<p>At my school we are only allowed on "college day" to miss school and be excused. I don't know if that's normal, but that's the way it is.
I'm thinking about taking a road trip with one of my friends and my mother next summer ( before junior year), but I know that your supposed to go when class is in session because you get a better feel for the campus. Do you think it would be okay if I went in the summer ( I mean idk maybe everyone goes in the summer. I'm the oldest in my family.)
And then found a time to go to the ones that I really like in the school year?</p>
<p>It is okay to go in the summer. My D is attending a college she first visited in the summer. Once you get accepted, then go back to your top choices for their accepted student event in the spring (yes, you would have to miss class then, but really… they aren’t going keep you from graduation for it if your parents say it is okay).</p>
<p>Spring break is another really common time to visit. Our kids also have some long weekends (4 day weekends) from school in the fall and spring that we used, too.</p>
<p>Just be sure you do your research before you go. Especially consider:
- Cost - Run the net price calculator on the college website to make sure you can even afford the college. Your mom can help with this, you will need info from your parents.
- Academics - Do they offer the majors you are interested in? What are their admissions statistics – are you likely to get in?</p>
<p>Generally it is a good idea to spend more time visiting match and safety colleges where you have a reasonable chance of getting in and you know you can afford it. A few reaches are fine, but your odds are a lot higher of ending up at the matches & safeties, so be sure you spend time checking them out to be sure you would want to attend them.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice!</p>
<p>That sounds like a potentially sound idea. However, as you said, be careful because schools are not exactly what they seem in the summer. My campus is pretty much empty of students during the summer and if you went, all you’d see are pretty buildings. But during the year, there are usually so many events going on and it’s a lot more lively.</p>
<p>Yep I think I’ll have to narrow it down by the physical campuses and stuff and then go back to some long weekends throughout the school year. We have a holiday specifically in our town so that would be a good weekend.</p>
<p>What are some good questions to ask tour guides that people usually don’t think of?
How many colleges would you suggest going to in one trip? I’m planning on getting a notebook or binder and writing down what I think about each so I can keep them straight and remember that stuff later.</p>
<p>If you are going in the summer, you probably want to go on a tour and to an information session if they have them. Unless they have summer classes, you can’t sit in on a class (but if they have a summer session that is a good idea). One college a day is probably best… you can do two if there are no classes and the schools are really close together, but you have to check the tour & info session schedules on the websites. If you know what you want to study and feel comfortable doing this, you can sometimes schedule a time to meet a professor and ask questions about a major you are interested in. But research on the website ahead of time so you have questions for them. If you plan to play a sport, then a meeting with a coach could be good as well. Some students do interviews with admissions when they visit, too. If the cafeteria is open we would usually try to eat there, too. The admissions office can help you will all of this if you want to do these extra things.</p>
<p>When we toured we had a lot of areas to take notes on (dorms – be sure to ask about air conditioning :), area around campus, academic schedule – semester vs trimester, did she like the campus atmosphere, campus safety, etc). Regarding questions, some to think about:</p>
<ul>
<li>Do most students stay on campus for the weekend or go home?</li>
<li>Are there any specific academic areas you are interested in? Check out the buildings where most classes are held for those areas if you can. My D was interested in physics and art. We usually went through the sciences building on the tour, but often had to find the art building on our own after the tour and go in to take a look if it was unlocked.</li>
<li>If you have a specific extracurricular you hope to participate in (singing, quiz bowl, etc.), ask the tour guide about it.</li>
</ul>
<p>I think it is a great idea to take notes. Some colleges ask for a supplemental essay on why you think you are a good fit for their college. Those notes can help a LOT when you are writing that!</p>