Important Chance to Visit Potential Colleges One More Time

Your student has been accepted to college!  Now he must make that final decision of which school he will attend. 

One good opportunity to evaluate colleges one last time is Admitted Student Day.  This day is often held in the spring between the time that students have been accepted and the May 1 deposit deadline.  Colleges invite the students whom they have accepted to visit campus one more time. 

If possible, your student should attend Admitted Student Day at any institution she is seriously considering.  No longer is your student worried about trying to impress the school and get admitted.  She is now in.  The college wants her.  This is her time to evaluate whether she feels that this school is the right match.

In order to make the most of Admitted Student Days, there are a few things that your student can do.

Before the visit:

• Reread as much material as possible about the school (website, brochures, mailings,) and jot down any questions that come up.


• Find out the schedule of the day and create a plan. The schedule itself may help your student see what the college feels is important and wants to show off.


• If possible, arrange for an overnight visit on campus.  This will be the opportunity to view student life more informally.


• Try to arrange for some time at the beginning or end of the day to see the areas surrounding the campus. 


• Arrange any extra meetings that might be helpful.  Do you need to schedule something with Financial Aid?  Does your student want to meet with a faculty member in his department?  Try to arrange these meetings ahead of time.


• Help your student make a list of those criteria that are especially important in making a decision about a school.  No school is going to be perfect, but there may be some factors that won’t matter and others that are vitally important to your student.  


• Anticipate that the day itself may be highly structured and possibly crowded.  The experience of this day may not be typical of the experience of attending the school once the crowds leave.

During the visit:

• Attend as many of the scheduled sessions as possible.   Take advantage of the opportunity to hear how the college distinguishes itself from other schools.


• Your student will benefit from spending some time on her own just wandering around campus, spending a few minutes in the library or Campus Center, walking through classroom buildings.  She should try to imagine what it will be like to be here.  In short, can she picture herself at this school? 


• Spend some time before or after the formal schedule wandering in the neighborhoods around the school.  How does it feel?  How accessible is shopping or other conveniences? 


• Try to encourage your student to ask many of the questions that he generated earlier.  He should work actively at gathering all of the information that he needs to make a decision.


• Try to find an opportunity to talk to current students.  It is important to hear the official message, but it is also helpful for your student to get a student perspective


• Eat in the dining center.  Visit the bookstore.  Check out the health center.  Find those places that will be the fabric of daily college life and experience them as much as possible.

After the visit:

• Have your student jot down as much as he can remember immediately after the visit. 


• Have your student rate or rank the school, keeping in mind the factors that he identified as being important to him.


• Ask your student to talk about her “gut” feelings.  These intangible, subjective feelings may be the most important in helping your student make a final decision.  Be prepared if your student has difficulty explaining why one place feels right and another just doesn’t.  Be ready to accept this as a valid reason for making a choice.

Be patient with your student during this decision time.  Try, as always, to find the balance between giving him time and space to consider and helping him actively think about what will help him make the decision.  This is a big moment for most soon-to-be college students – and it must be your student’s decision.