Free Education Info: THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN VISITING A COLLEGE

Remember that, as in the dating world, the fl ashy ones don’t always make the best partners. Ever heard the saying, “the candle that burns brightest burns out the fastest?” It applies to those hot romances that sizzle at the start but then fade quickly and leave you with nothing. Some visits to colleges are like that. Admission offices know how to wow kids, showing off their new gym with the climbing wall, their state-of-the-art science center, and we can’t forget, those super cool-campus apartments that only upper classmen end up in anyway. There are many eye-boggling things going on in schools nowadays, and while most of these universities are fantastic on some level, don’t let the razzmatazz make you think they’re all perfect for you. “What did you like about the school?” we’ve asked students upon their return from a college visit. “I don’t know . . . it was just . . . awesome,” they’ll say. Hmmm . . . maybe it would be a good idea to focus on some specifics.
Go with your gut, but be aware that it is, after all, just your gut. We’re fi rm believers in the power of intuition and what your instincts tell you. However, sometimes the famous “gut” is more fickle than anyone would like to admit. A student returned from a visit to Duke University one summer, previously his top choice, and told Eric he wouldn’t be applying. “Why not?” Eric asked. After a little prying, the student said that a dairy truck had turned over and a good portion of the campus had, as a result, ended up smelling like rancid milk. “Is that it?” asked Eric. “Oh . . . it was really quiet, too,” the boy said. Other students have been turned off by schools because they didn’t see any “hot” girls. Or the tour guide had bed-head. Or someone chucked a keg out of a window—which, to be honest, was likely pretty entertaining. Now, any of these things could end up being important factors in your decision, but just be aware of what exactly infl uences you. If, after much thought, you realize that the only reason you didn’t like Hallelujah U was because the tour guide tripped while walking backward, remember that you’ll probably never see that tour guide again.
Consider the time of year when you go. Summers are slow and often boring, so it’s usually tougher to imagine yourself on a campus when all you see are middle-school kids there for a sports camp running around the quad. In the summer, however, you can often get a little more interaction with someone in the admission office because it’s the one time of year the offi ce slows down. Fall of your senior year is good for visits, but it’s tougher for everyone’s schedule. You won’t be able to take much time off then, and admission offices are over-booked. Spring of senior year also works, but such a visit would only serve to satisfy any lingering questions you might have about a place, and you wouldn’t get credit during the actual admission process for your visit (more about this later when we talk about staying in touch).
DO NOT FALL IN LOVE WITH JUST ONE COLLEGE. Play the field! Orpheus, a former student of Lynda’s, told her early in his junior year that he loved nowhere else as much as Pomona. It was the only school for him, the end-all, be-all of the universe. The sun rose and set over Pomona’s campus. Lynda’s first concern with poor, Pomona-obsessed Orpheus was that, if he didn’t get in, he’d feel absolutely crushed. Her second concern was that if he did get in, there was no way it could ever meet his expectations. The latter ended up happening, and after the first semester, Orpheus called Lynda to talk about transferring. A very social guy, Orpheus was bummed by the fact that most students studied every weeknight. She talked with him about expectations when he came back to Colorado for a visit a few weeks later. As a result, he decided to stick it out a little longer. When all was said and done, he ended up staying all four years and really enjoying the rest of his time there—and even becoming a more serious student in the process! The moral: don’t get too serious too fast; things don’t always turn out as well as they did for Orpheus. (Now, if you can’t see the dating analogy here . . .)
See about staying overnight when you visit. The college might have a former student from your high school there who’ll host you. Either way, the admission office will likely be glad to set you up with someone. The occasional horror story does emerge from such a visit (with a drunken host throwing up in the visitor’s shoes topping our list), but in general, it’s the best way to get a sense of the place. Attend a class or two. One former student absolutely loved a school on paper. The tour guide was great, and the admission office helpful. But then she went to an upper-level film class and found the students apathetic and uninterested. The professor asked basic questions that seemed way too easy even to her, so she felt her zeal begin to wane. Another student visited a physics class at a high-powered university. Unfortunately, our girl was the only one listening to the prof; the rest of the class seemed to be reading the newspaper, dozing, or chatting among themselves.
Certainly when visiting a class, you won’t ever know what you’ll find. It could be a Friday morning, in which case the kids will look like extras from a zombie movie, and you won’t fi nd the scintillating exchange you might have been hoping for. Even still, visiting a class or talking with a professor can reveal plenty.
While on a tour—or afterwards, if you’re scared of looking like a dork—take notes. Write down big things and little things, anything that will help you remember the place in a more personal way than view books and websites can. Later, you’ll be thankful you did, as most of the schools will blur at least somewhat in your memory.
On a visit, chat with students. Don’t be afraid to grab a few (they’re easy to nab as they come out of their holes in the morning). Then explain you’re a visiting high school student and that you’re thinking about attending their glorious institution. Pure and simple, ask what they like about the place. One or two questions will generally be sufficient, but make sure the student doesn’t seem to be in a rush. Don’t be embarrassed about doing this. First, if anyone is ever rude—and no one is—then that speaks poorly of the school, not you. Second, your asking is infinitely better than your nerd-o mom tweaking out and saying something embarrassing, right? One of Eric’s own secrets is that he often approaches the dudeliest, most Neanderthal-looking guy, and if HE ends up being polite and articulate—which, almost every time, he has been—then that’s a good sign.
When talking with either students or the tour guide, ask the questions that matter. College folks are ready for your bland, pointless questions. They’re just waiting for your “what’s the social life here like?” with a smirk, and they’re about to pounce on your “how are classes?” before you even get it out of your mouth. DO NOT ask these vague, general questions because you’ll get only vague, general answers. DO NOT ask about class size. Instead, if that’s important to you, ask the tour guide how many students were in his freshman English class. (Almost every school, somehow, manages to boast a 17-to-1 student-to-teacher ratio, or so they say, so the freshman English class will provide a more concrete gauge.) DO NOT ask what the social scene is like. Instead, ask what your tour guide did the previous evening. We’ve heard some stunningly candid responses to that one and answers infinitely more interesting than “we have a wide range of social clubs that represent over three dozen different . . . blah, blah, blah.” Students have told us about documentaries they have filmed, late night snack businesses they have run, trans-gender balls they have attended, and make-out sessions with the boyfriend they have . . . well, you get the picture. The point is, ask specific questions, and you’ll get specific—sometimes even colorful—answers.