College Campus Visits for High School Juniors and Seniors

It is the season for planning college campus visits all across the country. High school seniors are visiting colleges they have been accepted to but haven't seen yet or are re-visiting colleges with "eyes afresh" to make their final choice. Decision time is coming and seniors now need to narrow down the field.

High school juniors are visiting campuses to get a feel for whether they are interested enough to apply. The additional benefit of registering interest in a college by showing up for campus tours and attending information sessions can help in admissions decisions too.

No matter what the reason for a campus visit, I would strongly suggest students (and parents) take detailed notes of what they observe, experience, hear, etc. Additionally, most people have cell phones with cameras these days so taking pictures is easy and highly advisable. As you are touring the campus, take pictures of things you find interesting. The little details of your visit will fade or be forgotten as multiple school experiences with begin to blend together. It is important to keep the details of each school separate and able to be referenced as even the tiniest details can help in narrowing down pros and cons of schools in the final analysis phase.

Start a folder on each college you are considering and keep all of the information you gather on a campus tour in it. These folders should also include any business cards of faculty or admissions people you meet with.

Lastly, have fun and enjoy the campus tour process but remember you are ultimately on a fact-finding mission. This is serious business and being organized and keeping track of what valuable information you gather will pay dividends down the road.