The Campus Visit

What important questions should I ask when visiting college campuses?

· What is required for admissions? (essay, letters of recommendation, counselor recommendation, SAT or ACT, SAT Subject Tests…)

· What are the average SAT/ACT scores and QPA for your incoming freshman? (What if my scores are below these?)

· Do you accept the common application?

· How many years of a foreign language are required? (FHS requires two years, but some colleges will require 3 years)

· Do you require official test scores from College Board or ACT, or will you accept my test scores if they are printed on my official high school transcript?

· What is your retention rate from freshman year to sophomore year? (It is important to know how many students return to that school especially after freshman year)

· If I come in undecided in my major, do you have any programs to help me pinpoint a major?

· What does your career services office do to help with internship and job placement? Do you have an on campus career fair? Can I see the career services placement report from last year? (It is important to know if students are getting jobs after graduation, but it is also important to know that they are getting jobs in their chosen career field)

· What orientation programming do you have for incoming freshmen? How does the college help with the transition into college life?

· What is the process for campus housing? Do most students live on campus for 1 year, 2 years, all 4 years?

· What percent of students graduate in 4 years? Can you guarantee that I will graduate in 4 years?

· What if I am struggling with my college classes? Is there tutoring or academic support?

· What types of scholarships do you offer? Do I have to apply specifically for these?

· Is there a deadline date to apply for financial aid?

· How much does it cost to attend your school? (Room, Board, Tuition, and Fees). What percent of students receive financial aid? What is an average financial aid package?

· What are your top/most popular academic programs? Are all of your programs accredited?

· Does the academic program I am choosing impact the decision to admit me to the school? (Some colleges have very competitive programs such as nursing, archaeology, engineering, architecture, pre-med… Some schools may accept you as undecided if you don’t fit the criteria for a particular academic program. )

· Will all of my AP, RCI, and college courses transfer in?

· Will I get into my major courses freshman year, or will I be only taking general education courses?

· Can I get a work-study job? What types of jobs do students usually have?

· What is there to do on the weekend? (On campus or in the community)

· Do you have a list of all of the campus clubs/activities?

· How safe is the campus? What services does the campus security office offer?

· How is the campus integrating technology? Are there open computer labs, should I bring my own computer to campus?

· What plans does the campus have for growth? Are there any new academic buildings being planned?

· What is the student to faculty ratio?

Other Tips

· Get to know your specific admissions counselor. Get their business card and email or call them with questions you have. Ask lots of questions!

· If you haven’t heard from the admissions office on your application, call and check your status. It never hurts to check in and make sure all of your materials have been received and processed.

· When you are done with your campus visit, take notes on what you liked or didn’t like about the school. Writing notes will help you remember the campus.

· Ask your teachers/counselor early for letters of recommendation.

· Create a folder at home for each school you are applying to. Lots of important information is sent in the mail, so hold onto everything.

· Never ask, “Is your Biology program good?” All colleges will say yes to this. A better question is, “What is unique about your biology program? Why are students choosing your program over other schools?”

· When you schedule your campus visit, ask if you will get to see the department that you are interested in. Maybe your want to tour the archaeology labs or speak with a professor or coach, the college should be able to arrange that for you.

· Some colleges do group tours especially during the summer months. These are great, but if you are really interested in a school, you may want to go back a second time for an individual visit.

· Visit the campus book store and look at the cost of text books. A good tip: you can buy used book for cheap on www.amazon.com or rent books from websites such as www.chegg.com