<p>Is it worth missing a day of high school to attend a class at a perspective college? All classes are Honors or AP, which means lots of missed work, even for just one day. Trying to balance the pros/cons. Any advice?
Thanks</p>
<p>I don’t see why it wouldn’t be worth it. You probably won’t remember missing a day in class in high school but sitting in a college lecture will be an experience you will remember.</p>
<p>You could always the visit the college on “Staff Development” day or Spring Break, though, if you’re really concerned about missing a day in school. Many colleges’ days off don’t line up with high school days off.</p>
<p>Pick a time when you can afford to miss class. If it’s gonna be a big problem to miss school, you don’t have to sit in on a class.</p>
<p>I would really recommend visiting some classes. I found that to be extremely helpful in choosing schools. In addition, classes are the central feature of a school you’re choosing, and it’s important to know what you’re buying.</p>
<p>Daughter took a day off a couple of months ago to tour and sit in on a class at USC. She enjoyed the class and thought it was worth it. Just pick a day when you will not miss too much.</p>
<p>My kids thought it was the most important part of the college visit. They got to see what the other students were like (more than just the tour guide). Were they friendly? Was class discussion active? They planned their visits so they could attend a class in their prospective major. If you plan ahead, you can use spring break and any long weekends your school has off. For example, in our state, there is a 4 day weekend in the fall for teacher training every year. And our kids school has a half day on the Wednesday of that week, so we took three days and hit three schools (including classes).</p>
<p>At one school that had been at the top of her list, my daughter attended a class where the reading assignment had been to read a Newsweek article that she happened to have read. Half the class had not even done the reading. She thought the prof was okay, but was so unimpressed with the students and the quality of the material they were studying that she dropped that school from her list.</p>
<p>So try to go to classes if you can. Skip the info session if you have to, that is the least important/interesting thing (all that info is on their website or can be gained by a quick email to admissions).</p>
<p>Sitting in on classes was crucial to my d’s decision. I don’t think it’s necessary for every campus visit, but definately to help narrow down your final choices. On an overnight visit (highly recommend where available!), she sat in on three classes at the school she eventually chose to attend. One was a science class taught by the head of the department of her intended major. She was able to get an idea of his personality and teaching style. Another was a core lit class. They were discussing a book she had already read. She was not only able to witness a lively class discussion but actually joined in. After class, several students invited her to join them for lunch. She was able to see first-hand what being a student there would be like and knew she would fit right in.</p>