Submitted by: Cassidy June, Vice-President of Programs
This month’s National Program is Career Connection! So what better time to start thinking about life after high school. And for most people, not everyone, that life involves college. And being a Junior this year, I have started to complete College Visits. So I’ve put together a quick guide for what to look out for during a college visit!
When you sign up for an in person visit or a virtual visit, most colleges will ask for what exactly you would like for your visit to include. The first thing that I believe would be beneficial is to ask to meet with an Admissions counselor. They can talk to you about requirements to get into the college and how scholarships and applications work. They are great people to talk to when you are wondering how you need to finish out your high school career as well. This can include what classes you should take or what activities you need to get more involved in,
The next part of a college visit that you should be able to complete is a campus tour. This will give you an idea of what student life looks like and will start to give you a sense of where everything is at. Through this you can see dorms, student halls, and what classrooms may look like. Also these are mostly conducted by students who are studying at that college. This gives you plenty of time to ask them questions and get to know the feel of the school.
One of my favorite parts about my college visits was meeting with Business Representatives. I am looking to study business management in college, so I asked to meet with someone from the Business college to understand how their business school worked. Most colleges give you the option to meet with someone from your field of study, either someone from admissions, the administration, or even professors. This is where you will get plenty of information about what classes will be like and what opportunities you will have. These opportunities can be academic programs, honors groups, or even travel abroad opportunities.
Before I wrap this up, below are some possible questions for you to ask both students and adults you will meet while on the college visit. So take time to explore your future, and remember that you can never be too prepared!
Questions to ask Adults
- What type of tutoring program do you have?
- How do you provide academic advice to students?
- Do you have a writing center and how do I access it?
- What is your average financial aid package?
- What is the typical breakdown of loans versus grants?
- What percentage of financial need does the school typically meet?
- What is the average merit award?
- How many students at the college get internships?
- What percentage of students study abroad?
- What type of career services do you have?
Questions to ask Students
- What kind of dorm choices are there?
- What percentage of students live on campus?
- Do most students go home on the weekend?
- What activities are offered to students?
- How much time do students typically spend on homework?
- What is the average class size?
- Why did you choose this school?
- Are your professors good teachers?
- Do your professors hold office hours, and will they meet with you outside of class?
- Are your classes lecture-based or discussion-based?
- Do students use any on-campus tutoring programs or writing centers?
- Is it popular to study abroad?
- What majors are popular?
- What’s it like to be a first-year student here?
- What’s a typical day like?
- What do you do when you’re not in class?
- What is the social scene like?
- How’s the food?
- Do lots of students belong to fraternities or sororities?
- What’s your favorite place on campus?