GETTING READY FOR COLLEGE

CAMPUS VISIT CHECKLIST

By Bill Cross

Would you buy a new car without taking it for a test drive? Or buy a CD at a garage sale without checking for scratches?

Likewise, you should not commit four (or more) years and tens of thousands of dollars to a college or university without trying it on for size. Once you have narrowed your list down to about three schools, plan on spending at least a full day at each one, so you can make the most informed decision of your life.

Many colleges offer tours on certain days of the week, and it’s always nice to get the input of the students who give the tours. But remember — it’s their job to sell the college to you. Make sure to take some time before or after the tour to meander around the campus and make sure it has everything you dreamed of without the voice of the tour guide/salesperson chiming in every few seconds. It’s OK to be picky — you’ve made it this far, and you deserve to know what you’re getting.

For each visit, be sure to:

• Visit the offices of your major, and talk with a professor if one is available.

• Sit in on a class to see what it’s like. Admissions offices will arrange this for you, or you may be able to walk in to the larger classes and take a seat unnoticed.

• Read the student newspaper. An estimated 95 percent of college students read the student paper, whether they read it front to back or just skim over the horoscopes. It’s a good way to get an idea of the hot issues and events on campus.

• Check out the bulletin boards. Most colleges have boards in dorms and/or class buildings were anyone may post flyers for events and sales. This is another good way to get a bead on events on campus.

• Spend some time studying in the library. It’s supposed to be the quietest place on campus, and it can seriously affect your academic life. If it’s not peaceful enough for you, you may want to look elsewhere.

• Eat in the cafeteria. You’ll be eating there a lot. Get used to it.

• Talk to as many students as possible. Ask them if they would pick this school again, if given the chance to do it all over. Ask them why. Ask them what they do in their free time. Ask them whatever pops into your head.

• Visit parts of campus that weren’t on the tour. Are they hiding something? Especially be sure to visit a residence hall that wasn’t on the tour — it might be very different from the renovated perfection of their showroom dormitory.

• Pick up financial aid info. In addition to federal aid that you apply for with the FAFSA, colleges often offer their own scholarships and work-study programs. Inquire, and get brochures and information.

• Walk around campus by yourself, and try to picture yourself going to school there. Also picture yourself eating there, sleeping there, breathing there and living there for four years. If you like that vision, you may have found the right school.