College visits are a crucial component in the decision making process that help students discover where they should apply. Even if your student does not like a school, understanding why is very important.
When our Discover Pathwaze students go on college visits, we have a checklist they adhere to so they can maximize their experience and work towards identifying their best fit university.
Here’s a list of important tasks that should be planned during college visits:
- Set up a meeting with your specific admissions representative. Since this admissions officer is the first person to read your application, it is important to make a connection. The meeting is set up on the premise that you have questions about a specific major program, your upcoming senior schedule or the application process. After each college visit, always write a follow up thank you note. If this school ends up on your final application list, you have already established rapport.
- Set up a meeting through an interested college department to discuss curriculum and research specifics with a professor.
- Tour the school and if possible your specific department. While on tours always take the opportunity to ask the student guides questions such as:
- Why did you apply and chose this college?
- What would you change about this college?
- What does the college do to promote student involvement in campus groups?
- Attend an information session on the college as well as the department you are interested in, if possible. During this information session, make sure you ask important questions such as:
- What are the main benefits of going to this university?
- Who teaches most of the classes? Teaching Assistants (TA) or Professors?
- What type of opportunities does your Career Center support? What companies are recruiting within my major and on campus?
- Eat at one of the dining halls on campus and strike up a conversation with a student.
- Tour or at least identify the freshman dorms and make notes as to attributes that you like and the name of the dorms.
- Take pictures and notes during your college visits to refer to later as campuses will start to blend together.