College Visits and Meetings with Admissions Officers

 

Whenever returning graduates are asked, What one thing MOST helped you in deciding WHERE to go to college?”   they always give the same response:   “Visiting the campuses.”   Every grad will tell you that the visits made to campuses were more important than reading the catalogs, talking with college reps or attending the College Fair Program.   All of them emphasize the importance of visiting the Admissions Office, taking a tour, and talking to both college officials and student in attendance.   As one student said, “When I finished my third visit, I knew which college I wanted, but I still made two other visits.   Those confirmed my decision about my first-choicer campus.”

You are encouraged to visit colleges and to develop a good understanding of the opportunities available. However, you are required to communicate well in advance with the attendance office and your teachers to make arrangements for missed schoolwork.

College Visits

Colleges have a schedule of tours, overnight programs, open houses and regional programs. Call the college for information so that you can plan ahead. It is best to do the majority of such visits during the summer between junior and senior year so you will return to school with some definite college choices and cause less interruption of your senior year academic and athletic programs. Then you will perform your best in school and give full attention to your college applications. It is always possible to return for another visit during the school year, if necessary, or during winter or spring break.

Three important steps in setting up a college visit:

UC – UC Davis; CSU- Sacramento State University; Private – University of the Pacific, Simpson, Pacific Union, Stanford;   Community College – Woodland Community College, American River College, Sacramento City College, Sierra Community College; Technical – Heald

Interviews

Many colleges are curtailing the number of campus interviews and not utilizing them as a part of the selection process, and they are offering instead more group sessions and alumni interviews. Some colleges, however, still see the interview as an important part of the process and an expression of the student's interest in the college. You need to learn the policy of the colleges that interest you most. You should prepare for the interview by reading some basic information about the college. Call well in advance to make an appointment. Dress neatly and comfortably. Relax! Read the viewbook thoroughly enough to be familiar with the general aspects of the school so you can ask intelligent questions. Use a small card to make a list of questions you would like to ask and to take some notes. Get the interviewer's name and follow up with a thank you note.

Questions an interviewer might ask you
What academic area interests you most at this time? What extracurricular activity is most meaningful to you? How would you describe yourself as a student? What are you looking for in a college? Have any events affected your secondary school record? If you were the interviewer, what would you want to know?

Questions you could ask

Academic:            

Do professors teach most freshmen courses, or do graduate students do much of the teaching?   What about the quality of student and faculty interaction?   What is the attitude of most professors toward students?   Are they friendly?   Accessible? Willing to give extra help?   How hard do you have to work to be successful?   Some colleges are doing a lot these days in the area of career counseling.   How does this college stack up?   Is there a Career Planning and Placement Center on campus?   What kind of programs and services does it provide?   How many graduates does it help place?   What percentage of graduates got jobs last year?   What percentage of graduates goes on to professional or graduate schools?   Does the school have computer facilities?   Are you expected to bring a computer or are there computers in the dorms?   What sort of advising programs is there for freshmen? What sets the college apart from other similar schools?

Social:  

What types of students are happy at the college? Extracurricular information?   What are the dorms like?   How is dorm life?   What do the students do on weekends?   Do many of them go home?   Is the campus empty?   What is the situation with regard to drinking and drugs?   Are there nearby good places to eat, aside from the official dining halls?   If the school is not co-ed, what kinds of social arrangements are made?   How important are fraternities and sororities in campus life?   Does most social life depend on them?   Do theatrical companies, orchestras, and other musical groups or outside lecturers come to the campus?   If not, are such activities available in town?   Are groups in the college community involved in what’ going on in the outside world – politics, international relations, and community service?   Or is the atmosphere mostly one of aloofness from such matters?

About the surrounding area :  

How are relations between the residents and students – the so-called “town-gown” relationship?   What’s the transportation like between campus and town?   Can freshman have cars on campus?   Is any large urban area accessible? For urban schools, how safe is the neighborhood?

General :   What kind of help is available – academic, personal, psychological – in case you need them?   How are personal problems handled?   What can you do if you hate your roommate?   Are there lots of rules and regulations on dress, conduct, etc. that must be observed?   Are there special restrictions on freshmen?   What do you like most about the college?   What do you dislike the most?   What’s wrong with this place?   What’s good?   What is the general attitude toward students by the college admissions, officers, registrar, dorm managers, assistant deans, and academic advisors?   Once admitted and fees are paid, are freshmen considered nuisances or quite the opposite?   Concerns about admissions and financial aid?