<p>What are your thoughts on this? I am trying to see the schools I am interested after a horror story where a friend was SURE he wanted a certain school sight unseen. He got in and was really happy. The he went to visit 1 week before commitment day. He hated the campus and the feel of the kids, etc...hated it.
He had to scramble around and send in an acceptance to a safety school he had seen. He refused to send an acceptance to another 'really good' school since he would not have time to see it.</p>
<p>Still, no way I can see all the schools I am interested in. Most I apply to I will have visited...but some I won't be able to.</p>
<p>Are you all visiting schools before you apply (or those that are in college, did you?).
HSG</p>
<p>I barely visited my applied schools. I only been to/visited 4 of the 11 schools I applied to. I went to my college admit weekend after I submitted my SIR and I never been on campus before that! lol I guess I took a little gamble with submitting a commitment form to a school I never been to. All I was thinking when I was filling out my SIR was it’s prestige and how great of a opportunity it will be for me. When I visited during admit weekend, I feel in love with the campus and the people going there! I guess I got lucky! :p</p>
<p>I only visited 1 out of the 3 schools I applied to… And I didn’t even visit the school I chose until 2 weeks before the May 1st deadline, but by then I already had a gut feeling I’d be matriculating there.</p>
<p>Although it is a gamble, here’s how you can reduce the risk of finding yourself in a situation similar to your friend’s.</p>
<p>1) assess your personality. Are you introverted or extroverted? Are you a big fan of sports? Or would you prefer a campus with less of an athletic influence? What can you see yourself being involved in on campus? Those are the types of questions you should ask yourself.</p>
<p>2) figure out whether or not the environment of the school is in line with your personality AND your interests. The best way to do this is by speaking with current students/alumni (nottttt people in the admissions staff, because although they’re nice, they’ll be speaking of things that put the university/college in a better light, and what you need are candid perspectives of the school from people who have nothing to lose regardless of whether or not you matriculate.)</p>
<p>That’s basically what I did, and I don’t regret my decision. Hope it works for you! If not, hope you figure out a way to resolve your problem! :)</p>
<p>I’m applying to 8 schools, all of which I have never visited. All the schools are public and instate, ranging from 7,000- 20,000+ students, so it’s a wide range of schools in urban and more secluded areas, and hopefully one of them is right for me. I think it’s better to make a big school smaller than go to a small school with so few people and can’t find a niche.</p>
<p>Anyway, I am planning on visiting only the school’s I’m accepted to so I can check out the area around the school, the school itself, dorms, students, etc.</p>
<p>Although she has had the opportunity to visit many other schools, my daughter will be going to Northwestern University in the fall, sight unseen. With over 8,000 students she is confident that she will find people she will get along with. Also, talking to other accepted students on FB has confirmed that notion. IMO, her FB connections over the last 5 months may be a more realistic portrait of her fellow classmates, compared to an overnight.</p>