A college visit checklist: in the complex process of choosing a college, don't underestimate the importance of the college visit. (College Bound).Choosing a college can be a daunting daunt tr.v. daunt·ed, daunt·ing, daunts To abate the courage of; discourage. See Synonyms at dismay. [Middle English daunten, from Old French danter, from Latin task. Typically it involves wading through tons of view books, CDs, videos, and Web sites, comparing programs and services, and talking with students or college officials. After your choices have been narrowed down, a key step is visiting one or more colleges in which you are genuinely interested. It's one thing to read about a school, but quite another to see it up close. There are some factors you just can't assess without walking around a campus and talking with faculty, staff, and students. "The campus visit is possibly the biggest factor in making a final decision," says Jennifer Phelps, assistant director of admissions at Colorado College. "A college may sound fantastic on the Web site and in all the publications, but until you've been there, talked with the students, seen the facilities, and eaten the cafeteria cafeteria: see restaurant. food, you don't really know." Phelps says that students should address five main areas during a campus visit: 1) academics, 2) residential life, 3) extracurricular activities, 4) the admission process, including deadlines, and 5) financial aid. When is the best time to visit a college? That varies, so be sure to plan ahead instead of just dropping in Dropping in is a skateboarding trick with which a skateboarder can start skating a half-pipe by dropping into it from the coping instead of starting from the bottom and pumping gradually for more speed. . Nanette H. Tarbouni, director of admissions at Washington University in St. Louis “Washington University” redirects here. For other uses, see Washington (disambiguation). Washington University in St. Louis is a private, coeducational, research university located in St. Louis, Missouri. , says, "Many colleges have full service operations year-round, but others do not. Avoid times when students are not around, but that doesn't rule out the summer, since many campuses have students around during the summertime." Taking an Active Role Once you arrive on campus, don't be passive. After all, your college choice may be one of the biggest decisions you will make. "The visit is for you, so play an active role," says David Raley, a student tour guide at Azusa Pacific University External links
At the same time, don't place too much pressure on yourself. "There is no need to seriously stress about a visit," says Raley. "It should be fun, but pursue what you want to hear about." Among other things, this means asking questions instead of just listening to a tour guide or college official. "It's great to get a general overview of the school, but be sure to ask about stuff you are interested in," Raley says. "The more you can do to take a tour guide or admissions counselor off of his or her set speech pattern...the more interesting information you are going to glean glean v. gleaned, glean·ing, gleans v.intr. To gather grain left behind by reapers. v.tr. 1. To gather (grain) left behind by reapers. 2. . Rosanne Elliott, a student at Johnson and Wales Wales, Welsh Cymru, western peninsula and political division (principality) of Great Britain (1991 pop. 2,798,200), 8,016 sq mi (20,761 sq km), west of England; politically united with England since 1536. The capital is Cardiff. University in Denver, Colorado, says that students should focus most of their attention on academics and student life. Check on factors such as class size and student/teacher ratios, she says. And be sure to look at what else is available to students outside of their academic studies. Raley advises looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. some of the same things you enjoy or value in high school. Almost every school will have certain selling points selling point n. An aspect of a product or service that is stressed in advertising or marketing. Noun 1. selling point - a characteristic of something that is up for sale that makes it attractive to potential customers that it will push," he says. Some might have great athletics athletics or track and field also track-and-field games Variety of sport competitions held on a running track and on the adjacent field. It is the oldest form of organized sports, having been a part of the ancient Olympic Games from c. , while others offer stellar academics, while others promote a great atmosphere. Even though many will talk up all areas, it's good to ask questions about those areas that you are primarily interested in to get to the details you want to hear." Tarbouni says to avoid questions such as "Do you have a good psychology department?" She recommends asking questions such as "What is distinctive about your psychology department?" instead. "It gives an opportunity for conversation, instead of a 'yes' or 'no' answer," she says. The Little Things Those in the know also advise taking a look at the "little things" that help define a school's atmosphere. "Imagine yourself experiencing a day in the life of a student at that college: sitting in class totally engaged and immersed im·merse tr.v. im·mersed, im·mers·ing, im·mers·es 1. To cover completely in a liquid; submerge. 2. To baptize by submerging in water. 3. in the material, eating lunch in the cafeteria, playing a sport, or going to a dance or art adjunct adjunct (aj´ungkt), n a drug or other substance that serves a supplemental purpose in therapy. adjunct , going to a lab class, going on a field trip, hanging out with friends, and so forth," Phelps says. "Look and see if you can imagine yourself on that campus and see it as a good fit." Also, be sure to talk with students. "It's very important to spend some time talking to Noun 1. talking to - a lengthy rebuke; "a good lecture was my father's idea of discipline"; "the teacher gave him a talking to" lecture, speech rebuke, reprehension, reprimand, reproof, reproval - an act or expression of criticism and censure; "he had to current students," says Tarbouni. "Ask students about why they chose that particular college, and if they had it to do over again, would they still choose to attend. Also talk to more than one student, so you can get a variety of opinions." The physical side of the campus should not be overlooked. This can range from the size of the dorm rooms to the availability of computer labs. "If the school is not well kept," says Elliott, "it may mean that they don't care
"Don't Care" is a 1994 (see 1994 in music) single by American death metal band Obituary. as much as others who take more care. This is not to say that looks are everything, but sometimes they can help." Also pay attention to the attitudes of faculty, staff, and administrators with whom you interact. Elliott says, "if the staff are excited to be there and seem to enjoy their jobs, then it is a good possibility that students would feel the same way." At the end of the visit, take a few minutes to jot down Verb 1. jot down - write briefly or hurriedly; write a short note of jot write - communicate or express by writing; "Please write to me every week" notes. If a parent is with you, compare impressions before leaving. "After a number of visits, things begin to run together," Tarbouni says. "I've seen students take pictures during their visit or even videotape videotape Magnetic tape used to record visual images and sound, or the recording itself. There are two types of videotape recorders, the transverse (or quad) and the helical. some campus scenes. These visual 'memories' can be helpful after going to countless college campuses." Whatever you do, don't make the mistake of counting entirely on secondhand information in deciding which college to attend. Even if you have a strong preference for one college, be sure to take a close-tip look before committing. "A visit to campus before making a final enrollment decision is crucial," says Tarbouni. Whether this means touring with others or striking out on your own, take the time to visit one or more campuses. Then when you do commit to that one school, you'll know you've made the right choice. RELATED ARTICLE: Before and After To get the most from your college visit, be sure to consider what steps to take beforehand, and also afterward af·ter·ward also af·ter·wards adv. At a later time; subsequently. Adv. 1. afterward - happening at a time subsequent to a reference time; "he apologized subsequently"; "he's going to the store but he'll be back here . David Baldwin, director of admissions at the University of Maine at Machias Campus The University of Maine at Machias is part of the University of Maine System. The university was founded in 1909.<ref name="glance" /> The campus occupies 42 acres in rural downeast Maine. , offers these tips: Before the visit * "Take down some notes with questions you'd like to have answered that are not in the guidebooks or page," says Baldwin. He also advises setting up your appointment through the admissions office and requesting an individual tour. "Group tours don't show you anything special, jut someone who's very adept at walking backwards," he says. * If you can arrange for an overnight stay. "It's important to have the opportunity to stay in a residence hall as a guest," he says. "Is it going to be quiet enough to study, or is it out of control? Does it look safe to walk to the library at 10 p.m.?" After the visit * Don't forget to check out the local community. Can you eat off campus? Would you feel comfortable doing so? Is there entertainment available? Is the size of the town or city right for you? * "When you leave after your visit, one nice touch is to mail a thank-you note, thanking them for the tour," Baldwin notes. "Be sure to remember your tour guide's name. Not only does this show good manners Noun 1. good manners - a courteous manner courtesy personal manner, manner - a way of acting or behaving niceness, politeness - a courteous manner that respects accepted social usage urbanity - polished courtesy; elegance of manner , it also puts your name back in the mind of the person who interviewed you. Little things like that can make a big difference." Making the Most of orientation After Choosing college--but before you actually begin classes--you will Probably be required to participate in some type of orientation. This is similar to campus Visits made during the college selection process, but it offers even more Opportunities to find out about the school. To make the most of orientation consider these tips provided by Andrea Caporale assistant director of the student assistance center at Temple University in Philadelphia. "Orientation is an opportunity to not only get to know your school," she says, "but also to make connections with your fellow classmates Classmates can refer to either:
During orientation, Caporale suggests asking about the following: * How can I get involved in campus organizations? * Where do I go to find out about organizations? * What type of tutoring services does my campus have to offer? * What types of career Planning and preparation services are provided? * Where can I go to get my questions answered as they pop up during the school year? Six Sources of College Information A visit to campus is only one of a number of sources of information about any given college or university. Before deciding which schools to visit, consider obtaining information from the following sources: 1. Web site 2. Catalog catalog, descriptive list, on cards or in a book, of the contents of a library. Assurbanipal's library at Nineveh was cataloged on shelves of slate. The first known subject catalog was compiled by Callimachus at the Alexandrian Library in the 3d cent. B.C. 3. Specific department of interest (through letters or phone calls) 4. College preview books 5. Brochures 6. Friends or relatives who have attended the school |
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