Making the Most of the College Visit

Here are a few tips to help make the most of the upcoming Great Schlep. Some of you will be jetting around the country, trying to cover as much ground as possible. Some will be wearing headphones in the back seat of the car while mom or dad or both navigate and try to hijack your decision-making process! Still others will hop aboard a train and check out some spots on their own. However you plan to scout out the schools on your list, try to keep the following in mind:

• Hopefully you have made a reservation at each school you want to visit. Tours and info sessions fill up quickly during break weeks. If there is no more room, ask in admissions if there is a self-guided tour and a map. Scan the printed material available in the admissions office for anything that may be pertinent to your interests. 
• Take a couple pics with your smartphone. If you are visiting a lot of schools, you might have trouble differentiating one from another when you get home so a shot in front of the admissions office might jog your memory after you leave. Don't post on FB unless you are prepared to tell everyone where you are applying. 
• Ask your mom or dad to bring an accordion style folder for all your printed matter. If you are chatting about schools with your parents on the drive, its nice to have something to look at if there is no cell service where you are. 
• If you have a chance to meet with an admissions officer, not in a formal interview, ask for a business card and have a few questions ready to ask. Send a brief thank you for his or her time the next day. This "show of interest" can make a difference if your application goes to committee.
• If you are offered a chance to interview and its not your top choice, and you haven't interviewed anywhere else yet, do it! You might be nervous about your first college interview, but remember they want to learn about you, so you don't have to know everything about the school before you have one. 
• If you do have an interview planned (many schools do not offer juniors the chance to interview but some do) try to prepare a resume to bring with you so they can scan it and ask you questions. A resume should include ECs, any awards or significant achievements, sports, performing or fine arts interests and anything else that might set you apart and make for a good conversation. 
• If you are trying to play a sport, and aren't being actively recruited, you can email the coach and ask if he has a few moments to chat. It can't hurt and it might help.
• Don't dress like a slob and if you attend an info session, mute your phone and keep it tucked away. If you want to take notes, use a pen and paper!

Look around on your tours. Do you see kids that look like you? Do the kids seem happy and engaged, even if it's getting close to finals? Eat in the dining hall if you can, or at least walk through, and see if there are a lot of kids sitting alone or lots of big groups. You can get a good feeling about what life is like at any given school simply by sitting on a bench for 15 minutes and watching the students go about their days. And lastly be patient with your parents! They are deeply invested in this process and probably paying for some or all of it, so be nice!