‘Tis the season for cold weather, finals week and college visits. However, for some pre-collegiettes™, on-campus visits are sadly out of reach. Due to time constraints, travel costs or prior commitments, you may not have the means to get an in-person preview of the potential college campus of your dreams. So, what’s a girl to do? With a little creativity and tech-savvy smarts, your very own version of a college visit can still happen!
Get Online
The first resource you should consult for in-depth information about a college is its official website. However, be sure to look beyond the generic facts like campus size, location, courses of study and degree programs. If possible, hunt down a list of student organizations and jot down a few contact names and emails. For example, if you are an upcoming journalism major, contact the editor-in-chief of the school newspaper to get a feel for the campus and student life. Once you get in touch with the editor-in-chief, ask her about the ins and outs of running a college newspaper, how easy it is to become involved with the publication and her thoughts about the school itself, for example. Even if you’re not interested in journalism, a school newspaper is a great starting place to ask a lot of your burning questions about campus life, because the reporters must constantly stay in-the-know about on-campus events, traditions and the overall culture of the school.
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Talk to Alumni
Brandeis University senior Asya Bashina says that getting in touch with alumni from the school can give pre-collegiettes™ a firsthand account of what it’s like to attend there. Most colleges offer an alumni resource page on their website, where students new and old alike can see where alumni are currently working and read about their overall college experience. “I did not visit most of the colleges on my list and I got into some of the ones I did not visit,” Asya said. “If your high school has alumni who attend or attended the schools you’re applying to, then schedule a time to meet with them to talk about student life and academics. Try to gauge whether the school is right for you from your conversation with them.” Talk to your high school guidance counselor about getting in touch with graduates of your high school who attended the colleges you’re considering.
Take a Virtual Tour
Another way to get connected to your prospective campus online is through a virtual tour. Many college campuses have picked up on the trend of offering potential new freshmen an in-depth look at their future terrain by showcasing the entire campus via video tour.
“James Madison University actually has a virtual campus tour online, and the student ambassadors who give tours in person give the virtual tour,” says JMU freshman Kathleen Kalinsky. “During the ‘tour’ there are fun facts and ‘to-dos’ about JMU that are also given on the in-person tours.”
Popular sites like CampusTours, eCampusTours, and YOUniversityTV all give upcoming college freshmen a sneak peek into college campuses around the country. CampusTours is the most diverse and informative option; it allows students an in-depth look at their future campus through video tours, photorealistic tours and interactive campus maps. With most of the biggest universities in the country represented, CampusTours has uploaded previews of an assortment of schools in nearly all 50 states.
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Say ‘Hi’ To the Pre-Collegiette™ Guide
Take advantage of all of the resources provided to you, including HC’s own Pre-Collegiette™ Guide. The comprehensive Pre-Collegiette™ Guide will quell all of the anxious butterflies in your stomach regarding college visits in an instant. Covering a large number of the major colleges and universities in the U.S., the guide is your one-stop shop for the down-low on your future school. If you’ve ever wondered what the dining services are like at Boston College (we hear The Chocolate Bar is superb!), what the weekends are like at University of Florida, or even the opinionated pros and cons of Tulane University, the Pre-Collegiette™ Guide is your place to dig deep and get all of the juicy details on your home away from home for the next four years.
Not only does the Pre-Collegiette™ Guide provide its readers with the fun and exciting details about their university, but it also gives insight into the less amusing, but very important, aspects of college life—namely, average tuition costs and room and board fees. For pre-collegiettes™ who are financing their own education or taking out loans to pay for school, this is a crucial detail to consider when getting geared up to make a decision on your school.
Attend College Fairs In Your Area
Another way to gain valuable information about colleges without leaving your zip code is by attending college fairs close to home. Most high schools offer college fairs or info nights for juniors and seniors who want to be proactive and learn about the ins and outs of the college application process, narrow down prospective school choices and get a feel for college life. When you attend a college fair, each school will have a table or booth filled with informational fliers and packets, and a representative will usually be standing by to answer any questions you may have about the campus. Some schools even have filmed footage of their campus playing during career fairs to really give upcoming freshmen a look at all that the school has to offer.
Before leaving the college fair, be sure to sign up on the mailing list for your school! In a few weeks an informational packet should be sent to your door, where you’ll have all of the info about your college at your fingertips. These little packets of goodness will be filled to the brim with campus newsletters, information about each major area of study, fliers from campus organization and more. Some colleges will even send you free swag like bumper stickers, keychains and pencils to entice you—score!
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Investigate Your Future School
Once you’ve gotten a good feel for your prospective school through its virtual tour, it’s time to crack down and do a little investigative work. Make a list of the top five must-have traits of your school—and make sure that they are offered! Whether it’s Greek life, an ultimate frisbee team or chess club, it’s important that you are just as satisfied with the extracurricular activities offered as the course offerings. Contact members of the extracurricular organizations you are most interested in via email or phone, and ask them what it’s like to be involved in the organizations and what everyday life is like at the university.
If you don’t notice a particular activity or group listed on your school’s site, a current student or faculty member may be able to inform you about starting up a group of your own once you hit campus. Just because one or two key extracurriculars aren’t offered at your school of choice doesn’t mean you should become discouraged—if anything, you can look forward to being the founder of a new organization at your college! College is the ideal time to explore leadership opportunities and branch out by using your new ideas and fresh outlook. With enough research and effort, you’ll be able to find your extracurricular niche at any university.
Interview Students
Another helpful way to get firsthand information about a specific college is by phoning a member of the student government. If you can get a hold of your university’s student president, you’re in luck! The best way to get in touch with a member of student government, a recent alum or campus representative is by phoning the office of student affairs or admissions for your school. Hold an “interview” with the student body president where you will ask all of the nitty gritty questions. Be sure to prepare an organized list of topics in advance, and include any critical questions that will make or break attending the college for you. Most student government members will be more than happy to talk to an eager and curious potential freshman!
According to Georgia College & State University sophomore and student ambassador Whitney Schwartz, getting in touch with a student ambassador is key. “Students should get in touch with the head of admissions to get connected with a student ambassador,” Whitney said. “Because they’re all students themselves, ambassadors can answer any prospective student’s questions perfectly.”
Most importantly, remember that if there’s a will, there’s a way. Even thought you may not be able to visit your dream college in person, if the college is the right fit for you, you will know!
Sources:
Asya Bashina, Brandeis University 2012
Kathleen Kalinsky, James Madison University 2015
Whitney Schwartz, Georgia College & State University 2014