to walk around here too. Check out the shops, pop into restaurants and don’t be afraid to ask questions about the school from the people who work there. If you are staying the night plan to have dinner at one of these local places instead of the chain restaurant next to your hotel. This will give you yet another glimpse into what life is really like at this location. Some campuses are in the middle of a city. Don’t just walk the blocks that the tour guide takes you on. Spread out a bit. What lies a block or two beyond? In more rural areas there may not be anything to see outside the campus gates. Take note of that. How will you feel knowing that when you are at school all life aspects will take place on campus? Look for things like shops, groceries, entertainment. Many big campuses have these things as part of their enclosed worlds, but some do not. It’s important to know before you make such a big life commitment.
Housing expectations and situations beyond looking at a “typical” freshman dorm is another important area of investigation. Again, this is very school specific. Some colleges require students to live on campus for all four years. Some do not even guarantee housing for freshmen. The range is vast. Most tours will either show the group an example of a freshman dorm, or at the very least describe the housing options. I recommend taking a deeper dive here. First and foremost make sure you understand the on campus availability and rules for how long you must live there. Make sure to ask, what percentage of students move off campus and what year that typically happens? Followed up with where do most students live if they move off campus? After your tour, make this area a must see. Lots of campuses have neighborhoods where most upperclassmen find apartments or houses for rent. See what the feel of those neighborhoods are and decide how that equates with your own desires and comfort level. Some schools have what equates to “on campus living” but off campus. For example, The University of Florida does not guarantee housing for freshmen. A large portion of their students live off campus all four years. However there are a wide variety of apartment buildings that are within walking distance to campus that are inhabited solely by UF students, giving the apartment buildings more of a dorm like atmosphere. While some are only steps aways from campus, others require a longer walk through the city of Gainesville. As you would imagine the price of these units often reflects this distance. So at a school like UF, off campus housing and related costs should be of utmost importance to understand before making that choice.
On the flip side, Boston College has a three year on campus housing requirement. Surprisingly, most students choose their junior year to be their off campus living year and clamor to move back on campus to the Rubenstein Hall apartment style living complex as seniors. Not because it is a luxury development (it is not at all), but because it is part of the BC culture and offers a much celebrated senior living experience. This is an example of just one school’s unique housing culture. It’s important to find out while you are visiting what type of living environment and traditions exist at that particular school.
Another point to consider is where freshman dorms are located and if they offer and/or require on campus housing for first year students. As with many other colleges, freshman housing at George Washington University in DC is spread out between two relatively close but strikingly different campuses. The second and smaller of the two, Mount Vernon Campus is a freshman only, more suburban enclosed campus. It is a vast contrast in environment from the main Foggy Bottom urban, open, city campus. A short shuttle ride connects the two campus areas where freshmen living on “The Vern” go between on a daily basis. Some students will tell you that they love the community that is built by living in one of these, all freshmen, separate locations. They feel the good outweighs the factors of the distance and time added to their everyday schedules. Other students feel a bit left out of the loop by not being in the middle of all the action. Considering the choice of a freshman dorm location is almost never in the student’s control at any school, think about if a separate freshmen campus would be a factor for you? Regardless, I strongly encourage you to take the time to make the trip over to the freshman living campus on your tour day, if there is one. Some families make the mistake of skipping this extra trip assuming they won’t be living there since it is not their first housing choice, but oftentimes end up assigned to the now unfamiliar location.
Finally, make the most of your time at the university and get a more detailed picture of your particular major or area of interest and the college it falls under. Universities are made up of smaller, more focused colleges that house majors specific to their discipline. For example, the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown houses all the international relations and global studies majors, while the McDonough School of Business is home to eight different business majors from finance to marketing. Each university’s colleges are set up differently and some are more specific than others. Before arriving on campus, have your student reach out to the admission’s office and ask if there would be an opportunity to speak with someone from the college or major they are interested in becoming a part of, or at the very least, what buildings in particular house most of those types of classes. After your tour concludes make a point to walk through this area of campus in order to get a feel for it. Future engineering majors will want to see the depth of the facilities, labs, maker space opportunities etc. While communications majors will want to see what on-site capabilities the campus offers for their field. Is there access to a working broadcast studio, campus radio station, or newspaper? Pay attention to campus bulletin boards and flyers that are posted. These often tell about upcoming events, internships and club activities related to this college. Do these activities excite you? Think about if these are things you can see yourself being a part of in college. Better yet, while you are poking around those major specific areas, politely ask a couple of students passing by about their experience at this school, or if there is anything they would change about it. Again, this is the behind the scenes information that your tour guide will most likely not be able to offer.
In the end, attending an information session and taking the official tour a school offers is important, and can be counted as “demonstrated interest” for some colleges. These are important steps in the college process and offer valuable information along the way. However, a lot more goes into truly understanding a college campus environment than what is presented throughout the typical script of a tour. Using these insider tips on how to make the most of your college visit will help you to see beyond the brochure and get a realistic vision of what your college years would embody if you attended this university.
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