WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? Firsthand view Get

Today, it seems like you can get all the information you want about any college with a simple Google search. You don’t have to leave your home to get details about the academic curriculum, extracurricular activities or campus facilities. So why exactly do experts strongly advise students to visit prospective colleges before applying? What additional information can you get from a personal visit that you can’t find online?

The answer may surprise you. The biggest advantage of campus visits is that they help you solidify your choice of college.

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St. Paul’s School of Nursing’s mission is to serve the needs of our community by offering a quality education exemplifying the highest standards for nursing practice. Nursing is both an art and a science providing a human service. Our core values of respect, integrity, compassion and excellence are imbedded throughout our curriculum as the foundation for providing care to all.

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St. Paul’s School of Nursing is a nonreligious institution of higher education offering two programs: (1) Associate Degree in Nursing program and (2) Associate Degree program in Medical Assisting.

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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 these tips.

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).

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.

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 email 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.

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

Take the campus tour. While it’s the most obvious thing to do, the official campus tour is worth your while. 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.…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.

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.

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.

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 voicerecording 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.

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).

Every college-focused high school student has heard of “College Applications Season.” This intense period is when 12th graders prepare to showcase their last four years of academic and extracurricular achievement in their college applications.

You’ve likely seen your senior peers enduring “College Applications Season,” but do most seniors begin work on their college applications well the fall and winter of their senior year? When does “College Applications Season” really start? The answer often depends upon the type of admission you’re interested in.

Tracking deadlines

One challenge of college applications is the variability from school to school. Each college chooses how students should apply, when its application opens, and, of course, its final application deadline (as well as any early decision or early action deadlines). This means that every college you apply to probably will likely have different dates and deadlines that you need to track. However, this won’t significantly affect your big-picture timeline, since most colleges open up their applications around the same time.

There are other factors that add some uniformity to the college admissions timeline. Many colleges use the Common Application; for all Common App schools, the application opens on the day that the Common App opens, Aug. 1. The Common App opening date has remained the same for some years.

During the college application process, you’ll submit essays, transcripts, recommendations, and more in order to be considered for admittance into the colleges and universities of your choice. When you apply, you’ll need to adhere to certain deadlines, which can vary depending on the type of application you submit.

Keep August in focus

Regardless of admission or application type, it all typically opens around Aug. 1 for the following Fall semester. At this time, you’ll be able to view the current application materials and most up-to-date requirements. You can also start submitting your applications.

However, many people will spend more time working on their applications and apply closer to the deadlines.

Early decision

• Application deadline: Early to mid-November

• Admission decision: Mid-December

• Pro: Finalize your admission decision for your top school months before regular admission decisions are sent

• Con: If accepted, you must attend Early decision enables students to submit