Last year a student told me, “Visiting a college campus is like meeting a famous person. You can read about them and see them in movies and on TV, but seeing them in person tells you a whole lot more than you would expect.”

There is no substitute for visiting a college campus. None. With so many options to learn about a college and its mission, culture, programs, diversity, academic rigor, financial aid practices, admission rates and even ratings of campus cuisine, it is hard to imagine anything else can be learned from a campus visit. Between 3D touring and drone videos paired with the highly vetted and objective views provided through esteemed sources such as College Confidential (yes, please note the sarcasm) there can’t be to learn about specific colleges, can there?

Oh, but there is…

Over the last two decades I have heard hundreds of students say “I had no idea” to describe visiting a specific college for the first time. But this does not mean the experience was pleasant, positive or assuring. In many cases some highly ranked schools are quickly and forever removed from a student’s college application list after thirty minutes on campus. Sometimes it only takes five minutes. But in many cases, students who reluctantly visit a recommended school often discover a new home. This attraction rarely has anything to do with online information, books or watching drone videos. The school just feels right.

After visiting nearly a hundred college campuses and talking with thousands of students who have made the high school – college transition, I have learned quick ways to get the real story about colleges: talk to as many current students and professors, and an admissions representative who recently graduated from the school. I suggest you try this.

Once you arrive on campus there are a few things that I have found to be paramount in learning about the school culture, programs and most importantly – information you will not read about on the web or in college guide books. Without any doubt, the best source of information about the school, services, class rigor, culture and non-school activities is students. If you can talk to five or six students for ten minutes you will learn more about the school than any website or book can provide, and most importantly, their input will give you a mirror to evaluate the information heard in the school’s canned tour.

I have found that students will tell you the real story whether they love everything about the school or not. In almost every case you will get a very personalized and subjective view of their experience so it is critical to talk with at least five students to get a good overview. In addition, I recommend you ask each student many of the same questions to obtain information that is important to you, and effectively compare responses and opinions.

After years of touring colleges, my favorite things are walking the campus, visiting with students, checking out the book store, if possible – visiting freshman dorms, find and tour the most popular place students get breakfast/lunch and find the best ice cream and a grilled cheese sandwich. I also have a thing for libraries, how they feel and how students use them.

For parents and students I would suggest your tour includes:

• Walk the campus. You will learn invaluable things such as: are people smiling/friendly to people they don’t know.
  • Talk to a minimum of five students and aim for diverse opinions/perspectives.
  • Ask each student a battery of questions, which might include:
    • Where did you go to high school?
    • How did you choose this school – has it lived up to your expectations?
    • Were you academically prepared for academics here?
    • Describe best/worst class and your experiences with professors.
    • The best/worst thing about school culture at the school
    • What would you change about the school?
    • What do they wish someone would have told you about this school before you arrived/selected it – and would that have changed your selection?
    • What do you do to decompress? Weekends?
    • Do they feel your are being prepared…for life…work…?
    • How would you describe the student life and culture?
    • Food – the good, the bad, the ill advised…???

After these initial questions, I usually ask about major courses of study, department strengths, opportunities available – internships, safety, student support, best place to get a grilled cheese sandwich, and always…is there good gelato and chocolate off campus.

• Take Pictures!
  • You will remember the things you saw much better if you have a picture to reference. Trust me. After two or three schools on the same day, they start to blend together.
  • You might lose a brochure, card or campus map, but if you take a picture you can reference it later much easier.
  • Always take a selfie next to a campus icon. Campus quads and iconic structures are great subjects.
    

While the canned presentation and tour of schools can provide important information, it is highly biased and presented by those who like and promote the school in the most positive light. In my opinion, make an appointment to take the school admissions tour, but only if you have time after/before walking the campus and speaking with students.

If you do take the admissions tour, you might ask pointed questions about:

1. Evaluation metrics most important other than GPA/Test scores?
2. Interviews (while on campus?)
3. The premier scholarships (deadlines/qualifications/amounts?)
4. School culture/mission?
5. Departments/Professor they consider amazing

And finally – many schools know that touring a campus is just not possible for some students. Increasingly, more colleges offer Fly-In programs for underserved students. These school sponsored events fly students in to visit campus, have an interview, attend a class, tour the dorms and talk to current students. Some schools extend the visit overnight and students stay in the dorms for an additional exposure to college life. While not available at all schools or for all students, these events can provide an invaluable experience in getting to know the school. The main thing to know about Fly-In programs is…deadlines. They fill up early, so apply early.