Questions to Ask on College Visits

Juniors: Strike up a conversation with students while visiting campus

Posted on Tue, 03/18/2014 - 09:41

You got the admission office perspective at the info session and on the tour, but don’t forget to get the unofficial perspective during your downtime on campus. The best way to do that is to talk to current students who aren’t on the admission office “payroll.” Conquer any shyness and strike up a conversation with the girl studying on the quad or the guy in line at the bookstore. Most students are more than happy to talk with your about their experience! Your opening line can be as simple as “I’m visiting because I might apply to come here. Mind if I ask you something?” And then ask away:

• Why did you decide to go to school here?

• What was your biggest surprise about the school?

• How much time do you spend studying? Where do you study?

• How hard is it to get the classes you need?

• Do students get along well with each other?

• Why do students like the school?

• What are the drawbacks to going to school here?

• Who fits in here and who doesn’t?

• If you could change anything about this school, what would it be?

• How much time do students spend studying?

• How do you meet people on campus?

• What is the social life like on campus?

• What do you like most about the school?

• What was freshman year like? How difficult was the transition?

Seniors: Questions to Ask on a Return College Visit

Posted on Wed, 03/12/2014 - 08:42

If you are making a return visit to a college or visiting for the first time after being admitted, make sure you get off the beaten path  -- hang out at the student union, visit the study spaces in the library, or browse in the bookstore, grab lunch at a campus cafeteria, arrange to sit in on a class or meet with a professor. And ask questions of everyone. You may be surprised at how willing students are to speak candidly with you. Here are some questions to ask:

                Why did you decide to go to school here?

                What's a typical student like?

                Are professors accessible? How do you spend time with faculty outside the classroom?

Juniors: Questions to Ask on a College Visit

Posted on Wed, 03/27/2013 - 12:50

When visiting a college, admission officers are the best resources for answers to specific questions about the application process, a college’s mission and future plans, and most aspects of daily life on campus— academics, housing, special programs such as study- abroad opportunities, and athletics. But sometimes you get the most information with broader questions about the who, what, and why of the campus. Here are some questions that you may want to ask during an information session or group interview:

• What impresses you the most in a student’s application?

• What are you looking for when you read students’ essays?

• What are some of the things you hate to see in an application?

• Is demonstrated interest a factor in your admission decision?

• What kind of student does well here? What kind of student doesn’t do well here?

• Did you attend this college? What has changed since you’ve been here?

• What are recent alumni doing?

• What do you think your school is best known for?

• How would you describe the typical student here?

 

Seniors: Get off the Beaten Track on a Return College Visit

Posted on Wed, 03/06/2013 - 10:30

If you are making a return visit to a college or visiting for the first time after being admitted, make sure you get off the beaten path  -- that is, do some exploring past the official information session and tour.  Hang out at the student union, visit the study spaces in the library, or browse in the bookstore, grab lunch at a campus cafeteria, arrange to sit in on a class or meet with a professor. And ask questions of everyone. You may be surprised at how willing students are to speak candidly with you. Here are some questions to ask:

                Why did you decide to go to school here?

                What's a typical student like?

                Are professors accessible? How do you spend time with faculty outside the classroom?

                What do students do on the weekends here?

                Who fits in here and who doesn’t?

                How hard is it to get the classes you need?

                What was your biggest surprise about going to school here?

                What was your freshman year like? How difficult was the transition?

And, once you're in, the question you're asking yourself is no longer prefaced by "If I get in..." Instead, it's "I can go here if I want. Is this the right place for me?"