Deciding on the college you will be attending for the next four years is one of the most exciting times in your life. However, you may be wondering if you need to actually visit the colleges you are considering? There are various schools of thought on whether the college visit is important, before making your final choice.
Well, I am here to tell you, not only do I think the college visit is important, I think it is vital.
For most, college is the first time in the student’s life that they will be living away from home and everything familiar. This is such an exciting time of life, but it can also be scary.
The college you choose is the place you will be spending the vast majority of your waking hours for the next 4 years. You want to be comfortable in your surroundings and feel like you can “fit in.”
College websites, videos, and brochures will only give you background information on the college. This is only a snippet of the story. Also, websites, videos, and brochures only show you what the colleges want you to see. Simply relying on this information will not provide you with enough information to make an informed decision.
Actually touring the college will offer you the best insight. Think of it this way, would you want to move into a new neighborhood never having visited it? Finding a college is about finding, not just the school where you will get the best education, but also the place you will call home for the next four years.
Since this is going to be “home”, one of the most important parts of any college you decide to attend is going to be whether or not you like the campus. The campus should seriously be a major factor in your decision. Four years is a long time. You want to be sure that campus it’s the kind of place where YOU will feel comfortable.
Is The Campus A Good Fit
There are countless students who chose a college that was not a good fit. Sadly, these students have to endure the long process of transferring schools and starting all over.
While a college visit will not guarantee you will be happy there, seeing the campus for yourself will offer the best insight of all. It is common for a student to think that a college is right for them based on all the promotional literature. After a campus visit, they then find that it is not a good fit.
I can tell you that each of the colleges we visited had very different feels to them. The colleges all had similar academic standards and ratings. But, the deciding factor came down to the environment and feel of the campus.
There is a feeling you get when you arrive at a college campus, and that’s what’s important. A campus visit allows you to experience the people who are there.
- What is the faculty is like, are they friendly, casual, stuffy?
- How does student life feel?
- What about the actual learning environment on campus, what is it like?
- Is the campus loud and bustling or is it quite and low key?
These questions can only be fully answered by visiting the campus. Seeing the dorms and dorm rooms, tasting the food, walking the campus, will help you get a strong measure for what life will be like there. Each of these will help you determine if you will actually be happy once there.
Are you beginning to see why the college visit is important?
Remember this is your opportunity to interview them. It is not about making a good impression, you will do that in your application process, the college visit allows you to determine whether you want them.
What if you can’t afford to visit the college you are thinking you would like to attend?
Touring colleges across the country can be extremely expensive both in terms of finances and time. While the college visit is important, if you can’t afford to visit each college you are considering, there are alternatives.
Visit your local college campus. Even if many of your first choice schools are across the country, visit the various types of school that are local to you. This will still give you a feel for the type of campus you are comfortable on.
Are you interested in a small cross country liberal arts college? Even by staying local, you will be able to determine the basic environment that would be common to colleges of this type.
Do you want to find out about life on a large campus? Perhaps you’re looking at schools known for their school spirit, football team, and Greek life. Tour your local public university to get an idea of what these schools across the country are like!
Does a Christian or other religious-based education appeal to you? Go visit your local University to see what that experience might be like. Visiting an alternative campus will show you how comfortable you would be on a Christian or other religious campus.
Maybe your thinking of a large private university? Again, go visit your nearest private university to determine what life is like on this type of campus. Chances are it will look very different from the public state university.
It is important to find a school you’re happy. The best way to determine this is by a college visit.
Don’t forget to have fun! College visits are great!
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