college visit advice

College Visits Essentials: Making the Most of Your Campus Tours

College visits essentials.

Embarking on college visits and campus tours marks a significant milestone in the college search process. These experiences offer invaluable opportunities for prospective students to explore potential colleges firsthand, gaining insights into campus life, academics, and extracurricular opportunities. As you begin compiling your college list and narrowing down your choices, college visits can help you make informed decisions about your future.

In this article, we’ll delve into the essentials of college visits, offering practical college visit tips and a college visits checklist for maximizing your experience . We will cover everything from uncovering the questions you should ask during a college tour to understanding how to schedule and plan college visits effectively. And, we’ll look at things you may not have thought about, including having virtual college visits, conducting a self-guided tour, and navigating college campus tours safely and effectively.

We promise this article provides everything you need to know regarding the college visit process. Whether you’re just beginning your college search or fine-tuning your college list, these insights will help you navigate the complexities of the college visit process with confidence. 

Let’s get started!

Are College Visits Important?

When making one of the most significant decisions of your academic career, the role of college visits in the college search process cannot be overstated. College campus tours are a crucial part of the decision-making process, offering firsthand insights that can influence your college search.

First and foremost, college visits allow you to immerse yourself in the campus environment and explore academic facilities, dormitories, and recreational amenities. Whether you’re passionate about conducting research in state-of-the-art laboratories or participating in vibrant student organizations, visiting a college in person lets you assess whether it offers the resources and opportunities you seek.

Moreover, college visits offer the chance to interact with current students, faculty members, and admissions staff, providing invaluable perspectives on academics, extracurricular activities, and campus life. These personal connections offer unique insights you simply can’t gain from a website or brochure. 

Ultimately, the information and impressions gathered during college visits can significantly impact your college choice. By experiencing campuses firsthand, you can effectively consolidate your college list and compare your top colleges by understanding which colleges resonate with you. Before you make your final decision , you can use the information collected on the campus tours to demonstrate your interest in the college or university, increasing your chances of acceptance. 

What Should I Ask On A College Tour?

While college visits and campus tours provide invaluable firsthand experiences , it’s essential to do your homework before stepping foot on any campus. Here’s one of our “pre” college visit tips–conduct thorough research beforehand to help you make the most of your visit. By asking the right questions , you can gather the information you need to make an informed decision about your college choice.

Questions about academics

One crucial aspect of pre-tour research is identifying academic programs and resources that interest you. Take the time to explore the college’s website and familiarize yourself with the range of majors, minors, and academic opportunities available. Here are a couple of questions you may want to ask:

• Can you provide more information about the [specific major/program]?
• Are there opportunities for undergraduate research or internships in [area of interest]?

Questions about campus life

In addition to academic offerings, consider campus life and student services that you would like to know more about. Research the college’s extracurricular activities, student organizations, and campus events to understand the social and cultural opportunities available. Here are other questions you may want to ask:

• What types of student organizations are active on campus?
• Are there opportunities for community service or volunteer work?

More college visit questions

Furthermore, consider other aspects of the school that might not be immediately obvious. Research housing options for juniors, including on-campus dormitories, off-campus apartments, and housing policies for upperclassmen. Also, consider things like parking availability and policies regarding cars on campus. Consider asking questions such as:

• What are the housing options for upperclassmen, and how is housing assigned?
• Is parking available on campus for students, and are there any restrictions on bringing cars?

Conducting thorough research, and making your college visits checklist, is essential for making the most of any college visit.

How Many College Visits Should I Do?

When determining how many college visits you should do, you’ll need to strike a balance between quantity, quality, and expense. While visiting as many colleges as possible may seem ideal, college visits can get pricey. Therefore, it’s crucial to personalize your college visit plan to ensure that you make the most of your time, energy, and financial resources.

Here are some steps you can take to help prioritize your college visits and ensure you are completing the right number of college campus tours:

Four Steps to Planning College Visits

1. start with a broad college list.

Have a wide range of colleges that interest you, encompassing various types of campuses such as big versus small, urban versus rural, and public versus private institutions. Consider including HBCU college tours or schedule one or two Harvard tours. Having a broad college list lets you gain insights into the diverse campus environments and refine your preferences accordingly.

2. Prioritize your top choices

Once you’ve identified your top 3-5 colleges on your college list, prioritize visiting these campuses. Consider planning multiple trips in various capacities if you’re highly interested in a particular school. For example, you can schedule an online UCLA campus tour. Then, schedule an in-person prospective student UCLA campus tour. You can even conduct a self-guided tour versus an official UCLA campus tour to have more flexibility in where you’ll get to go on campus. 

3. Balance depth with practicality

While visiting as many colleges as possible can be beneficial, consider the practicalities of your college visits checklist. Virtual college tours and information sessions can be valuable alternatives for colleges that are harder to visit in person. For instance, Harvard tours can be in-person or virtual. Therefore, if Harvard is on your list, plan your Harvard tours accordingly based on your availability and resources.

4. Consider special programs

If you’re invited to special programs for admitted students or specific academic departments, prioritize these college visits. Special programs through HBCU college tours or college visits for juniors often offer opportunities to interact with faculty, current students, and other admitted students, giving you a firsthand glimpse into life on campus.

Next, let’s discuss how to plan and schedule a college visit.

How To Schedule College Visits

Planning your college visits involves careful coordination and scheduling to ensure you make the most of your time on campus. From considering academic calendars to contacting college admissions offices, here are some college visit tips regarding scheduling your campus tours effectively.

Here are two of the most important things to keep in mind when working on the logistics of your campus visits. 

How to Work on Logistics of Campus Visits

Consider academic calendars.

Plan your college visits around academic calendars. Before scheduling your college visits, consider the academic calendars of the colleges you plan to visit. Check their websites to determine the dates of important events, such as orientation sessions, midterm exams, and holidays. This is important whether you are planning college visits for juniors, HBCU college tours, or any other kind of college visit.

Contact Admissions Offices

Contact college admissions for tour scheduling. Once you’ve identified potential college visit dates, it’s time to contact the admissions offices or go to the admissions website to schedule your campus tours. Most colleges offer guided campus tours led by student ambassadors or admissions staff. Additionally, many schools host information sessions that provide an overview of the college’s programs, resources, and admissions process.

Scheduling college visits: step-by-step

Let’s take a look at a hypothetical example to better understand the steps it takes to schedule a campus tour. Imagine you’re a high school student living in Chicago. You have already completed a University of Chicago tour, and now, you’re interested in scheduling a tour of the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. As an in-state college, accessing the University of Chicago tour may have been simple. But let’s look at how you can navigate the scheduling process of an out-of-state college tour:

Navigating an Out-of-State College Tour

• Research USC’s academic calendar to identify optimal visit dates that align with your availability.
• Visit USC’s admissions website to find information about campus tours and information sessions. Determine whether USC offers guided tours, self-guided tours, or virtual college visits for prospective students unable to visit in person.
• Use the USC campus tours website to schedule your campus tour. In addition to scheduling an admissions tour and presentation, consider scheduling an academic department presentation.
• Upon confirmation of your campus tour reservation from USC’s admissions office, make travel arrangements from Chicago to Los Angeles. This includes booking flights, accommodations, and transportation to and from the USC campus.
• Plan your itinerary for your visit to USC. Consider attending guided campus tours, participating in information sessions, exploring campus facilities, and engaging with current students and faculty members.
• During your visit, bring your college visits checklist. Take notes, ask questions, and gather information to help you decide whether USC is the right fit for you.

Since the cost of college visits is a big factor to take into consideration during the planning process, let’s discuss it further.

Are College Visits Free?

As you begin to make your college visit list, you’ll need to understand the costs associated with college visits. While some campus tours may be free, others require careful budgeting and planning to manage expenses. 

College visits can incur various expenses, including transportation, accommodation, meals, and miscellaneous fees. While some colleges offer free guided campus tours and information sessions, others may charge a nominal fee for certain services or events.

Tips for managing the cost of college visits

To manage the costs associated with college tours effectively, consider the following college visit tips for budgeting and finding free visit opportunities:

Start planning your campus tours well in advance to take advantage of early booking discounts and special promotions. Research travel options, accommodations, and local amenities to identify cost-saving opportunities and plan your itinerary accordingly.

Utilize virtual college tours

Besides visiting colleges in person, explore virtual college tours offered by colleges and universities. Many institutions, such as Boston College and Harvard University , provide virtual college visits and information sessions that allow you to explore campus facilities, interact with admissions staff, and learn about academic programs from the comfort of your home at no cost.

Explore fly-in programs

Several colleges and universities offer fly-in programs. These programs typically cover travel expenses, accommodations, meals, and participation in campus activities, allowing students to experience campus life firsthand without incurring any costs.

Speaking of fly-in programs, let’s learn a little more about them.

Fly-in programs

Here are three great fly-in programs/opportunities for low-income students.  

1. QuestBridge College Prep Scholars Program

College visits for juniors are incredibly important. QuestBridge offers a College Prep Scholars Program for high-achieving, low-income high school juniors which, you guessed it, sponsors college visits for juniors. This program provides participants access to college admissions resources, mentorship opportunities, and fly-in college visits for juniors to top colleges and universities across the United States. Beyond giving fly-in college visits for juniors, QuestBridge takes it a step further and will help fund your attendance to top summer programs at some of the most prestigious colleges in the country.

2. Tulane University, PreviewTU Program

PreviewTU is a campus visit program at Tulane University that typically occurs in the fall. While open to all, students who identify as first-generation college attendees, LGBTQIA+, are from low-income backgrounds or rural/small-town residents, and/or students of color are particularly encouraged to attend. The program is offered both virtually and in person. PTU activities include campus tours, student panels, admissions and financial aid sessions, lunch with Diversity Fellows, and opportunities to connect with professors and support partners. Financially disadvantaged students may qualify for partial travel reimbursement stipends of up to $500 for themselves and one guest. 

3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Weekend Immersion in Science and Engineering (WISE)

MIT’s Weekend Immersion in Science and Engineering (WISE) is a three-day program for rising seniors to explore MIT life. It’s fully funded, covering transportation to and from MIT. Applicants from underrepresented backgrounds, including Black, Latinx, and Native American students, those from lower socioeconomic statuses, and first-generation students, are strongly encouraged to apply. WISE typically occurs in September. Participants reside on campus with MIT undergraduates, engaging in academic and campus life activities. They meet peers and faculty and attend college admissions and financial aid workshops. Applications are due in August, and the program generally takes place in October.

At this point, we’ve covered college visit tips for preparing for your visit. Now, let’s discuss what to do when you’ve finally made it to campus!

Things To Do On A College Visit

As shared earlier, college visits offer students a chance to get a feel for the college campus and community. Therefore, while on a college visit, it’s important to take advantage of all the things to do on campus and within the surrounding community or area. Here are 3 things to do on your college tours and college visits:

3 Things To Do on College Visits

1. attend information sessions and campus tours.

This may seem obvious but don’t bail on the planned tours and sessions. They’ll give you valuable information about the school and campus. These parts of the college visit are just as important as exploring on your own. Don’t forget to bring your list of questions and ask about anything that isn’t answered! 

2. Inquire about attending classes or talking to current students

Besides attending information sessions and campus tours, ask about the possibility of attending classes or speaking with current students during your visit. Observing a class in your area of interest can provide valuable insights into the college’s academic rigor and teaching style. Similarly, chatting with current students can offer firsthand perspectives on the overall student experience. 

3. Explore the campus

Don’t be shy when you’re visiting a college’s campus. Wander around and imagine yourself living or studying there. Check out all the different areas of campus. Basically, get a feel for the vibe of the school–trust your intuition and see if it feels like a fit.

Don’t forget to consider the area outside of campus. Evaluating the surrounding community of a college campus can provide valuable insights into the overall quality of life and opportunities available to students during their college experience. Think about the amenities and resources that are important to you. Consider adding these questions to your college visits checklist. Are there nearby music venues, art galleries, or cultural attractions that align with your interests? What transportation options are available, including airports or public transit systems? No detail is too small to ask about on your visit to campus.

When Should You Start Visiting Colleges?

Navigating the college search process is undoubtedly complex. Next, we will cover some tips on when to set up your first college visit. There isn’t a hard and fast rule to this question, but there are certainly some best practices when it comes to planning college visits.

It is never too early to begin visiting colleges. College admissions offices receive tour requests from students as young as 6 th grade. If you plan to visit a college any time before your 9th-grade year, it is important to remember that you may need to tour the college again before applying and certainly before enrolling.

Going on a college visit as a younger student can begin planting the seeds for what college is like. But very rarely will a college visit before high school provide you with meaningful admissions information that you will be able to retain and act on when it is time to submit your application.

College visits for juniors and seniors 

As you get closer to your junior and senior year of high school, college visits become more than just an opportunity to understand college more broadly. College visits for juniors and seniors can help students discover their preferences. At this stage of the college search process, students can begin to discern the type of college campus they might see themselves ultimately enrolling at.

Whether you are on a UCLA campus tour in California, a University of Chicago tour in Illinois, or a Harvard tour in Massachusetts , you can begin to explore your regional preferences. Additionally, experiences on HBCU college tours can give you some insight into distinct institutional types. Note how you felt about your HBCU college tours at institutions like Spelman College or Howard University compared to other universities. College visits do more than show you what colleges you might like, they also expose you to colleges that might not be a good fit.

Managing the logistics of college visits

Campus visits are often hard to arrange because of the time and resources they require. If you are planning to go on multiple college campus tours, you may find a strain on time and resources. A student who lives in Florida may find that attending a UCLA campus tour is much harder to plan than attending a campus tour at the University of Florida. Because of this, many families begin planning their campus visits far in advance. There are also opportunities to visit campus at the last minute. However, these trips typically align with other travel or are at campuses close to the student’s home.

In addition to prospective student visits, you may have the opportunity to visit campus as an admitted student. Admitted student college visits often include a more immersive experience than a college campus tour for a prospective student. Even if you have already visited campus, admitted student visits will often equip you with all the information necessary to make your final college decision .

College Visits During Coronavirus

The coronavirus pandemic resulted in additional access to college admissions information. During the pandemic, colleges and universities added an increased number of virtual college tours, online information sessions, and other virtual opportunities to learn more about colleges in the absence of in-person college campus tours. Virtual college tours allow students to access information at any time and refer to these virtual college tours when questions arise.

The pandemic also resulted in additional safety measures for college campus tours.  At the height of the coronavirus pandemic, college campus tours were completely halted. As campus tours resumed, colleges adopted mask mandates, reduced tour capacity, and made changes to tour stops. The largest safety measure during the coronavirus pandemic was COVID-19 testing prior to attending college campus tours.

While many of these safety precautions are a thing of the past, it is important to understand the heightened awareness around health that is still present on college campuses. Before you visit a college campus, it can be helpful to review their policies to confirm that there are no additional requirements for their campus tours. And, don’t be afraid to take personal precautions to take care of yourself, like wearing a mask on your visits.

What Colleges Are Open For Tours?

Thousands of colleges and universities across the country offer college tours . Most colleges offer campus tours throughout the academic year and in the summer. To learn more about the campus tour availability on a specific campus, you should visit the admissions or welcome center website. Some colleges also provide the opportunity for a self-guided tour which allows families to visit campus outside of the scheduled tour times.

Virtual college visits 

If you are unable to arrange an in-person college visit, don’t fret. There are several ways to experience a college without stepping foot on campus. Virtual college tours and virtual college visits allow students to experience a campus from the comfort of their homes. For example, if you are unable to attend the UCLA campus tour or the University of Chicago tour, you can sign up for one of their virtual college visits or virtual college tours.

In addition to virtual college tours and virtual college visits, social media has also offered opportunities for prospective students to explore a college campus from their cell phones. Following institutions on your college list on Instagram or TikTok can often provide a current student’s vantage point of their campus. Social media is one of the best ways to get to know a college virtually!

What Happens During A College Visit?

College visits come in all shapes and sizes. Most college visits include some type of campus tour. Campus tours can be led by a student ambassador or experienced as a self-guided tour. The first stop on college campus tours is typically the Office of Admissions or the Welcome Center. This introduction to campus usually provides basic information on the college and orients the guests with the rest of the tour.

Academics 

College campus tours introduce students to the academic buildings, student life opportunities, and residence life offered on the campus. Academic buildings on campus tours can include the school library, tutoring center, or architecture building. Understanding where your major classes are located can give you insight into the classroom and lab spaces available to students in your major.

College campus tours can also be enhanced by exploring additional personalized experiences. Some colleges will offer a general admissions information session as part of the campus tour. Other institutions might offer academic information sessions for students interested in majors like engineering, computer science, or business.

Student/residence life 

Student life opportunities can be found throughout the campus tour and are an important deciding factor in the college search process. College visits highlight the student organizations available for you to join. You may also find your tour guide pointing out popular hangout spots around campus. Student guides on Harvard tours might point out the Stone Hall Basement or Squash courts in the athletic complex. Student life opportunities also include campus events and traditions. Student guides on HBCU tours might talk about their epic homecoming celebrations.

Residence life also tops the list of the most popular campus tour stops. Residence life information includes touring a dorm and seeing the cafeteria. Facilities such as the campus gym and study spaces might also be included in the residence life portion of the tour.

What To Wear To A College Visit?

When you schedule your first college visit, it is unlikely that your email confirmation will include a dress code. The type of clothing you choose to wear may vary based on the type of college visit you are going on. As a rule of thumb, you should wear clothing that you feel confident in–and that you’d feel comfortable meeting admissions officers in. Considering the weather and walking requirements will also provide insight on what to wear. 

Beyond what to wear, let’s discuss what additional items should be included on your college visits checklist.

What To Bring On A College Visit?

College visits can often be long days in cities you are unfamiliar with. So, it is critical to think about the items you might need during the day. Check out this college visits checklist:

College Visits Checklist

• Notepad and pen
• Umbrella or poncho for inclement weather
• Phone to take pictures and videos
• Money to visit the school bookstore

All the items on the college visits checklist may not be necessary for every college visit. You should use your best judgment to discover if these items would be useful for the campus you are visiting.

College campus tours can be impacted by several variables. Campus visits are subject to weather, campus emergencies, holidays, and many other contingencies. Your college visits checklist may shift depending on any of the events above. Check out this resource as you are compiling your checklist.  

5 Tips for Maximizing Your College Visits

Throughout this guide, we’ve discussed the importance of college visits, when to begin planning college visits, and what to include on your college visits checklist. Before we wrap up, let’s discuss five college visit tips for maximizing your time.

5 Tips for College Visits

1. do your research.

Studying a college ahead of time allows you to better understand its programs, campus culture, and the opportunities it offers. Identify specific areas of interest, such as academic departments, extracurricular activities, or campus facilities you want to explore. Having a basic knowledge of the campus and how it aligns with your interests will allow you to focus on the more nuanced questions and observations once you arrive for your campus tour. 

2. Engage with the Campus Community

Talking to campus community members apart from your tour guide is one of the best ways to have an authentic experience during college visits. Campus community members include current students, faculty, and staff. Conversations with people who are on campus every day will give you firsthand insights into the college experience there. And, you don’t have to worry about whether someone is just telling you something because it is their job to do so (tour guides are great, but they are extensively trained to share specific information). Ask questions about academic programs, student life, support services, and anything else that will help you gauge if the campus is the right fit for you.

3. Attend Information Sessions and Campus Tours

Some students might think that arranging an unofficial tour will be more beneficial and honest. While you may receive some inside information that an official tour won’t provide, you will also miss out on some critical information. Always register for the official campus tours and information sessions to gain structured insights about the college. These sessions often provide valuable information not available on the website or in brochures. Meeting a current student or family friend for lunch or taking a self-guided tour after an official information session can give you the additional freedom you are seeking out on your college visits. 

4. Explore Beyond the Tour

After your official tour, it is highly recommended to explore campus on your college visits. Spend time wandering around the campus to get a feel for the environment and the student body. It is of growing importance to students that they like the town or city that their college is in. Visit the surrounding area of the campus to see what amenities and off-campus activities are available to students. If you are unfamiliar with the city, you might benefit from visiting some tourist attractions like museums, parks, or special events. Another great way to explore the environment around campus is going out for a simple lunch or dinner to get a better feel for the culture beyond the college campus. 

5. Document Your Visit

After going on several college visits, they may begin to all run together. Be sure to take notes and photos during your visit to help you remember what you liked and disliked about each campus. This is especially important for college visits for juniors and sophomores, as these students may have more time between their college visits and submitting the admissions application. Once your tour is over, reflect on each of your visits to compare the different colleges. You will need this perspective once you begin receiving admissions offers and are facing a finite time to make such an important life decision. After all, one or two details may be the difference between a college making your college list.

College Visits – Takeaways

College visits are an essential part of the college search process and creating a college list. Thankfully, planning an informative college visit is not as complicated as you might think. 

Successful college campus tours begin with doing your research early. This research might include location, academic offerings, and student life opportunities. Whether you are attending HBCU college tours, Harvard tours, or Boston College tours, feel free to look back at our college visit tips.  

During your college visits, do not forget to register for an official tour , engage with the campus community, and explore the environment beyond the campus tour.  Your college campus tours will be beneficial far after the visit has ended. Read through your notes and look through pictures of the campus when it’s time to fill out your college applications. We hope by the end of this guide, you feel prepared to plan and go on your college visits. For more resources, check out this college visit webinar on making the most of your visit and how college visits show demonstrated interest . And, after all those college visit tips, here’s one more for the road–have fun!

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50 Questions to Ask on a College Visit

Prospective students on campus visits should ask questions to understand a particular college's experience, experts say.

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Prospective students can ask about housing on and off campus.

A college visit offers prospective students a chance to look past the carefully curated images in marketing brochures and on social media, and get to know a school for themselves. Asking thoughtful questions of campus tour guides can help students better understand a college .

"It is incredibly important that prospective students connect with current students when they are touring universities," Roger J. Thompson, vice president for student services and enrollment management at the University of Oregon , wrote in an email. "Learning about the sense of community, student support services, sense of belonging, value, and what makes a university unique can be really helpful in finding their home."

To help prospective students better understand what to ask on a college visit, U.S. News crowdsourced questions from admissions professionals. In addition to Thompson, the questions below were provided by Monica Inzer, vice president for enrollment management at Hamilton College in New York; Eric Nichols, vice president for enrollment management at Loyola University Maryland ; Heath Einstein, dean of admission at Texas Christian University ; and admissions consultants Christopher Rim, founder and CEO of Command Education, and Krista Grubb, a principal college admissions counselor at IvyWise.

Some questions have been edited for length or clarity.

In addition to asking these questions of college tour guides and campus officials, Inzer encourages students to wander off the tour route to observe campus broadly.

"You can learn a lot by trying to blend in and experience the place on your own, if you are comfortable doing so," Inzer wrote in an email. "It may not be scientific, but a lot about this process isn't, and in the end you may need to trust your gut feeling on the type of environment where you might thrive. That kind of answer is not always found in stats and ratios and rankings."

Questions About Admissions

• Does demonstrated interest play a role in the admission process?
• Are there any exceptions to your test-optional policy ?
• Does legacy play a part in admissions and, if so, who is considered legacy?
• Do admissions interviews, if offered, play a role in the process?
• Are interviews conducted by alumni, students or admissions officers?
• Are there any majors for which enrollment is capped?

Questions About Academics

• Are classes taught by professors or teaching assistants?
• What is the average class size?
• How/when do incoming freshmen get course selection advising for their first-semester classes?
• Who gets priority in the course registration process – is it by grade level, honors programs, etc.?
• How many classes do students take a semester?
• Are classes more theoretical or hands-on in nature?
• How easy is it to switch majors or schools within the university?
• What is the breakdown of requirements for most majors?
• What percentage of students choose to study abroad ?

Questions About Academic Support

• What tutoring services are available?
• Are tutoring services free?
• How often do students meet with academic advisers ?
• How accessible are professors outside of the classroom?
• What types of resources are available for students with disabilities?

Questions About Financial Aid

• What percentage of students receive financial aid ?
• Are merit scholarship estimates built into the school's net price calculator?
• How much financial need does the college typically meet?
• How much extra money should I budget for costs beyond room, board and tuition?
• Do financial aid packages remain the same over time or are they adjusted to reflect tuition increases?
• How do outside scholarships affect a financial aid package?
• Do accepted students receive their financial aid award letter at the same time as their offer of admission or later?

Questions to Ask Tour Guides About Student Life

• When you first came to the school, how did you get involved?
• How did you meet your friends, and what do students do for fun?
• Do many students attend varsity athletic games?
• How does the school build community and foster cultural understanding ?
• What are the hot-button issues on campus?
• What are some of the school's main events or traditions?

Questions About Campus Housing and Community

• Are students required to live on campus ?
• What percentage of students live on campus?
• How do students choose a residence hall and a roommate?
• What do students say about living and dining on campus?
• Do most students choose to live off campus after freshman year?
• What do the campus and community feel like from a safety perspective ?
• How would you describe the surrounding community and the relationship the college has with it?

Questions About Work and Research Opportunities

• What types of research opportunities do students have access to outside of the classroom?
• What type of career guidance is offered by this school?
• Are internship or co-op opportunities available through the college?
• What percentage of undergraduates have had an internship or research experience by the time they graduate?
• Is it common for freshmen and sophomores to get research or internship opportunities?

Questions About Student Outcomes

• What is the four-year graduation rate?
• What are the requirements to graduate in four years?
• What is the retention rate from freshman to sophomore year?
• What is the average level of student loan debt upon graduation?
• Are career advising services available to alumni or only to enrolled students?

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14 Tips for an Effective College Visit

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College admissions

Course: college admissions   >   unit 3.

• Visiting campus

Planning your college visit

Tips for planning your college visit.

• Take a campus tour
• Schedule an interview with an admissions officer
• Sit in on a class that interests you
• Have lunch in the dining hall (Most admissions officers can give you a voucher to enjoy a free lunch on campus)
• Talk to students and ask questions (i.e. how they're enjoying their classes or what campus life is like)
• Explore the area surrounding campus
• Read the college newspaper
• Scan the bulletin boards around campus for upcoming events and announcements
• Schedule an overnight and spend the night in the dorms with a current student
• Explore the town at night and have dinner at a local off-campus favorite amongst students
• Make sure to get the contact information of the people you meet with so you can reach out later if you have questions

Strategize the order in which you visit these schools

Always follow-up with a "thank you" letter, there's a final reason you should visit your top choice schools....

• Visiting campus and scheduling a tour
• Overnight stay

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College visits are probably the most fun part of the college application process . When it comes to researching potential schools, there’s no better substitute for figuring out if a campus will feel like home.

If possible, visit every college that you are strongly considering. No website, guidebook, or testimonial will give you a better feel for a school than you'll get by seeing it for yourself. Many students change their minds after a campus visit. This is obviously preferable to changing your mind after you enroll! Get the most out of your time on campus with our college visit checklist:

1. Mind the calendar.

Schedule your visit while school is in session. You won't get a realistic idea of student life in August (or if you attend during a special event like Spring Fling).

2. Meet the experts.

Talk to the current students—they may soon be your peers. If they have a problem or complaint, they will probably share it with you. If they love their school, they won't be shy about it either. Come prepared with some questions to ask—specific ones will get you more interesting (and helpful) answers.

3. Meet the other experts.

Stop by the admissions office and introduce yourself. Let them know what interests you about the school so they can direct you to the best place for further investigation. Collect contact information and send a brief, friendly e-mail thanking them for taking the time to talk to you.

If there is a sign–up sheet, add your name! Colleges do keep track of which applicants have demonstrated genuine interest in the school. A visit is a great way to demonstrate your interest.

Read More: 6 Quick Tips for Contacting Colleges

Some schools will let you interview with an admissions rep during your campus visit. If this opportunity is available, don't pass it up.

4. Take the campus tour…

While it's the most obvious thing to do, the official campus tour is worth your while. (Find out if you need to register to get a spot.) It gives the school a chance to show off its best features, like the newly-built theater or their rooftop planetarium. While you're walking around, check out the flyers and bulletin boards and pick up a school newspaper to get a sense of what's going on.

5. …then venture out on your own.

The official tour will probably steer you clear of the school's less attractive features, like the shoddy dining hall or the tiny gymnasium. Take your own un-official tour by wandering around campus. If there are any facilities that are important to you, find them and have a look for yourself. Make sure your destinations include the library and the first-year dorms .

6. Be a student for a day (or night).

Some schools sponsor overnight programs in which you can stay with a current student. This is a great opportunity to get a deeper sense of campus life and interact with your potential future friends and roommates.

Even if you don't stay over, most schools will allow you to sit in on lectures. Browse the course catalogue before you arrive, or ask the admissions office what classes are in session that day.

Read More: College Search Tool

7. Save the best for last.

You'll get better at visiting colleges with practice. As you compare schools, you pick up on the aspects you like and the aspects you're not so fond of. You also figure out the right questions to ask, as well as the best campus spots to gauge student life. For that reason, visit your favorite schools last, so you'll be in the best position to make comparisons to the others on your list.

8. Keep a record of every college visit.

If you visit many schools, your memories of them are bound to overlap. Use a note-taking or voice-recording app on your phone, or plain old notebook and pen, to keep track of the details you like and the stuff that you don't like. When more questions arise (as they most definitely will), you can fire off an email for an answer rather than visiting a second time.

9. Don't rush to judgment.

Try not to base your opinion of a school on bad weather or one boring class. There are bound to be sunny days and more interesting classes. Same goes for overnight visits—you might end up staying with a student who has very different interests than you do.

At the same time, trust your gut. Sometimes it's love at first sight. Other times, something feels wrong (even if you can't put your finger on it).

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9 Tips for Making the Most of a College Visit

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College visits are important. For one, they help demonstrate your interest in a school . Also, before you commit years of your life and thousands of dollars to a school, you should be sure you're choosing a place that is a good match for your personality and interests. You can't get the "feel" of a school from any guidebook, so be sure to visit the campus. Below are a few tips for getting the most out of your college visit. 

Explore on Your Own

Of course, you should take the official campus tour, but be sure to allow time to poke around on your own. The trained tour guides will show you a school's selling points. But the oldest and prettiest buildings don't give you the entire picture of a college, nor does the one dorm room that was manicured for visitors. Try to walk the extra mile and get the complete picture of the campus.

Read the Bulletin Boards

When you visit the student center, academic buildings and residence halls, take a few minutes to read the bulletin boards. They provide a quick and easy way to see what's happening on campus. The ads for lectures, clubs, recitals and plays can give you a good sense of the types of activities going on outside of the classrooms.

Eat in the Dining Hall

You can get a good feel for student life by eating in the dining hall. Try to sit with students if you can, but even if you're with your parents, you can observe the bustling activity around you. Do the students seem happy? Stressed? Sullen? Is the food good? Are there adequate healthy options? Many admissions offices will give prospective students coupons for free meals in the dining halls.

Visit a Class in Your Major

If you know what you want to study, a class visit makes a lot of sense. You'll get to observe other students in your field and see how engaged they are in classroom discussion. Try to stay after class for a few minutes and chat with the students to get their impressions of their professors and majors. Be sure to call in advance to schedule a classroom visit; most colleges don't allow visitors to drop in on class unannounced.

Schedule a Conference With a Professor

If you've decided on a possible major, arrange a conference with a professor in that field. This will give you an opportunity to see if the faculty's interests match your own. You can also ask about your major's graduation requirements, undergraduate research opportunities, and class sizes.

Talk to Lots of Students

Your campus tour guide has been trained to market the school. Try to hunt down students who aren't getting paid to woo you. These impromptu conversations can often provide you with information about college life that isn't part of the admissions script. Few university officials will tell you if their students spend all weekend drinking or studying, but a group of students might.

If it's at all possible, spend a night at the college. Most schools encourage overnight visits , and nothing will give you a better sense of student life than a night in a residence hall. Your student host can provide a wealth of information, and you're likely to chat with many other students in the hallway. You'll also get a good sense of the school's personality. What exactly are most of the students doing at 1:30 a.m.?

Take Pictures and Notes

If you're comparing several schools, be sure to document your visits. The details may seem distinct at the time of the visit, but by the third or fourth tour, schools will start to blur together in your mind. Don't write down just facts and figures. Try to record your feelings during the visit, you want to end up at a school that feels like home.

Take a Virtual College Tour

Unable to travel to the colleges on your list? Take a virtual college tour . Most colleges and universities offer comprehensive campus tours online, with features like 360-degree views of residence halls and academic buildings, detailed information for applicants interested in particular majors, and even opportunities to engage with current students and faculty.

• Different Ways to Visit a College Campus
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I Visited 20+ Colleges – Here’s What I Learned

Summer is the perfect time to check some college visits off your list. Figuring out which schools to visit along with the entire college application process can be stressful. I know it definitely was for me.

I’m Catherine, an incoming second-year at Northwestern University , and I visited over twenty schools (some of them twice).

In this article, I want to share some of my biggest takeaways from my experience so you don’t have to put yourself through as much stress as I did!

Do Your Research

I’ll start with one of my biggest tips, which is to do as much research and planning as you can before you visit a school .

With further research, you might rule out a school on your list without even having to visit. For example, it may not have the exact major you’re looking for or it might be too big or small.

There are also a million things to consider besides academics – location, campus culture, size, research opportunities, and much more that will affect your decision. Before visiting, consider all these factors and determine whether any of them is a dealbreaker for you.

If there’s something about the school you can’t overlook from that quantitative and qualitative data, then it might not even be worth visiting.

On the flip side, if you’re in the area visiting another school and it’s not too much extra effort to visit, why not take a look? A few of the schools I thought I wouldn’t like turned out to be my favorites. I thought I would dislike Northwestern, but I ended up getting in early decision !

Ask Questions

Next, I also learned that every school you tour will try to sell you about how “quirky” and “different” it is from every other school. After hearing this same spiel for what felt like a million times, I came to realize that most schools are similar in many aspects. No school is that unique.

My biggest piece of advice is to ask your tour guide why they personally chose that school. I did this at every school I visited, and I’d always get a succinct snapshot of the best aspects of their school and how it is on a day-to-day basis.

A tour guide’s job is to show you around and give you interesting facts about their school, but by directly asking them how they personally feel, it can give you a better look into the reality of being a student there.

I usually received genuine, heartfelt answers, and it’s a huge green flag if their answer resonates with you and what you’re looking for.

After being at a school for a few minutes, I tended to get a gut feeling about whether I would like the school or not, and almost every single time, it ended up being correct.

A school could have the most amazing program for my intended major, but if it didn’t feel right, it didn’t feel right. Every school has a different vibe, and sometimes whether you match it or not becomes more important than the specific aspects that school has to offer. Always go with your gut!

However, if you’re having trouble finding that sense of intuition about a place, ask yourself this: Would I be comfortable calling this my home? Does the student body around campus seem like one I would fit in naturally with? Questions like this can help you determine if a place is right for you.

Keep A Healthy Mindset

My final piece of advice is to not get your heart set on one specific school! It can be easy to fixate on a “dream school” as you tour, but sadly, you’re not the one who ultimately decides where you are accepted.

After visiting Northwestern, I knew it was my “dream school,” but I refused to let myself obsess over it. What helped me keep a better mindset was reminding myself that everything happens for a reason and that I loved other schools I could see myself being happy at.

The admissions officers tend to understand what types of students do well at their school, so maybe they see something about you that tells them you might be a better fit somewhere else.

Keeping a healthy mindset and perspective will prevent you from being overly dejected if you don’t get into your top school, or even your top few choices. Maybe your safety school is really the best place for you, and there’s absolutely no shame in that.

I hope this helps your college search and visit process be less stressful than mine was! Good luck, stay positive. and happy hunting.

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At Niche, we know a college is more than its stats or buildings. We also know it can be hard to figure out a college’s vibe or how students feel about it from its website alone. Using our comprehensive college profiles and social media accounts, you can get a sense of what life at a college is really like. Here are three simple ways to do that.

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Are ‘Forever Chemicals’ a Forever Problem?

The environmental protection agency says “forever chemicals” must be removed from tap water. but they lurk in much more of what we eat, drink and use..

This transcript was created using speech recognition software. While it has been reviewed by human transcribers, it may contain errors. Please review the episode audio before quoting from this transcript and email [email protected] with any questions.

From “The New York Times,” I’m Sabrina Tavernise. And this is “The Daily.”

[THEME MUSIC]

This month for the first time, the Environmental Protection Agency began to regulate a class of synthetic chemicals, known as forever chemicals, in America’s drinking water. But the chemicals, which have been linked to liver disease and other serious health problems, are in far more than just our water supply. Today, my colleague Kim Tingley explains.

It’s Wednesday, April 17.

So Kim, any time the EPA announces a regulation, I think we all sort of take notice because implicit in it is this idea that we have been exposed to something — something bad, potentially, lead or asbestos. And recently, the EPA is regulating a type of chemical known as PFAS So for those who don’t know, what are PFAS chemicals

Yeah, so PFAS stands for per and polyfluoroalkyl substances. They’re often called forever chemicals just because they persist so long in the environment and they don’t easily break down. And for that reason, we also use them in a ton of consumer products. They’re in makeup. They’re in carpet. They’re in nonstick cookware. They’re in food packaging, all sorts of things.

Yeah, I feel like I’ve been hearing about these chemicals actually for a very long time. I mean, nonstick pans, Teflon — that’s the thing that’s in my mind when I think PFAS.

Absolutely. Yeah, this class of chemicals has been around for decades. And what’s really important about this is that the EPA has decided, for the first time, to regulate them in drinking water. And that’s a ruling that stands to affect tens of millions of people.

So, help me understand where these things came from and how it’s taken so long to get to the point where we’re actually regulating them.

So, they really actually came about a long time ago. In 1938, DuPont, the people who eventually got us to Teflon, they were actually looking for a more stable kind of refrigerant. And they came upon this kind of chemical, PFAS. The thing that all PFAS chemicals have is a really strong bond between carbon atoms and fluorine atoms. This particular pairing is super strong and super durable.

They have water repellent properties. They’re stain resistant. They’re grease resistant. And they found a lot of uses for them initially in World War II. They were using them as part of their uranium enrichment process to do all these kinds of things. And then —

Well, good thing it’s Teflon.

In the 1950s is when they really started to come out as commercial products.

Even burned food won’t stick to Teflon. So it’s always easy to clean.

So, DuPont started using it in Teflon pans.

Cookware never needs scouring if it has DuPont Teflon.

And then another company, 3M also started using a kind of PFAS —

Scotchgard fabric protector. It keeps ordinary spills from becoming extraordinary stains.

— in one of their big products, Scotchgard. So you probably remember spraying that on your shoes if you want to make your shoes waterproof.

Use Scotchgard fabric protector and let your cup runneth over.

Right — miracle product, Scotchgard, Teflon. But of course, we’re talking about these chemicals because they’ve been found to pose health threats. When does that risk start to surface?

Yeah, so it’s pretty early on that DuPont and 3M start finding effects in animals in studies that they’re running in house.

Around the mid ‘60s, they start seeing that PFAS has an effect on rats. It’s increasing the liver and kidney weights of the rats. And so that seems problematic. And they keep running tests over the next decade and a half. And they try different things with different animals.

In one study, they gave monkeys really, really high levels of PFAS. And those monkeys died. And so they have a pretty strong sense that these chemicals could be dangerous. And then in 1979, they start to see that the workers that are in the plants manufacturing, working with these chemicals, that they’re starting to have higher rates of abnormal liver function. And in a Teflon plant, they had some pregnant workers that were working with these chemicals. And one of those workers in 1981 gave birth to a child who had some pretty severe birth defects.

And then by the mid 1980s, DuPont figures out that it’s not just their workers who are being exposed to these chemicals, but communities that are living in areas surrounding their Teflon plant, particularly the one in Parkersburg, West Virginia, that those communities have PFAS in their tap water.

Wow, so based on its own studies, DuPont knows its chemicals are making animals sick. They seem to be making workers sick. And now they found out that the chemicals have made their way into the water supply. What do they do with that information?

As far as we know, they didn’t do much. They certainly didn’t tell the residents of Parkersburg who were drinking that water that there was anything that they needed to be worried about.

How is that possible? I mean, setting aside the fact that DuPont is the one actually studying the health effects of its own chemicals, presumably to make sure they’re safe, we’ve seen these big, regulating agencies like the EPA and the FDA that exist in order to watch out for something exactly like this, a company that is producing something that may be harming Americans. Why weren’t they keeping a closer watch?

Yeah, so it goes kind of back to the way that we regulate chemicals in the US. It goes through an act called the Toxic Substances Control Act that’s administered by the EPA. And basically, it gives companies a lot of room to regulate themselves, in a sense. Under this act they have a responsibility to report to the EPA if they find these kinds of potential issues with a chemical. They have a responsibility to do their due diligence when they’re putting a chemical out into the environment.

But there’s really not a ton of oversight. The enforcement mechanism is that the EPA can find them. But this kind of thing can happen pretty easily where DuPont keeps going with something that they think might really be a problem and then the fine, by the time it plays out, is just a tiny fraction of what DuPont has earned from producing these chemicals. And so really, the incentive is for them to take the punishment at the end, rather than pull it out early.

So it seems like it’s just self-reporting, which is basically self-regulation in a way.

Yeah, I think that is the way a lot of advocacy groups and experts have characterized it to me, is that chemical companies are essentially regulating themselves.

So how did this danger eventually come to light? I mean, if this is in some kind of DuPont vault, what happened?

Well, there’s a couple different things that started to happen in the late ‘90s.

The community around Parkersburg, West Virginia, people had reported seeing really strange symptoms in their animals. Cows were losing their hair. They had lesions. They were behaving strangely. Some of their calves were dying. And a lot of people in the community felt like they were having health problems that just didn’t really have a good answer, mysterious sicknesses, and some cases of cancers.

And so they initiate a class action lawsuit against DuPont. As part of that class action lawsuit, DuPont, at a certain point, is forced to turn over all of their internal documentation. And so what was in the files was all of that research that we mentioned all of the studies about — animals, and workers, the birth defects. It was really the first time that the public saw what DuPont and 3M had already seen, which is the potential health harms of these chemicals.

So that seems pretty damning. I mean, what happened to the company?

So, DuPont and 3M are still able to say these were just a few workers. And they were working with high levels of the chemicals, more than a person would get drinking it in the water. And so there’s still an opportunity for this to be kind of correlation, but not causation. There’s not really a way to use that data to prove for sure that it was PFAS that caused these health problems.

In other words, the company is arguing, look, yes, these two things exist at the same time. But it doesn’t mean that one caused the other.

Exactly. And so one of the things that this class action lawsuit demands in the settlement that they eventually reach with DuPont is they want DuPont to fund a formal independent health study of the communities that are affected by this PFAS in their drinking water. And so they want DuPont to pay to figure out for sure, using the best available science, how many of these health problems are potentially related to their chemicals.

And so they ask them to pay for it. And they get together an independent group of researchers to undertake this study. And it ends up being the first — and it still might be the biggest — epidemiological study of PFAS in a community. They’ve got about 69,000 participants in this study.

Wow, that’s big.

It’s big, yeah. And what they ended up deciding was that they could confidently say that there was what they ended up calling a probable link. And so they were really confident that the chemical exposure that the study participants had experienced was linked to high cholesterol, ulcerative colitis, thyroid disease, testicular cancer, kidney cancer, and pregnancy induced hypertension.

And so those were the conditions that they were able to say, with a good degree of certainty, were related to their chemical exposure. There were others that they just didn’t have the evidence to reach a strong conclusion.

So overall, pretty substantial health effects, and kind of vindicates the communities in West Virginia that were claiming that these chemicals were really affecting their health.

Absolutely. And as the years have gone on, that was sort of just the beginning of researchers starting to understand all the different kinds of health problems that these chemicals could potentially be causing. And so since the big DuPont class action study, there’s really just been like this building and building and building of different researchers coming out with these different pieces of evidence that have accumulated to a pretty alarming picture of what some of the potential health outcomes could be.

OK, so that really kind of brings us to the present moment, when, at last, it seems the EPA is saying enough is enough. We need to regulate these things.

Yeah, it seems like the EPA has been watching this preponderance of evidence accumulate. And they’re sort of deciding that it’s a real health problem, potentially, that they need to regulate.

So the EPA has identified six of these PFAS chemicals that it’s going to regulate. But the concern that I think a lot of experts have is that this particular regulation is not going to keep PFAS out of our bodies.

We’ll be right back.

So, Kim, you just said that these regulations probably won’t keep PFAS chemicals out of our bodies. What did you mean?

Well, the EPA is talking about regulating these six kinds of PFAS. But there are actually more than 10,000 different kinds of PFAS that are already being produced and out there in the environment.

And why those six, exactly? I mean, is it because those are the ones responsible for most of the harm?

Those are the ones that the EPA has seen enough evidence about that they are confident that they are probably causing harm. But it doesn’t mean that the other ones are not also doing something similar. It’s just sort of impossible for researchers to be able to test each individual chemical compound and try to link it to a health outcome.

I talked to a lot of researchers who were involved in this area and they said that they haven’t really seen a PFAS that doesn’t have a harm, but they just don’t have information on the vast majority of these compounds.

So in other words, we just haven’t studied the rest of them enough yet to even know how harmful they actually are, which is kind of alarming.

Yeah, that’s right. And there’s just new ones coming out all the time.

Right. OK, so of the six that the EPA is actually intending to regulate, though, are those new regulations strict enough to keep these chemicals out of our bodies?

So the regulations for those six chemicals really only cover getting them out of the drinking water. And drinking water only really accounts for about 20 percent of a person’s overall PFAS exposure.

So only a fifth of the total exposure.

Yeah. There are lots of other ways that you can come into contact with PFAS. We eat PFAS, we inhale PFAS. We rub it on our skin. It’s in so many different products. And sometimes those products are not ones that you would necessarily think of. They’re in carpets. They’re in furniture. They’re in dental floss, raincoats, vinyl flooring, artificial turf. All kinds of products that you want to be either waterproof or stain resistant or both have these chemicals in them.

So, the cities and towns are going to have to figure out how to test for and monitor for these six kinds of PFAS. And then they’re also going to have to figure out how to filter them out of the water supply. I think a lot of people are concerned that this is going to be just a really expensive endeavor, and it’s also not really going to take care of the entire problem.

Right. And if you step back and really look at the bigger problem, the companies are still making these things, right? I mean, we’re running around trying to regulate this stuff at the end stage. But these things are still being dumped into the environment.

Yeah. I think it’s a huge criticism of our regulatory policy. There’s a lot of onus put on the EPA to prove that a harm has happened once the chemicals are already out there and then to regulate the chemicals. And I think that there’s a criticism that we should do things the other way around, so tougher regulations on the front end before it goes out into the environment.

And that’s what the European Union has been doing. The European Chemicals Agency puts more of the burden on companies to prove that their products and their chemicals are safe. And the European Chemicals Agency is also, right now, considering just a ban on all PFAS products.

So is that a kind of model, perhaps, of what a tough regulation could look like in the US?

There’s two sides to that question. And the first side is that a lot of people feel like it would be better if these chemical companies had to meet a higher standard of proof in terms of demonstrating that their products or their chemicals are going to be safe once they’ve been put out in the environment.

The other side is that doing that kind of upfront research can be really expensive and could potentially limit companies who are trying to innovate in that space. In terms of PFAS, specifically, this is a really important chemical for us. And a lot of the things that we use it in, there’s not necessarily a great placement at the ready that we can just swap in. And so it’s used in all sorts of really important medical devices or renewable energy industries or firefighting foam.

And in some cases, there are alternatives that might be safer that companies can use. But in other cases, they just don’t have that yet. And so PFAS is still really important to our daily lives.

Right. And that kind of leaves us in a pickle because we know these things might be harming us. Yet, we’re kind of stuck with them, at least for now. So, let me just ask you this question, Kim, which I’ve been wanting to ask you since the beginning of this episode, which is, if you’re a person who is concerned about your exposure to PFAS, what do you do?

Yeah. So this is really tricky and I asked everybody this question who I talked to. And everybody has a little bit of a different answer based on their circumstance. For me what I ended up doing was getting rid of the things that I could sort of spot and get rid of. And so I got rid of some carpeting and I checked, when I was buying my son a raincoat, that it was made by a company that didn’t use PFAS.

It’s also expensive. And so if you can afford to get a raincoat from a place that doesn’t manufacture PFAS, it’s going to cost more than if you buy the budget raincoat. And so it’s kind of unfair to put the onus on consumers in that way. And it’s also just not necessarily clear where exactly your exposure is coming from.

So I talk to people who said, well, it’s in dust, so I vacuum a lot. Or it’s in my cleaning products, so I use natural cleaning products. And so I think it’s really sort of a scattershot approach that consumers can take. But I don’t think that there is a magic approach that gets you a PFAS-free life.

So Kim, this is pretty dark, I have to say. And I think what’s frustrating is that it feels like we have these government agencies that are supposed to be protecting our health. But when you drill down here, the guidance is really more like you’re on your own. I mean, it’s hard not to just throw up your hands and say, I give up.

Yeah. I think it’s really tricky to try to know what you do with all of this information as an individual. As much as you can, you can try to limit your individual exposure. But it seems to me as though it’s at a regulatory level that meaningful change would happen, and not so much throwing out your pots and pans and getting new ones.

One thing about PFAS is just that we’re in this stage still of trying to understand exactly what it’s doing inside of us. And so there’s a certain amount of research that has to happen in order to both convince people that there’s a real problem that needs to be solved, and clean up what we’ve put out there. And so I think that we’re sort of in the middle of that arc. And I think that that’s the point at which people start looking for solutions.

Kim, thank you.

Here’s what else you should know today. On Tuesday, in day two of jury selection for the historic hush money case against Donald Trump, lawyers succeeded in selecting 7 jurors out of the 12 that are required for the criminal trial after failing to pick a single juror on Monday.

Lawyers for Trump repeatedly sought to remove potential jurors whom they argued were biased against the president. Among the reasons they cited were social media posts expressing negative views of the former President and, in one case, a video posted by a potential juror of New Yorkers celebrating Trump’s loss in the 2020 election. Once a full jury is seated, which could come as early as Friday, the criminal trial is expected to last about six weeks.

Today’s episode was produced by Clare Toeniskoetter, Shannon Lin, Summer Thomad, Stella Tan, and Jessica Cheung, with help from Sydney Harper. It was edited by Devon Taylor, fact checked by Susan Lee, contains original music by Dan Powell, Elisheba Ittoop, and Marion Lozano, and was engineered by Chris Wood.

Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly.

That’s it for The Daily. I’m Sabrina Tavernise. See you tomorrow.

• April 18, 2024   •   30:07 The Opening Days of Trump’s First Criminal Trial
• April 17, 2024   •   24:52 Are ‘Forever Chemicals’ a Forever Problem?
• April 16, 2024   •   29:29 A.I.’s Original Sin
• April 15, 2024   •   24:07 Iran’s Unprecedented Attack on Israel
• April 14, 2024   •   46:17 The Sunday Read: ‘What I Saw Working at The National Enquirer During Donald Trump’s Rise’
• April 12, 2024   •   34:23 How One Family Lost $900,000 in a Timeshare Scam
• April 11, 2024   •   28:39 The Staggering Success of Trump’s Trial Delay Tactics
• April 10, 2024   •   22:49 Trump’s Abortion Dilemma
• April 9, 2024   •   30:48 How Tesla Planted the Seeds for Its Own Potential Downfall
• April 8, 2024   •   30:28 The Eclipse Chaser
• April 7, 2024 The Sunday Read: ‘What Deathbed Visions Teach Us About Living’
• April 5, 2024   •   29:11 An Engineering Experiment to Cool the Earth

Hosted by Sabrina Tavernise

Featuring Kim Tingley

Produced by Clare Toeniskoetter ,  Shannon M. Lin ,  Summer Thomad ,  Stella Tan and Jessica Cheung

With Sydney Harper

Edited by Devon Taylor

Original music by Dan Powell ,  Elisheba Ittoop and Marion Lozano

Engineered by Chris Wood

Listen and follow The Daily Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

The Environmental Protection Agency has begun for the first time to regulate a class of synthetic chemicals known as “forever chemicals” in America’s drinking water.

Kim Tingley, a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine, explains how these chemicals, which have been linked to liver disease and other serious health problems, came to be in the water supply — and in many more places.

On today’s episode

Kim Tingley , a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine.

Background reading

“Forever chemicals” are everywhere. What are they doing to us?

The E.P.A. issued its rule about “forever chemicals” last week.

There are a lot of ways to listen to The Daily. Here’s how.

We aim to make transcripts available the next workday after an episode’s publication. You can find them at the top of the page.

Fact-checking by Susan Lee .

The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Mike Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Corey Schreppel, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, John Ketchum, Nina Feldman, Will Reid, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Dan Farrell, Sophia Lanman, Shannon Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Summer Thomad, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez and Brendan Klinkenberg.

Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Sam Dolnick, Paula Szuchman, Lisa Tobin, Larissa Anderson, Julia Simon, Sofia Milan, Mahima Chablani, Elizabeth Davis-Moorer, Jeffrey Miranda, Renan Borelli, Maddy Masiello, Isabella Anderson and Nina Lassam.

Advertisement

DEI Week speaker uses ‘tomato syndrome’ to talk about disability

Sefakor G.M.A. Komabu-Pomeyie (photo by Caitlin Herz ’26)

Sefakor G.M.A. Komabu-Pomeyie, Ph.D. recently published her first book I’m Able: A Woman’s Advice for Disability Change Agents . In it, she writes about her upbringing in Ghana and her experience as a Black woman with a physical disability. Sefakor said her book, which she calls “her life story,” unravels different aspects of her identity and brings forth the need for change in our society, for it to be more accessible for those with disability.

Komabu-Pomeyie spoke on April 10, as part of Saint Michael’s DEI Week. Komabu-Pomeyie said how her identity and intersectionality has a lack of representation within today’s media. She said that by educating others, the world will become a more inclusive and accepting place for everyone.

“Stigma revolves around us every day,” Komabu-Pomeyie said and noted that the education systems in place in today’s world neglects many people with disabilities, leaving them to fall through the cracks and not be able to live up to their full potential. The root of the problem, she said, is the stigma around disabled people being deemed “incapable,” even though disability lies on a vast spectrum and can look different on every individual. Society’s stigmatization of disabled people, she said, is the reason why inaccessibility is so present in their daily lives, and these engrained ideas need to be dissected and restored differently.

Komabu-Pomeyie said she has a deep passion for self-confidence and knowing who you are. She believes that society needs

more empowering messages in the media featuring disabled people, and more education on disability to aid individuals to discover more about themselves, and their disability.

Komabu-Pomeyie used the tomato as an analogy. Technically, she said, a tomato is a fruit, but public opinion still classifies it as a vegetable much of the time. This analogy is symbolic, she said, for many people with disabilities. The lack of conversation around disability also creates the problem of humans not knowing how to identify their own disability. Many people have disabilities that are not visible, yet still impact them, she said.

Komabu-Pomeyie presented a graphic that read, “I have a disability, but I don’t think of myself as disabled. Just like a tomato that’s technically a fruit, but feels like a vegetable.”

Komabu-Pomeyie referred to this concept as the “tomato syndrome.” This causes them to lose sense of who they are, Komabu-Pomeyie said. She noted that by accepting one’s disability and intersectional identity, empowerment for disabled people can begin.

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Dei week’s keynote speaker dr. margaret bass says students give her hope.

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Biology professor earns international recognition for faculty-student research in ‘the lub lab’.

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April 17, 2024

t-notes archive

Next Issue: April 24, 2024

Thiel Happenings

Assistant surgeon general speaking at thiel college as part of miller lecture series.

Rear Admiral Richard Childs, M.D. is the speaker for the 2024 Professor David M. Miller ’61, H’20 Distinguished Lecture Series at 7 p.m. on Monday, April 22, in the Lutheran Heritage Room of the Howard Miller Student Center.

+ Read the full story in the newsroom

Thiel Admissions office recognizes Kovalyak, Oswalt for monthly team member honors

The Thiel College Office of Admission has named Alexander Kovalyak ’24 and Makenna Oswalt ’26 its Thiel Team Members of the Month for March.

Thiel College community hears from producer of ‘The Wire’ as part of Pedas family visit

George Pelecanos , author, producer, and screenwriter, spoke to the Thiel College community Tuesday as part of the visit from Thiel College alumnus and benefactor James Pedas ’50 H’89 .

Thiel College cheer team grabs third straight top-three finish at Nationals

The Thiel College cheer team placed third Saturday in the National Cheerleaders Association College Nationals in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Thiel Players bringing interactive ‘The Awesome 80s Prom’ to Beeghly Gymnasium

The Thiel Players will be performing the interactive, off-Broadway hit “The Awesome 80s Prom” at the Beeghly Gymnasium beginning Friday.

Dress like its the ’80s on Friday to celebrate Thiel Players’ production

To help celebrate the Thiel Players’ production of “The Awesome 80s Prom,” Friday is a 1980s throwback fashion day with prizes awarded at the show to the best student, faculty/staff, and community member costumes.

Break out the parachute pants, acid wash jeans, jelly shoes and jean jacket. The best costumes are eligible for prizes.

Donley discussing post-Dobbs abortion as part of medical ethics presentation

Thiel College is hosting the Community Medical Ethics Project’s speaker Greer Donley, J.D. , a prominent voice in the national conversation on reproductive rights, at 11 a.m. April 18 in the Lutheran Heritage Room of the Howard Miller Student Center.

The event is free and open to the public. Donley is the John E. Murray Faculty Scholar and Associate Professor of Law at the University of Pittsburgh. Her scholarship has been cited by the Supreme Court and has been influential in shaping policy. Donley will address the complexities surrounding abortion law in her lecture titled “Post-Dobbs Abortion Uncertainty.” Her expertise, honed through extensive research and advocacy, sheds light on the legal turmoil following the landmark Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision.

Student News

Giel-bovaird shares advice on leadership and giving back.

Maggie Giel-Bovaird ’09 was the featured speaker at the April 10 Ruth A. Miller Senior Business Seminar. Giel-Bovaird is the Director of Outreach and Recruitment for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh.

• Read all the student comments
• See the list of guest speakers

“Once Maggie graduated from high school, she knew she wanted to go to a small liberal arts school like her father had and she found her home at Thiel College. She originally began as an education major and quickly realized that it wasn’t for her and switched to communications with a minor in media communications.” Zach Bergstresser ’25

“One reason she enjoyed coming to Thiel is because it was more diverse than her high school, and it was a small, connected community.” Damion Grinnell ’25

“As a sophomore, she became a peer mentor to assist the freshmen, along with joining Sigma Kappa, which caused her to be more involved in campus life and then stopped traveling back and forth to her residence due to homesickness.” Jacara Green ’25

“She credits Thiel and its liberal arts philosophy to allow the students to stretch themselves. I resonate with this sentiment because Thiel gave me the opportunity to have leadership positions, internship opportunities, and varied classes.” Connor Lovic ’24

“It takes a village when you have children and a family. Her parents help her a lot and it is important to have a good support system.” Abigail Sefton ’25

“Maggie has a very outgoing personality, and it is clear how passionate she is about her work. I was very interested in her non-profit work since it is also a passion of mine.” Connor Lovic ’24

“Maggie was an excellent and enthusiastic speaker.” Connor Lovic ’24

Lessons Learned

• “The difference between a job and a career is passion.” Zach Bergstresser ’25
• “Find a good mentor, someone who will be there for advice.” Damion Grinnell ’25
• “Stretch yourself, challenge yourself, that is how you grow.” Isaac Sasala ’24
• “When you surround yourself with diversity, you will eventually find diversity inside of yourself. “ Abraham Hochstetler ’24
• “She recommended getting on some boards, such as non-profit boards, to meet and work with people.” Abigail Sefton ’25
• “You are no good if you are burnt out.” Jacara Green ’25
• “Everyone has a background, with some carrying a heavy load.” Hailey McClain ’24
• “ Speak for those who cannot speak.” Madi Yurich ’24
• “Being a smiling face for someone can make all the difference in their life.” Hailey McClain ’24

Dinner “Dishing”

• “During dinner, our table discussed the changes that have occurred on campus and around town throughout the years. This provided me with knowledge regarding former buildings and local spots that no longer exist.” Jackson Pletcher ’24

Communication students tour Erie television station, featured on broadcast

Paul Coatsworth and communication majors toured WICU/WSEE Lilly Broadcasting television station in Erie on Monday.

• Watch the segment .

Traverso attends women’s match; team distributing practice balls

President Susan Traverso, Ph.D. attended the April 6 women’s home tennis match against Fredonia State University. The Lady Tomcats had a number of close matches but fell to the Blue Devils, 7-2.

The men’s and women’s tennis season is coming to a close soon, and with that is always an accumulation of a large amount of used practice balls. Instead of putting the tennis balls in the garbage, the teams will be repurposing them for other uses within the Greenville community.

In addition, the Thiel Tennis program would like to offer any used tennis balls to faculty and staff as gifts for their pet(s). Simply, send an email request to the tennis coach, Anthony Kobak  by Tuesday, April 30. Please include your name, phone number, pet name(s) and number of tennis balls.

Special Notes

Inviting all campus offices to sponsor a fun activity for students during our annual Farewell Festival on Friday, May 3. 

• Click here to sign up.

For more information, contact Than Oo .

Thiel College welcomes:

• Pamela Patton , administrative assistant to the Vice President for Finance and Administration
• Amy Stoyer , administrative assistant to faculty and academic record

Retirement planning available

Participants of the Thiel College Retirement Plan can meet with independent Retirement Plan Advisor Jack Ryan from HB Retirement for retirement planning needs through conference calls and virtual meetings. His office hours can be selected below.

Ryan is available on April 23 for online meetings.

• If you’d like to reserve a 15 or 30-minute time slot, please click HERE to schedule and select from the available times.

Ryan can assist you with questions regarding:

• Market Updates and Analysis
• Investment selection within the plan
• Retirement Income Planning
• Outside Investment Reviews
• Insurance needs analysis and policy reviews
• Comprehensive Financial Planning

Campus Events

Baseball: Waynesburg at Thiel April 17 at 1 p.m. Tomcat Stadium

Thiel hosts Waynesburg University in baseball.

For more information, contact Sports Information .

Resume Drop-In Hours April 10, 17, and 24 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Career Development Center, Howard Miller Student Center

The Career Development Center will be open for drop-in resume reviews, in which individuals can gain feedback on their resumes and how to improve them. No appointment is necessary.

For more information, contact Liza Schaef .

Men’s Tennis: Saint Vincent at Thiel April 17 at 4 p.m. Thiel Tennis Courts

Thiel hosts Saint Vincent in men’s tennis.

Painting Pots and Succulents: Earth Day Celebration April 18 from 11 a.m. to noon Bistro, Howard Miller Student Center

The second event held by the Environmental Club for Earth Week, the club will invite students to paint pots for them to plant succulents in. Students will be able to use this opportunity to destress and get a new plant.

Community Medical Ethics Project Presentation April 18 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Lutheran Heritage Room, Howard Miller Student Center

Greer Donley, J.D.  from Pitt’s Center for Bioethics will be offering a discussion and reflection presentation on the current climate.

Kiwanis Club Meeting April 18 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (Also May 18 and June 20) Sawhill Georgian Room, Howard Miller Student Center

The Kiwanis Club of Greenville will have its regular meeting at Thiel.

Baseball: Penn State Altoona at Thiel April 18 at 2 p.m. Tomcat Park

Thiel hosts Penn State Altoona in baseball.

Physician Assistant Deposited Student Visit Day April 19 from noon to 3 p.m. James Pedas Communication Center

Thiel College will welcome the new Physician Assistant students who will begin the program in the summer. Students will be able to meet with current students and faculty, tour campus, learn next steps and gain assistance in navigating the financial side of the graduate school.

For more information, contact the Admissions Office .

Men’s Tennis: Waynesburg at Thiel April 19 at 4 p.m. Thiel Tennis Courts

Thiel hosts Waynesburg University in men’s tennis.

Party on College Ave April 19 and 20 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Riverside Park Amphitheater

NHL Entertainment and TCTV will present a two-day music festival for students and the Thiel College community. A variety of artists will be performing and pop-up shops will be open.

For more information, contact mezzoonmars! On Instagram.

The Awesome 80s Prom April 19, 20, 26 and 27 Maenpa Court, Rissel-Beeghly Gymnasium

Thiel Players will put on their production of The Awesome 80s Prom by Ken Davenport. All are welcome to come and audience participation is encouraged.

For more information, contact J.K. Rogers, Ph.D .

Bingo in Bly April 19, 26, and May 3 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Bly Hall

Student Life will host weekly bingo games in Bly Hall.

Women’s Lacrosse: Saint Vincent at Thiel April 20 at noon Alumni Stadium

Thiel hosts Saint Vincent College in women’s lacrosse.

Baseball: Grove City at Thiel April 20 at 1 p.m. Tomcat Park

Thiel hosts Grove City College in baseball.

Softball: Westminster at Thiel April 20 at 1 p.m. Tomcat Park

Thiel hosts Westminster College in softball.

Men’s Lacrosse: Saint Vincent at Thiel April 20 at 3 p.m. Alumni Stadium

Thiel hosts Saint Vincent College in men’s lacrosse.

Photography Club Bingo April 20 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Bly Hall

Photography Club will host a free night of bingo, available for the entire Thiel College community to attend.

Baseball: Mount Union at Thiel April 21 at 1 p.m. Tomcat Park

Thiel hosts the University of Mount Union in baseball.

She Kills Monsters - Auditions April 22 and 23 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. William A. Robinson Theater

Auditions will be held for Thiel College’s fall 2024 production of She Kills Monsters by Qui Nguyen.

For more information, contact J.K. Rogers .

Commanding the Frontlines: Professor David M. Miller Distinguished Lecture Speaker 2024 April 22 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Lutheran Heritage Room, Howard Miller Student Center

Thiel College will welcome Rear Admiral Richard Childs, Scientific Director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), as the 2024 Professor David M. Miller '61, H'20 Distinguished Lecture speaker.

Career Tabling: Sheetz April 23 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Howard Miller Student Center Hallway

A representative from Sheetz will be tabling in the hallway of the Howard Miller Student Center to allow students, faculty and staff to learn more about opportunities available within the company.

Interview Help Series: Your Skills Pay The Bills April 23 from 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Room 125, Pedas Communication Center

The Career Development Center will host a workshop to help students, faculty and staff to develop their interview skills. This week, they will learn about valuable skills in an interview, like communication and leadership, to make the interviewee stand out.

Reusable Tote Bag Decorating: Earth Week Celebration April 23 from 11 a.m. to noon Bistro, Howard Miller Student Center

As the final event for Earth Week, the Environmental Club will provide reusable tote bags for students, faculty and staff to decorate.

Baseball: Allegheny at Thiel April 23 at 1 p.m. Tomcat Park

Thiel hosts Allegheny College in baseball.

Community Events

Dementia Care and Coping Strategies for Care Partners April 25 at 3 p.m. Anderson Fellowship Hall in The Heritage at St. Paul's, 339 East Jamestown Road, Greenville, Pa.

Dr. Melanie Titzel , Engagement Officer for LECOM Institute for Successful Aging in Erie, Pa. will present "Effective Communication Strategies in Dementia Care and Coping Strategies for Care Partners"

• Read more .

Reservations are recommended. Please register here. Or call 724-589-4667 and select option 7.

Grapes and Growlers Sponsored By Greenville Area Chamber of Commerce May 18 from 4-7 p.m. The Bistro, Howard Miller Student Center

General admission is $25 per person. Food will be available for purchase.

For more information or to purchase tickets contact Mark Batt ’87 at ext. 2157.

Tomcat Tributes

Tomcat Tributes recognize the teamwork Thiel College employees exhibit each day. Employees can nominate co-workers for recognition in four categories (Random Act of Kindness, Going the Extra Mile, Had a Great Idea, Just Because).

• To nominate a fellow employee, visit the Campus Resources link on the Thiel Hub.

Publishing Schedule

T-Notes is published every week during the academic year. It arrives Wednesday afternoons. The next edition will be out April 24, 2024. Send your event or news to [email protected] by noon Monday, April 22, 2024 to be published in that week’s edition.

Submit updates and news

The Office of Communications and Marketing is always looking for good content that can be featured in the weekly staff newsletter ( T-Notes ), the student newsletter ( Thiel Happenings ), the website Newsroom or on social media.

Please send any information about you, your students, your department or your colleagues to Dominick DiRienzo M.A.’22 .

Information about anything your department is featuring this year, any faculty accomplishments or student activity.

These updates do not have to meet a “newsworthiness” standard and do not have to be things that you are specifically doing or hosting.

If you have any questions, contact DiRienzo at ext. 2188.

Communications collateral

Employees should update the logos used on institutional materials, including email signatures, letterhead, PowerPoint slides, etc.

Thiel College has used the shield and wordmark combination as the official institutional logo for more than a year. They are the only approved logo for academic co-curricular and institutional use. Additional athletic logo packages are also available.

Email signatures, brand resources, and a job request form are all available online. A Dropbox folder has been set up with instructions and the materials necessary to create new email signatures. Employees can find other Thiel College-branded resources including letterhead, logos and PowerPoint slides in the same folder.

• Download brand assets .

Thiel College community members who need help with communications and marketing initiatives and collateral can now request those services with a job form. The request form is available on the communications and marketing webpage or linked directly below.

• Job request form

For more information, email the office .

Thiel College 75 College Ave Greenville, PA 16125 1-800-248-4435

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Articles & Advice > Campus Visits > Blog

5 College Visit Tips No One Told You About Until Now

Students often wonder: How do I make the most of a campus visit? There's a lot of advice out there, but these are the little-known things no one tells you.

by Skyler Rossi CollegeXpress Student Writer, University of Missouri

Last Updated: May 12, 2023

Originally Posted: Jun 30, 2017

As college application season quickly approaches, high school students across the country are booking their college visits for their top choices. They hop in trains, cars, and planes and make mini vacations out of weekend college road trips. College trips are the best way to truly get to know the schools you're interested in. But how do you make the most of those visits? You follow this little-known advice, that’s how.

Book an information session and campus tour

Almost every college and university offers information session and tour packages for prospective students. The good news is that they’re absolutely free! Take advantage of the opportunity to hear all about the admission process , financial aid , study abroad, classroom sizes, and more directly from college representatives and take a tour led by a student who actually lives there. Also, because you will be guided through the campus instead of aimlessly walking around, you will have the opportunity to see libraries, dining halls, and sometimes even dorm rooms. Finally, both campus information sessions and tours are awesome opportunities to ask tons of questions!

Related: The 3 Main Types of College Visits

Open houses shouldn't be skipped

Once the spring comes around, colleges and universities tend to hold campus tours and information sessions Monday through Friday. However, on a few particular days they’ll host open houses too. During these events, visiting students participate in a day full of admission-related activities, such as student panels, open classrooms, and even lunch in a dining hall. Because an open house has more going on than a regular tour or information session, you learn more about the school. Also, they attract more people, so you can meet the kind of students who are also applying to the school.

Current students know best

Colleges can go on and on about how their students are all bright and happy, but the only way to find out for sure is to meet some of them on your own. Maybe you can talk to other students in the admission office while you’re waiting for your tour to start, or you could chat with a friendly looking group relaxing in the quad. You might be surprised by how willing students are to talk about their college experience, share their tips, and answer your questions. Do they study a lot? Are they excited about campus sports? Do they have an avid extracurricular life ? Are they stressed out all of the time? You want to hear the truth from them directly. After all, these students will be your peers if you decide to commit to the college, so it’s important to see how you’d fit in. Unfortunately, because most college students leave campus for summer vacation, there aren’t many students living there during June, July, and August. Still take a tour if this is the only convenient time for you to visit, but consider going back down the road when you are closer to your decision.

Related:  How to Overcome Anxiety and Talk to College Students on Campus Tours

Visiting the financial aid office will benefit you 

Since you’ve already taken the time to visit campus, you might as well stop by the financial aid office before you leave. Ask if you could speak with an advisor, and come prepared with questions. The best way to understand how the school can help you financially is by talking to the people who will be ultimately making your financial aid package ! In fact, on rare occasions, a college might waive your application fee just by visiting the financial aid office. As applications can get up to $70 or $80 dollars, you don’t want to pass those savings up. Do your research before you visit the school to see if this applies. Also, the school’s financial aid advisors may be able to tell you about scholarship opportunities that are unique to you, your interests, and/or your major. They can also explain the process for applying to these awards, like if you need to apply separately or if your general application for admission is all you need to submit. Finally, be sure to check when the financial aid office is open. Sometimes they have reduced hours during the summer, and they’re rarely open on weekends, so you may have to plan accordingly.

Visit the surrounding town or city

It’s a good idea to extend your trip off campus visit and spend some time where you may be living and/or hanging out in your free time. Go to dinner at a local restaurant students like. Walk around and feel out the atmosphere of the area. Get a sense of what there is to do for fun and maybe even for work (whether part-time jobs or internships ). Even if you plan to live on campus throughout college, the surrounding city or town can have a big impact on your life, so it’s important that you are happy there. Like you wouldn’t move into a house that you’ve only viewed online, you shouldn’t commit to a college without seeing it first. Take the time to do so, and you will be happy you did so come college decision time!

Related: The Best Ways to Make Your College Campus Visits More Fun

I hope this blog gave you some advice you hadn’t gotten before about college visits. The fact of the matter is no two campus visit experiences are going to be the same. The most important thing is to be yourself, focus on what’s most important to you and not anyone else, and have a good time.

Need a break from reading blogs? Check out the advice and other fun content over on the CollegeXpress YouTube channel !

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About Skyler Rossi

Skyler is a senior from Princeton, New Jersey, and she will be studying journalism and creative writing next year at the University of Missouri.

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Courtney Smith

High School Class of 2022

CollegeXpress has been a huge help! The website is very organized with finding the right scholarship for anyone and anything. With CollegeXpress, I've been able to find many scholarship opportunities to apply for. Not only that, I'm also able to search for the colleges I have interest in and see what’s required and what scholarships they offer. I've learned a lot from CollegeXpress. They've helped me in many ways to achieve my goals!

Carlie Cadet

High School Class of 2019

CollegeXpress has helped me learn about an abundance of scholarships available to me and my situation. I was able to do research for colleges in my best interest with your website. I've had multiple colleges email me and offer me multiple scholarships and things of that nature because of this website! Thank you so much for uploading scholarships I didn’t even know existed, even if my life took a huge turn and I wasn’t able to go to college straight out of high school. CollegeXpress helped me a lot in high school to be even more motivated to get into my dream college (which I did, by the way). I'm looking forward to using the materials CollegeXpress has kindly provided me for free to look for scholarships to help pay for college.

My favorite feature of CollegeXpress is the scholarship search. As someone going out of state for college, I needed all the financial help I could get, and CollegeXpress helped me easily find scholarships I could apply for to help fund my education.

High School Class of 2023

Being a sophomore in high school, I never really worried about college. I thought it wasn't important to worry about until senior year. Through this program opportunity I came across, I realized how important it is to start looking at colleges early and start planning ahead. CollegeXpress has opened my eyes to what colleges require, what colleges are near me, and what they offer. The daily emails I get from CollegeXpress really help me look at the different options I have and what colleges I fit into. Without this website, I would not be taking the time out of my day to worry about what my future will be nor what opportunities I have. I could not be more grateful for such an amazing and useful website. It's thanks to CollegeXpress that not only me but my family now know how much potential I have in to getting into these colleges/universities that we thought were out of my reach.

Sarah Armstrong

I am a deaf student, and I had always dreamed of going to Gallaudet University. CollegeXpress helped me search though other qualified universities. They helped me know for sure that Gallaudet University was the right choice for me!

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