JUNIORS: How You Might Spend Your Spring Vacation Or How I Traversed the Country in 6 Days, visited 10 colleges, Stayed Organized and Made Some Important Decisions

 

Every year Park and Trujillo hear from their graduated students who are now in college. Many are very happy at the college they decided to attend but a few have been disappointed. Those that are not as happy as they could be are often the ones that did not go on a college visit to see the school where they would be spending their time and their time and their parents' money. Now they are looking to transfer. To help you avoid this unfortunate situation we are writing this article to help get you started on the right track.

Many students prefer to visit prior to applying to college. This is done in an attempt to narrow down choices and make a priority list.

Visiting a college campus will provide firsthand impressions for you and your family. You will learn about the people, programs, facilities, and in general, learn a great deal by being on campus and discussing your college plans with a college official. Your interview with an admissions officer should entail readiness to talk about yourself,your college plans, and to seek information about the college and its relationship to you. Then, too, the exchange of information and the impressions gained on both sides, yours and the colleges, during the interview, should be meaningful.

Before you start thinking about visiting any college some "homework" is in order. The first step is to begin looking through your school's collection of college reference materials. You will want to become acquainted with such publications as The College Board Handbook, Lovejoys's College Guide and many other materials available at the Counseling Office located in room 135 just across the hall from the main office. These books are also available at any bookstore.

Certainly, you will want to start thinking about the kind of institution that interests you:: large or small, four year or two year, co-educational, etc. Talking over these ideas with your family or school counselor would be helpful. Write to several colleges that seem to meet your general needs interests, and pocketbook. College catalogs ususally contain information on its program, admission requirements, finances, etc. Study the catalog. Evaluate each institution in term of your own interests and aptitudes. Then narrow your list of prospective colleges to about half a dozen. Write or call for an appointment 2-3 weeks in advance of your visit. That means pretty soon for those of you ready t go during Spring Break. To save time and money you will probably try to include colleges in the same geographical area on the same trip. Just before you visit the school reread the catalog, especially the section on admission requirements, tuition, scholarship data, and look back over your high school record so that you can answer general questions about your academic performance in high school and your scores on standardized tests: ACT or SAT. Ask questions during your visit that are not answered in the catalog. This indicates to the admissions officer that you have done your homework and have some knowledge of that particular school.

A two hour visit should five ample opportunity for a fairly extensive tour, plus chat with the admissions office. In general, it is a good idea to limit yourself to touring 2 colleges in a single day. After the official visit spend your own time walking around and seeing the sites. Be prompt; Pick up an application form and a campus map. Don't hesitate to discuss finances, including scholarships, loans and work opportunities. Also it is okay to ask for an estimate for your chances for admission, but don't expect any firm commitment at this time.

After your visit make some notes on your reactions to the college. They will be useful later, when you are trying t evaluate the various colleges you have visited. Categories you might want t have are Location: how far from home, Size: enrollment and physical size of campus, Environment: 2 or 4 yr school, urban, rural or suburban, location and size of nearest city, co-ed or not , religious affiliation, Academics: deadline, tests required, average scores, gpa, rank, Academics: your major offered, special requirements, accreditation, student-faculty ratio, typical class size, College expenses: tuition, room/board, estimated total budget, application fee, deposits, Financial Aid: deadline, required forms, % receiving aid, scholarships, Housing: residence hall requirement, food plan, Facilities, Academic, recreational, other, Activities, Clubs, organizations, Greek life, athletics, intramural's, other.

If you are definitely interested in the college, follow through by filling out an application as soon as possible, either a paper one or on-line. If you are not interested, don't consider your visit a waste of time. You will have learned a lot about the kind of college you want and about what other colleges are likely to expect of you.

Visiting a campus can be a valuable guide for the college-bound. By doing some homework ahead of time and some realistic evaluations afterwards, you can make the most of this experience. Good luck!

Pointers on the college visit: