We’re getting all the logistics worked out for our spring break week of college visits. Understanding that everyone’s priorities/interests are slightly different, I still find it helpful to hear what other people look for on these visits. Sometimes there are important nuggets of information to be gleaned if you only think to look for them/ask about them. So, what sorts of things are important to you/your student?
For us and DD, on the one visit we’ve attended so far, here’s what made an impression/what we asked about:
Size of introductory classes, use of TAs, ease of getting the classes you need.
Use of online websites for homework and use of common multiple choice exams in technical courses.
Apparent attitudes/friendliness of the students on campus.
Importance of Greek Life (e.g., DD does not want to join a sorority, so doesn’t want to attend a school where she will be an outsider).
Mix of students – geographically, ethnically, etc… Looking for a strong geographic diversity so the campus is more likely to be alive on weekends. We live in a diverse area, so prefer to see ethnic diversity as well. Are students intermingling, or self-segregating?
LLC options, and Honors program options.
Housing availability after freshman year.
Extracurricular opportunities – clubs, campus ministries, accessibility of off-campus venues without a car.
Layout of campus – spread out or well-defined/contained? City-feel or “rural” feel (e.g., even a campus that is in a city can have a quieter, “rural” feel). Prevalence of grass vs. concrete (more grass is good). Location of dorms and dining locations relative to each other and academic buildings.
Class schedules – weekends? evenings/nights?
Opportunities for undergrad research and study abroad.
The library – where is it, what resources does it have, when is it open, how does it feel.
“5 year plan” for the institution – are they actively trying to grow? dorms being replaced? colleges being reorganized? starting a big building program? major construction planned that affects facilities or campus living?
I find that looking around tells me so much more than the prepared spiel the tour guides give. We always like to pick up a copy of the student newspaper; wander around the student center looking at what signs are posted (clubs, events, etc); sit in coffee shop or cafeteria and just people-watch. Are people working on their laptops by themselves; do you see groups of students working together; do people greet each other and smile and wave. For presence/absence of sorority life-- do you notice many people wearing shirts with their greek letters? Often you’ll hear that there are ‘so many clubs’-- but look for signs that they are active; they’ll tell you about study lounges and rooms-- notice if they are being used.
^ you probably need to look at the web site for this. Most colleges with strong geographic diversity enjoy saying so in their “admitted class of 20xx” press release.
My kids wanted to know where the public library is in relation to campus. D2 was interested in an art minor, so we stopped by art buildings (she backed out very fast when we accidentally walked into a space where students were sketching a nude model!) D1 had a special study abroad interest that not every college would accommodate, so we made a special stop there. D2 is STEM, and wanted to know the gender mix – overall, by major, and among profs in her major. I cared about campus safety. We asked about AC in the dorms at warm climate schools.
Here are things my kids cared about at the time/wish they had known:
How much are students empowered on campus? What is the relationship between the administration and the student body on campus? Is it collaborative and respectful or authoritative? How responsive is the administration to student concerns?
How strict is the campus? Are RAs/Security there to “bust” kids, police them and fine them or is there focus on keeping kids safe? Is there an emphasis on bystander training?
Is there an honor code? Is it academic or social, too? How seriously is it taken?
Are a variety of events planned for weekends? Are their extra costs for these or are they included in tuition and fees?
Study abroad - how broad is the range of offerings? What are the costs involved? Does FA apply to study abroad?
How heavily are adjunct professors used? Is there diversity within the faculty?
How easy is it to get campus jobs? Are they only available to those with work study?
How easy is it to get into classes in your areas of academic interest?
Are there a range of housing options available for upperclassmen? Small houses, theme houses, apartments. (Traditional dorm living gets old quickly)
What opportunities exist in the surrounding community for access to the arts and music venues?
As the parent of a student attending a school a couple of hours from the nearest big city, including the airport, I recommend asking what transportation the school provides for getting into town, to the airports, etc.
Don’t forget whether there are any co-ed bathrooms on campus! (Just kidding, at least for my kids, but courtesy of the long discussion on the “deal breaker” thread a few weeks ago).
Another thing we looked at was the cafeteria/dining options at each school.
In addition to checking items off of that well prepared list, be sure to also try to take in the overall feel of the campus. Have your D take it in and try to get a sense of if she would fit in on campus. Both of my kids left some college tours saying “no way do I fit in here” (ex. school too artsy, preppy whatever…) and they left other colleges feeling comfortable that it could be a good choice.
Agree with midweek. Always go into the cafeteria, provided it isn’t too late or too early in the day. Even if you aren’t hungry, get a cup of coffee and sit down for 15 minutes. If it’s a bad time of day for the cafeteria, head to the student center, or the library, or even the lawns on a nice day. Wherever you see kids hanging out.
Try hard to ignore an unlikable guide. I am amazed at some of the totally unsuitable student guides we encountered, even at top colleges like Tufts. Keep your focus on groups of students elsewhere.
Look at notice boards when you see them. Some colleges clearly have a huge focus on clubs and such. It can be good, or too much of a good thing, depends on what you want.
Some tours take in dorms, others don’t. I hated going into stuffy stale dorms. Some dorms had awful or great common spaces. Some dorms were run down, only one that we saw was ever amazing (does Haverford rent out rooms?) and often there is a small kitchen prep area for kids to make simple meals. I remember at one very prestigious college, the guide made a point of saying condoms were available all over the place, and the dorms were soooo rundown that I had this feeling it was a flophouse almost.
Before you leave the college, stop back at admissions and pick up some literature, or the school newspaper as someone else mentioned. Not piles of stuff, but a few things the students can use come apllication time. There does seem to be a trend for some colleges to not have a lot of printed material, especially at very “green” campuses. My D did find the literature useful come application time. It helped her remember things, and she felt that many of the colleges’ lit matched their vibe. We had an explander folder and put lit for the colleges she applied to in that, and recycled the rest.
Expanding on your #9 on the layout of the school, in addition to the look and feel of the campus consider the ease of getting around it. What is the typical walking time between classes? We also asked about shuttles around campus and transportation into town.
We also were interested in campus security, especially at night.
Wouldn’t several of these be able to be researched on the college’s web site beforehand, so that the student can either find the answers before a visit, or know what additional details s/he needs to ask or observed on a visit?
For example:
1, #10: Class times and sizes and TA use is often apparent from the on-line class schedule. Ease of getting into the classes can sometimes be indirectly noticed by whether they are completely full, or if there is some space in the classes. But that may be something that needs more investigation and questioning on a visit (and may be subject-specific).
2: The existence of such web sites and old exams may be noticeable on the school's web site, although they may be behind a student wall.
4: Percentage of students in fraternities and sororities is often reported in the school's common data set. However, the nature of fraternities and sororities may be more of what one may want to observe on a visit.
6, #7: Programs and policies should be on the web site. The student can use the visit to ask more specific questions, as well as perhaps take a look at the actual on-campus and off-campus housing that is available.
9: Figure out from the campus map where the furthest possible classrooms from each other are. Try walking between them to find out how long it takes (uphill, if there are hills). Also try this with dorms and dining halls versus classrooms.
"Some tours take in dorms, others don’t. I hated going into stuffy stale dorms. Some dorms had awful or great common spaces. Some dorms were run down, only one that we saw was ever amazing (does Haverford rent out rooms?) "
Wow. Interesting how perceptions differ. The dorm we saw at Haverford was truly disgusting - made Animal House look like the Hilton - and it turned us off majorly that they showed such poor judgment in showing us that and not even attempting to put it into some semblance of civilization. It was well beyond “hey, 20 yo guys are a bunch of slobs so don’t be surprised by beer can towers and underwear on the floor.”
Did you all REALLY ask these questions when you went to info sessions and tours? We sure didn’t! As noted, a lot of this information is easily found online.
When our kids went on tours, and to info sessions, it was to get a feel for the place. Walking around, seeing the students, eating in the dining hall, etc.
We never had to ask where the school library was located. We toured 28 schools and we were taken into the library at each school.
Dorms? No. We saw “model dorms” at some schools. But at many, we didn’t see a dorm room at all due to privacy issues.
@Pizzagirl , we toured Haverford a year ago and this dorm was brand new, state of the art, wiht glass and natural stone everywhere. It was by far the nicest dorm we ever saw anywhere. Perhaps you visited before this new dorm was open? No doubt they wanted to give parents a good impression and we were shown the crown jewel. On the other hand, the dorm that looked like a flophouse was at a neighboring college. Couldn’t have been a starker difference.
Re crime stats, you will get a more accurate picture by googling each college’s Clery Report. This is the annual mandatory crime report a college must produce and will feature stats on sex crimes, burglary, arson, drugs and alcohol, etc…both at the college, and if the crime involved a college student. These reports are very concise and you are going to get a far more accurate picture than asking a student guide, who may know almost nothing about reported crime on campus.
