The waiting is over. Admissions decisions have been made. And some very happy students now have the enviable problem of needing to decide which college they want to attend.
From now until the May 1 notification deadline, the tables are turned as admissions officers try to win over newly admitted students. There will be flattering letters, phone calls and invitations to fun-filled programs designed to get prospective freshmen excited about attending their school.
Remember that these programs will paint the school in the best light. Since you want to learn everything you can before making a final decision, it’s a good idea to look beyond the nice receptions and speeches. Some students skip these events, preferring to see the college on a more typical day. Others have been clear about their first choice school from the start and know where they want to be.
But even if you visited the college before you applied, it’s worth making another trip. Now that you’ve been admitted, you’ll probably see things differently. It’s no longer a fantasy. You need to walk across the campus and eat lunch in the dining hall and see if you can picture yourself at this school next year.
Whether you go to a special event or visit the school on your own, be sure to spend some time in the student union or library talking with students about the college. Better to find out now how hard it is to get into popular classes, or that everyone goes home on weekends, or that you’ll have no social life if you don’t join a fraternity or sorority. This is also the time to sit in on a couple of classes and talk to students in your proposed major.
If you’ve grown up in Los Angeles and are considering a college in Chicago, you might have the admissions office arrange for you to meet a student from California, so you can find out what it’s like to adjust to long cold winters. Talk to friends who have gone off to college on the East Coast and ask how they manage being far from home. Preferences can change during senior year, and students who start their college applications thinking they want to go across the country sometimes realize they want to be able to come home for a weekend. If any students from your high school are currently attending the colleges you’re considering, get in touch and ask if they’d make the same choice today. Getting as much information as possible will help you make an informed decision.
Comparing financial aid offers is another major factor in making your final decision. If attending your third choice college means you’ll graduate with little or no debt, that college might move up to first choice. Financial considerations could be especially important if you’re planning to go on to law, medical or graduate school.
It may seem like a huge decision, but if you applied to colleges that are good matches, there are no wrong decisions. You should have a great experience at any of the schools that have admitted you.
A high school senior and her parents walked into the dining hall at Reed College and found many students eating alone. That was all they needed to see. While the intellectual rigor of the school appealed to her, this student also wanted a more social environment, and decided this wasn’t the place for her.
Atmosphere is something you don’t get from viewbooks and websites. There’s nothing like a campus visit to find out if a college is a good fit.
Often, students don’t know what they really want until they see a college. One student loved the idea of a lush, sprawling campus. But when she visited Connecticut College, with its 700 acres of greenery, woods and water, she thought it was too quiet and decided to look at schools with a livelier, bustling atmosphere.
The more colleges you visit, the better you get at evaluating whether the school is a match. That’s why it makes sense to start with local colleges, even if they’re not on your list. If you live in Los Angeles, visit UCLA and Occidental to get a sense of how a large public university is different from a small, private college. After visiting a couple of colleges, you’ll know what to look for, and will be in a better position to evaluate what you’re seeing.
On college trips, it’s tempting to see as many schools as possible. But visiting more than two schools a day becomes a frantic rush from one college to the next, with no time to fully experience each school. Plan on spending at least three hours on campus to allow time for a tour, information session and lunch in the dining hall. If there’s time, parents should give their child an hour on his own to imagine himself as a student at the school, while they check out the surrounding community.
While student tour guides are very knowledgeable, they’re also boosters of the school. That’s why it’s important to talk to other students. They have all gone through the college application process in the last few years, and they’re usually happy to share their wisdom. Ask what other colleges they applied to and why they chose this one. How has the school met their expectations or disappointed them? What kind of person is a good fit for this college? What do they love about the school and what would they like to change?
You also want to know if students have trouble getting courses they want. How many classes are taught by teaching assistants rather than professors? Get a feel for the intellectual climate by asking what the most popular classes are, how much time students spend studying, and what they do on weekends. Check bulletin boards for information about club meetings and internships. Pick up a school newspaper to see what issues are hot on campus as well as what lectures and concerts are scheduled.
For a prospective student, it comes down to a gut reaction. Does she feel excited being on this campus? Can she see herself walking to class, hanging out with these people? If she feels good about herself while she’s visiting this college, if she sees people she’d like to get to know, she’s that much closer to making a good match.