<p>I most likely won't be able to visit every school that I apply to because I have 5 siblings with different schedules and a dad who can't really afford to take off of work. I've been doing as much online research as I can, but is there any way I can get a feel for the college past stats and facts without actually visiting?</p>
<p>Interviews are probably the best way to go as a means of getting the feel for a college without actually going there or virtual tours/YouTube videos if the school has some.</p>
<p>It would be good if you can visit your top choices before you decide on one, but you don’t have to do this while you apply. Once you see where you are accepted, and the actual cost- after any financial aid is factored, you can try to visit your top choices. Some colleges have accepted students weekends, ( some for prospective students) where a student can stay on campus with another student. Some colleges might be able to arrange this- you would have to ask. If this is possible, and you have some means to travel there- bus, plane, car- then you might be able to go without a parent. Once you see where you are accepted, and have narrowed it down to a few choices, you might be able to visit as a family, or get someone to watch the younger kids while a parent takes you. It is understandable that it is hard to see all of them, but once accepted, you may know better which ones to see.</p>
<p>Here are some suggestions, and I will PM you as well:
- Obviously visit the college website. If there is an online admission tour, review it.
- Go to the sections of the website for academics and look at the majors you are interested in. See what courses are offered, read bios of the professors, see what else it says about the departments.
- If there is a student newspaper online, read it.
- Go back and read old threads out here on the college until you can’t stand it any more.
- Read the Fiske Guide Entry, they usually have a pretty good flavor for the college.</p>
<p>Look at the average SAT scores and at the graduation rate. That will tell you a lot about a school, probably more than a visit.</p>
<p>I second @intparent’s suggestion to read old threads here on CC. If the college doesn’t have its own dedicated forum, do a search on the name of the school. The most enlightening threads are usually the ones where people get into arguments about which is better, School A or School B. </p>
<p>I think one of the most helpful things for me when deciding which colleges I liked the most was reading the schools’ newspaper. They give you a pretty good feel of what the atmosphere of the campus is like. Also, if there’s any sort of blog associated with the newspaper, read that.</p>
<p>I have learned more “dirty laundry” about colleges that I suspect the admissions office would not want me to know through student newspapers than any other source. :)</p>
<p>Another thing to do is to look at the size of your school choices and try and visit similarly sized schools in your area. A large school of 50,000+ is a very different feel than a medium 5,000 or a small 1200. Also, how housing is arranged–is it a commuter school or do students live on campus one year, two years, or all four years? Or is it a suitcase school where the school empties on the weekend while all the kids go home and you’ll potentially be stuck alone? And student satisfaction rate. </p>
<p>All of the above are good suggestions, but when you come right down to it, nothing really substitutes for an actual visit, or better yet, an overnight. Once you get your acceptances, try and narrow it down to your top two or three and definitely try and make at least a day visit before deciding, if at all possible.</p>
<p>The visit is such a miniscule sampling of college life that I think it can be misleading. Don’t place too much importance on the visit. What can you really know from a brief visit? It is so random.</p>
<p>It can be somewhat misleading, but if you have a list of questions to ask consistently across colleges and don’t let yourself get too swayed by a great (or terrible) tour guide, there is still no substitute for it. I agree with @MrMom62 that accepted student visits, which are almost 24 hours on campus where they are trying to show you what it is really like, are very helpful.</p>