The Summit Country Day School College Counseling Handbook
Tips for Making the Most of your Visit • If you will miss school, notify your teachers in advance by completing the College Visit form available online or in the College Counseling office. • Review the college website and any information the school has sent. • Develop a list of questions to ask the admissions officers and students, particularly important if you have an admissions interview. • Depending on your interests, you may also want to arrange for meetings with people such as coaches or professors. If you do request additional appointments, prepare a separate list of questions for those meetings. • We recommend no more than two college visits in a day. College visits are more work than you may think! • Arrange your schedule so you are able to attend everything: the information sessions, tours, and interviews. • Remember to make a reservation about two weeks prior to when you’d like to visit. Most colleges prefer you make this reservation online. • Secure good directions to the school’s campus and admissions office. Confirm the location of admissions parking ahead of time. • Inquire about the possibility of observing classes. Most admissions offices are happy to provide a list of classes pre-approved for visitors. • Observe class sizes, facilities, and teaching styles. Ask about the accessibility of faculty. • Make sure you see a dorm room similar to the one in which you will live your first year. • Eat a meal in the dining facilities. Inquire about meal plan options. • Talk to as many students as possible. Also, check the bulletin boards for campus news, and pick up a campus newspaper, as it will tell you about campus life. • If financial aid is a consideration, families may want to meet with and ask questions of a financial aid officer. Many admission counselors are also well versed in financial aid and will be able to answer questions. Make this appointment ahead of time. • Take notes. If you visit several schools during a short period of time, you may have difficulty remembering the differences. Use the time in the car to record your impressions or keep a journal on your Family Connection account. • Collect business cards, keep the names of each person you meet during your visit, and send a thank you note. Remember, everyone likes to be appreciated for doing a good job. • Don’t argue with your parents during the campus visit. They will have questions that might be different from yours – let them ask. An argument will only reflect poorly on you.
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