The Pros and Cons of the Summer College Campus Visit

It’s already August, and you still have more colleges campuses to visit than you can possibly see in the fall before applications are due.  Plus, the fall semester is going to be challenging with that rigorous senior course load you have planned, and you don’t want to take too much time off.  What’s a rising senior (and their family) to do? 

Our advice is to use the few days you have available in the fall to see the leading contenders on your list and to use some time in the remainder of summer to visit others, if possible.  Campuses are generally much quieter in the summer months, but there may still be some students around doing research or other projects.  There is still great value in taking in the layout and feel of the campus, its location, the information presented in an Information Session and by the student tour guide and admission people are usually available to answer questions.  Additionally, it is often a great time to schedule an interview. You will get credit for demonstrating interest – provided you check in with Admissions - which some colleges weigh in their deliberations for admission. 

You may not get a solid read of the campus culture as you tour the quieter summer campuses, but you will get a sense of the place.  Note that start times for fall semester vary greatly, so check the academic calendar online at each institution – you may see more students than you expect with late summer visits as some college students may already be making their way back to campus.  It’s nearly impossible to see every campus during the school year, so it may be inevitable that you will have to compromise and visit a few in the summer! 

The Myth of the Perfect College

Love at first sight? Rarely!

It’s the stuff of fairy tales: “I walked onto the campus, and I knew immediately that it was the place for me!”

College-bound high school students hear this anecdote so often that they expect it to be true. For a few it is, but most often, each college or university presents pros and cons. There is no one clear winner. I say: that’s OK!

I recently received a note from a high school junior, who had just returned from a lengthy college visit road trip over her April break. “OMG, this is going to be the hardest decision of my entire life.” Even after multiple visits, there was no clear winner!

So, when putting together your college list, don’t look for one that sweeps you off your feet. That’s too much pressure. Like everything in life, your experience won’t be perfect. And there will be trade-offs. But if you do it right, the pros will far outweigh the cons.

On the Road Again

Rhodes College

At College Matters, visiting colleges, meeting with admissions professionals and talking with students and faculty are very important aspects of what we do. 

These visits allow us to give our students insight about colleges… before they go themselves.

On our recent visit to Rhodes College, we were thrilled to find a beautiful campus, engaged students and a dedicated faculty. Memphis is booming, and as the only college in the city, Rhodes students are first in line for internships, research and jobs. Check it out!

On the Road Again

The Johnston Center for Integrative Studies at the University of Redlands is an experimental living/learning community where students set their own course of study. Students contract with faculty for their academic coursework and receive evaluations rather than grades. And you can’t beat the location!

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At College Matters, visiting colleges, meeting with admissions professionals and talking with students and faculty are very important aspects of what we do. 

These visits allow us to give our students insight about colleges… before they go themselves.

On the Road Again

One of the greatest assets of the University of North Carolina is its location. The research triangle is hot! Duke, UNC Chapel Hill, and NC State make up the research triangle, and companies are coming in droves. The basketball isn't too bad either!

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At College Matters, visiting colleges, meeting with admissions professionals and talking with students and faculty are very important aspects of what we do. 

These visits allow us to give our students insight about colleges… before they go themselves.

On the Road Again

Looking for a four-year adventure? Consider LIU Global

LIU Global allows students to earn a degree while exploring the world.

The unique program gives students a truly global perspective, combining classroom instruction, fieldwork, and internships through immersion experiences in eight or more countries. 

All LIU Global students earn a BA in Global Studies -- an education that is hands-on and experiential. Home base for year one is Costa Rica. The second two semesters are spent in Europe. During the third year, students choose between Australia or China. Finally, the four-year experience culminates in the final year when students put their education into practice with an international research project and capstone semester at the Long Island University Brooklyn campus. 

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At College Matters, visiting colleges, meeting with admissions professionals and talking with students and faculty are very important aspects of what we do. 

These visits allow us to give our students insight about colleges… before they go themselves.

On the Road Again

Stony Brook University

At College Matters, visiting colleges, meeting with admissions professionals and talking with students and faculty are very important aspects of what we do. 

These visits allow us to give our students insight about colleges… before they go themselves.

On our recent visit to Stony Brook University, we learned about the WISE (Women in Science and Engineering) program. WISE students have a plethora of opportunities and advantages: from small first-year study groups led by a mentor to priority registration, generous merit scholarships, specific WISE evening seminars, and additional faculty advising. You must be admitted to WISE as an incoming freshman, so check it out in advance! You'll be happy you did.

Don't Be Afraid to Ask

There is a lot of data available to families during the college search process - student to faculty ratios, acceptance rates, graduation rates, freshmen retention percentages -- and the list goes on. Although the relevance of these statistics is a topic for a separate blog post, I want to focus on data that can be difficult to find but important to seek out.  Families looking ahead to the cost of four years of tuition recognize that educating their children is a large investment. Yet, in many cases, important financial information of the underlying institution to which you are writing large tuition checks isn’t included in the glossy brochures and marketing presentations.  You wouldn’t buy stock in a company that was fiscally irresponsible, nor should you risk investing in an educational institution that mismanages its money.  After all, a degree from a college that was insolvent and had to close its doors has little value.  So, when colleges talk about all of the new construction happening on campus, I think it is fair to ask about their long-term bond rating. While the credit agencies aren’t perfect at predicting financial troubles, they at least give us a sense of a college’s financial health.  In addition, the federal government releases a financial responsibility scorecard every spring that assesses private colleges’ financial strength.  Although the purpose of this is to protect federal student loan money from disbursement to students at colleges that will ultimately close their doors, this tool can also be helpful to parents in gauging the overall financial stability of private colleges.  If you do any research on the federal financial responsibly scorecard, you will soon realize that the metrics used and their predictive nature is certainly flawed.  However, it is better than nothing. What about the public universities that aren’t assessed under the federal scorecard?  The federal government assumes that the state governments keep tabs on the universities in their state, so they are excluded.

There are many interesting shifts in higher education to monitor. Fewer students will be applying to college in the near future, several states are struggling with budget deficits which are impacting budgets at state universities, and many colleges are becoming heavily tuition reliant depending on the health of their endowments.  This is not lost on the colleges and universities that, in many cases, are preparing for the changing landscape.  The reality is most will be just fine.  At the same time, I think it is an important time to do your research, ask appropriate questions, and choose colleges wisely.  After all, it is a significant investment.

The Right Way to Do a Campus Visit

Now is the time for juniors to plan visits to college campuses.  Try to carve out time this spring to see a few schools on your list while students are there so that you get a real sense of the campus culture. Inevitably, you will run out of time and have to schedule some visits for over the summer when there are few, if any, students on campus, but seeing as many campuses as you can while classes are in session is most valuable.  And don’t forget to take a few notes on things that strike you while you’re there, especially about specific programs or characteristics that appeal to you. This information will be key as you consider which colleges you want to apply to in the fall and for writing the supplemental essay about why you want to attend this particular school - a commonly required application question.  It’s easy to forget or confuse details after visiting several schools in a row! Also, many schools track “demonstrated interest” and a campus visit confirms that you are a serious candidate, so be sure to check in at the Admissions Office.

 

Student to Student

Q: I've got my college list and have done some research on the schools. What do I do now?

A: Visit, visit, visit! College tours can surely get redundant, but I cannot stress enough how important it is for you to visit. Not only does it demonstrate interest, which may influence your admissions decision, but you may also realize that the atmosphere is or is not for you. Explore the town or city surrounding your school, too--it’s going to be your home for the next four years!

Our summer intern Laura Card is a sophomore at Colgate University, where she plans to major in Biology and Women's Studies.