<p>need tips/suggestions on what to do on a visit after getting in (penn)</p>
<p>See if they offer an "accepted student day" or overnight.</p>
<p>I just came back from an event like that...There was the optional overnight and then the day. I went to the overnight. We got paired up with a host that has the same or similar major as us, and we did group activities and ate and saw a comedy show and hung out in the dorms...Basically what the students would normally do. Then today, we went to a class, got a tour, did more activities, ate the college's food, talked to students and admissions counselors and stuff like that.</p>
<p>It was a really good experience because I got to get a feel of what life there is like.</p>
<p>I'm planning on going to another one for a different school in a couple of weeks.</p>
<p>Whatever the heck you want. You're the one who has to make the decision, so you should do whatever might show you why those schools are good/bad for you.</p>
<p>I visited Harvard and Yale while at the Harvard Model UN conference many years ago. You get a surprisingly good feel for the vibe of the campus just walking around, sitting on a bench, walking into a classroom -- say Econ 1 or whatever. You get the BEST information speaking with anyone you know attending there... I have two acquaintances who were freshmen at Yale at the time... they were consistent in their discussion of the rigor, the army's recommendation of 4 hours min. sleep per night vs. Yale's rec of 2 hours, etc. i'm sure they were being hyperbolic, but what a turnoff. Scratched Yale off the list immediately. </p>
<p>However, you needn't visit at all. Use Google Earth to look around the place. Check weather.com for historic weather patterns for the place. Read comments on this bulletin board, and in college guides. In my experience these student commentaries are usually pretty accurate about the vibe of a campus. the eloquence of the commentary is generally completely in keeping with the school's ranking. Read the online version of the school's newspaper.</p>
<p>You can really find your best fit almost entirely from doing online research. I've since met, befriended, and worked with many, many alumni of these two universities, and find my initial impressions about the kind of students and person at both schools has held up pretty well over the years.</p>
<p>I suggest doing what SingDanceRunLife did. You get a real feel for life on the campus. Ask many questions (any you have) and pay attention to the vibe you get while you are there. Also visit around close to the campus to see places you could drive to on the weekends and more.</p>
<p>I had something akin to this when I went to college. I thought my time would be best utilized by meeting people, exploring the campus/city and learning the layout of coursework I would need to take. What might have also been advantageous, would have been to schedule appointments with faculty that I really liked to discuss possible research projects or courses to take. However, I can't imagine an 18 year old having that kind of foresight. Enjoy your time and make some friends.</p>