Female: Here are few tips for getting the most out of your summer campus tours, given to you by one of our senior consultants Sheri, who is also the former associate director of admissions at Barnard College of Columbia University.
Sheri Mural: Preparation is key, check the schools website to see what days and times campus tours and information sessions are available. Most schools have an online calendar indicating this information. Find out if you need to have an appointment to attend, keep in mind it never hurts to ask, so find out if you can sit in on a summer school class or schedule an interview.
Before you go, take notes about any programs or facilities of special interest to you including questions you might want to ask the tour guide, admissions officer, or faculty member.
Ask to see what is important to you. While the general tour can be useful, it may not show you the buildings specific to what you want to major in so this step is essential.
So for example, if you are an Architect, ask if you can see the studios.
Some things to consider regarding travelling. If you are driving the campus, find out where you can park. Most campuses arrange visitor parking for prospective students taking tours. If you are visiting a school in a big city, call ahead and find out the best time of day so that you can avoid traffic.
Consider traffic when you are deciding on a hotel too. Staying at a less expensive hotel and an out lying area may save you money but cost you enormous frustration in terms of how long it takes to drive in to the part of the city where the school is.
Take the initiative to explore, spend some time walking on campus on your own and see how you feel there. Check out the neighborhood that surrounds the campus too. Make sure you are objective about what you are showing, we all try to show visitors our best sites that holds true for colleges showing themselves to prospective applicants too.
Keep in mind that the building you’ve been shown maybe the only one that has been renovated in the last five years. Ask people how typical the facilities which being shown are.
Take the tour. Aside from exploring on your own, the tour guide will be able to assist with your visit by keeping you focused and saving you time. Some campuses are very large and can be overwhelming so take all the help that you can get. Ask the tour guide questions, do not forget this person is a current student and therefore one of the most valuable resources you can have. Try asking a question, like what made you decide to come here? The guide just might open up and tell you something you have never learned otherwise.
Visit multiple campuses even if you already have a list of target schools in mind, you will use your summer campus tours to familiarize yourself with different kinds of schools, visit small town, suburban and urban campuses. Check out small, middle sized and large schools. Doing so might only confirm your preference for the schools you already have your sight set on or it may open your eyes to the school possibilities you have not considered before.
If you keep these tips in mind, then you are sure to obtain the most out of your visit to help you pick the school of your dreams.
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