If at all possible you should try to visit some college campuses. A visit is an excellent way to help you narrow your list of colleges. You may find that an urban setting appeals to you more or less than a rural, college-town campus. Similarly, you may need to actually visit a large state university to discover that you would prefer a small, private college.

Visits are best made early in your college planning--at the end of your sophomore or junior year is ideal. If you will be near a college campus during the summer, stop in and take the tour. The amount of information that can be gained from a campus visit is amazing--which is why SAS counselors have visited over 300 colleges. A list of where SAS counselors have visited is available.

Timing of your visit

Although summer might be the most convenient time to make such excursions, it is the worst time to experience a college; most smaller schools are not in session, so students and classes are absent. Dorm rooms are empty and devoid of all personal touches, making it difficult to envision oneself there. Bulletin boards, usually so revealing of the cultural and social opportunities of the college, are bare. The campus grounds, on the other hand, look neater and cleaner than they will look again the entire year.

A reality is that SAS students generally don't have the option to visit a college during the school year. Just be aware that what you see in the summer is probably not what you would see during the year.

Arranging the visit

To arrange a visit, first consult the college's Admission Office website to learn about to arrange a visit. Most schools are open Monday through Friday each week except during holiday periods. Often there is are group information sessions two or three times a day presented by an admission officer. This is often followed by a campus tour given by a current student. 

A few schools, generally the smaller liberal arts schools, offer individual interviews. When you contact the college about a college visit, find out if there is an opportunity to meet with an admission counselor. If you will be meeting with someone, be prepared. Go with questions, copies of your unofficial transcript and SAS Profile, a resume which you can print via Family Connection, and dress smart. Before you leave the admissions office make sure you have the business card of the person you met with so you can follow-up with a thank you note.

Most interviews are not as important as students generally assume. If you have an interview, you should realize that the impression you make on the interviewer will make it into your application folder. Rarely have students been admitted simply because they had great interviews or rejected because they had a bad one. Read more about interviews.

What you should try to get out of the tour

A college tour gives you a chance to see what is on the campus, what condition it is in, and what is missing. Is there a student center? Are there enough computer terminals scattered around campus? How are the dorms kept up? Is the library adequate? Check out the physical education facilities. Are the playing fields a part of the campus or a distance away? Where are the dorms in relation to the main academic buildings?

The tour is also the best time to ask questions of someone who is both knowledgeable and candid. Guides will entreat families to do so, as they do not enjoy providing a one hour monologue. They are obviously pleased with the school (or they would not be giving the tour), but they are invariably honest about the drawbacks along with the positives.

• Don't ask about the student-faculty ratio. Instead, ask about the typical class size for freshmen and then for upperclassmen. If the school makes use of graduate students as teaching assistants, find out in what capacity and how often they serve. All schools say their professors are accessible to the students. See if this means just scheduled office hours or home phone numbers and coffee get-togethers.
• Inquire about the academic support facilities, such as a writing center where a student can have a paper looked over before it is submitted. Does the school provide tutors? Is there a fee for such additional help?
• Ask if housing is guaranteed all four years. At large state universities be sure to inquire about early deadlines to secure freshman housing. If the dorms are co-ed, is it by wing, floor, or every other room? If the floor is co-ed, what about the bathrooms? Yes, some small schools allow the students in a dorm to vote for co-ed bathrooms.
• Learn if there is a system of fraternities and sororities. What percentage of the student body gets involved? Do the Greeks have their own houses? When is rush? It can be as late as sophomore year or as early as a week before freshman classes begin. Are parties open or closed to the rest of the student body? Does the administration plan any major changes in the system in the near future?

Move beyond the facts

Besides specific, factual information, seek out your student guide's personal opinions. How does he/she feel walking around the campus at night? How about the surrounding neighborhood in all four directions? What is the quality of faculty advising? Can an independent feel comfortable on a campus with a significant percentage of students in fraternities and sororities? How is the student turnout and spirit at sporting events? Is the student body diverse or does one type dominate? What happens on the campus on the weekends? Does it empty out or is there plenty to do? Can freshmen have cars and are cars really necessary? What outstanding professors or courses might the tour guide recommend regardless of a student's major? If you are interested, you can also learn about campus safety at different schools.

Other visit options

If it's not possible for your parents to take you around to schools, you can join a group of other students to visit campuses for a week or so during the summer. College Visits is one organization that provides this service. Several SAS students have taken tours with this group and reported positive experiences.

TS College Tours is a new option run (as a separate, private business) by SAS Counselor Trevor Sturgeon. The program is unique in that it focuses exclusively on international school students and the tours are led by experienced international school counselors. Another option to consider is Collegiate Explorations. If you can't make it to the campus, Campus Tours provides virtual college tours, webcams, and campus maps.