<p>I.e What to bring/ anything you would like to have known before you visited,</p>
<p>Ask questions! Don’t assume that they will cover it or that someone else will ask the questions. If it’s something pertinent to you, especially if it’s a dealbreaker like financial aid/social life/whatever, make sure you speak up.</p>
<p>One great question to ask is how big a normal lecture hall is. The school can say that they have a 5:1 student/teacher ratio by skewing with other classes and still having lectures with 500+ people in them. If you’re looking for a smaller school, then you’ll know that particular university isn’t the best place for you.</p>
<p>You don’t necessarily need to bring anything, but take all of the information they give you (handouts, etc.) and save it for later. It will definitely come in handy when comparing colleges later on, whether it be deciding to apply or deciding to matriculate.</p>
<p>Different people have different opinions on this, but I usually like to take notes and pictures if I can. Otherwise I know I’ll forget everything. :P</p>
<p>Educate yourself about the gen ed requirements at each of the schools you are visiting and determine if they can also count toward your major’s requirements. Also compare the requirements for the majors you are considering at each of the schools you visit. Find out about how you can modify the major to suit your needs if possible. See if independent studies can count toward your major, etc.</p>
<p>While at the schools, inquire as to which courses can meet what requirements–are courses available that interest you in each area? Are gen eds and prerequisites survey courses, or plain vanilla–or are courses available that are more in line with your interests that will meet the requirements.</p>
<p>Also, read both the official and unofficial newspapers on campus. You can learn a lot that way. Also check out the bulletin boards around campus–do the postings sound interesting to you?</p>
<p>I also recommend taking pics and notes … and asking questions of course. DDs both detested the canned presentations, but the student-led campus tours are fun if you get a good group. I liked observing people on campus, but not everyone is a people watcher. Oh, one more thing … if at all possible, dump the parentals and do the majority of the touring by yourself! Good luck, and enjoy your visits.</p>
<p>I like to read anything I can on a college before I visit and I try to remember the things that school is criticized for. In my personal experience, I notice that everyone seems to remember the bad things they have heard about a school and often prejudge it. I like to determine for myself if they are legitimate concerns.</p>
<p>Also, bring along a notebook to write down any features, good or bad, that stand out to you. It gets harder to remember later on. We also bring a camera. Without a notebook or camera, the schools can start to blend together, especially if you conduct a lot of visits. Finally, if possible, visit when school is in session. Good luck!</p>
<p>
You can get that right out of the common data set.
That sounds like a really good idea.</p>
<p>^ The common data set isn’t always common knowledge… I’d definitely never heard of it before I came on here. I’m sure I may have happened upon it a few times through Googling schools, but I didn’t know what it was or anything.</p>
<p>Bring a folder (or at least a bag), a camera, ideas for questions. Ask questions! If you’re touring and you are, for example, really into theatre, ask to be shown the theater(s) on-campus, ask about how well-attended performances are. Sometimes your tour guide doesn’t know too much about your exact interest specifically, but they can always answer questions about how the student body perceives or attends a certain event.</p>
<p>This thread covers everything and more:</p>
<p>[size=+1][Not</a> So Obvious Visit Suggestions](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/33248-not-so-obvious-visit-suggestions.html]Not”>Not so obvious visit suggestions - Parents Forum - College Confidential Forums)<a href=“post%20#15%20in%20particular”>/size</a></p>
<p>Ask questions if you have them, but there’s nothing wrong with staying quiet. </p>
<p>Most importantly, make sure your parents shut their mouths. There’s always that one obnoxious parent with 10 million pointless questions. Don’t let that be your parent.</p>