College Admissions: The 5 Biggest Campus Visit Mistakes

College Admissions: The 5 Biggest Campus Visit Mistakes

With February and March school vacations around the corner, families are busy planning college visits. If you have a junior in high school, now is the time to get on the road! Families who delay inevitably face a myriad of empty campus tours in summer, or a rush of stressful visits in the fall of senior year.

This rarely helps a student make the right choice. Also, keep in mind that if you plan to take advantage of early action and decision programs, most deadlines are in November 1, leaving little time in the fall of senior years for road trips. What are the key mistakes to avoid?

1. Not visiting colleges within a 6-hour drive of home.

If you live in Rhode Island or Massachusetts, a college in Arizona will understand if you don’t visit until after you are accepted. However, a college in New Jersey or Maine will most likely think that you aren’t truly interested if you fail to visit before you submit your application. The reality is that many colleges are now calculating an interest factor, and campus visits count. So, don’t be surprised if you get rejected from a college that you thought was a sure thing, if you live within 6 hours and haven’t visited.

2. Skipping the official tour and info session.

This is not the time for a “drive by viewing”. Colleges need to know that you took the time to do a formal visit, and you need to see the full array of opportunities at each college. Most colleges have information sessions and tours several times a week and on Saturdays. You can register on the admissions page or by calling the school.

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3. Judging a college by one or two individuals.

Parents and students often make the mistake of discounting a great college because the person who lectured at the information session or led the tour turned them off. Other times, students rule out a school and never visit because they dislike someone they know who attends the college. It is CRITICAL that parents and students have the maturity to look at the big picture and determine if a school is the right fit--NOT make a judgment based on one or two individuals.

4. Not asking the tough questions.

Students are often afraid to ask questions in the information session, or cringe when their parents raise a hand. Don’t be shy. Ask about 4 year graduation rates, required GPA for merit aid, how hard it is to get into classes, the percentage of students who return for sophomore year, campus safety, or what how many students drop out of the pre-med program. On student led tours, ask your guide what they feel is the best thing about the college and the worst thing. Getting administrators and students “off script” will usually yield the best insight to life on campus.

5. Visiting campuses when they are NOT in session.

It’s important to view schools when students are on campus. If you wait until summer, you won’t be able to determine if a campus is dead on the weekends, or if the students are too sporty or too artsy for your tastes. Some colleges will even let you sit in on a class. I recommend visiting the student café after your tour to chat with students; it’s a great way to get the “real skinny” on the school.

For colleges outside of your geography, consider an online tour at www.campustours.com or www.youvisit.com. Another great resource is The Insider’s Guide to Colleges by the Yale Daily News which delves into life on about 300 U.S. campuses based on student surveys and interviews. It’s not your ordinary college guide.

 

Cristiana Quinn, M.Ed. is the founder of College Admission Advisors, LLC which provides strategic, college counseling and athletic recruiting services for students. www.collegeadvisorsonline.com.