The Campus Visit
By Keith McCusker NU '04
There you are, standing in the hallway of your high school and the moment you've been preparing for all week happens. Your crush walks by and you finally make your move. You try to stop your stomach from doing back flips as you casually walk up to them and say, "Hey, wanna go see a movie together Friday night?" They say "Sure" and you're ecstatic. Now comes the hard part, preparing for the first date. It's a lot like preparing for a college visit. I'll explain.
You wouldn't have asked your crush out if you hadn't done some research about them first, just like you shouldn't visit a college without doing a little background work. Read up on the college before your visit - check out their website, read over any brochures they mailed you, or call the admissions office and ask some general questions. You don't want to waste your visit asking basic questions when you could be asking the tough questions.
- What's the size of your biggest class or smallest class?
- What's the food really like?
- What do you do for fun around here?
- Why did you decide to come here?
- If you could change one thing about this place, what would it be?
You're going to spend a good amount of time standing there looking at your closet before your big date. Of course you want to look good since first impressions count. At the same time you have to be realistic about your choice of clothes too. Just like visiting a college. You want to make a good first impression, but at the same time, you're going to want to be comfortable. The biggest thing is that you will be walking all over campus during your visit, so make sure you've got the right shoes along for the ride.
You're going to see an 8pm movie. Do you pick up your date and show up at the theater at 7:55pm? NO! You show up closer to 7pm and make small talk with your crush. Same thing goes for a college visit. Don't rush onto campus in a hurry and then leave before it's all over. Take time to make small talk with students around campus. Give yourself extra time after your visit to just walk around without a tour guide. Observe the campus and students and see if you could picture yourself as a student at that college. Some of the best moments of your visit can be that extra 10 minutes you spent chatting with your tour guide after the tour. Don't be afraid to ask your tour guide for their email if you want. They can become a great resource through out your college search process.
You just dropped your date off after the movie and you've got the entire drive home to think about how it went. The same goes for a drive home after a college visit. Think about your visit while it's still fresh in your head. Did you feel a connection between you and the campus? Could you see yourself there next year? What did you like or dislike about the college? Before your visit you could take the time to write out what you are looking for in a college. Did the college meet your criteria?
Just like if your date went really well, you'll have to go out again. Same thing goes for a college visit. If your first visit went well, go back and see the college again, maybe for an overnight stay with a student or for an open house. Picking the right college is an important decision, as is picking the right date for a Friday night movie. Ultimately, it's your decision. Listen to your gut and trust yourself and your investigative skills.
