Most college counselors urge students to have college overnight visits. They are right! Overnight college visits are the only way you will discover if the college feels “right.” An overnight college visit will help you uncover the true college culture. Many colleges hide behind fancy brochures and encouraging mottos. Thereby, enrolling in college overnight visit programs will help you choose the perfect college. Academic professionals at writemyessayforme.co.uk have curated a list of tips on what to do on a college visit. Read on to discover why you should leave your home and have an overnight college visit.
1. Meet Current Students Who Are Not a Part of the Admissions Office
Students who serve as tour guides or overnight hosts have a strong admiration for the school. As such, they want to highlight the best aspects of the school. This can mean that they might focus more on the positives and ignore the negative aspects of the school. Before you make a decision, you need a more balanced perspective of the school.
If you have an overnight stay, you can meet your host’s classmates, friends, and roommates. They will not all feel obliged to show the best aspects of the school or their college experience. This is your chance to meet current students who are not part of the admissions office. Ask them what they like and dislike about their college experience.
2. Jot down Your Questions in Advance
When you are on your overnight visit, take every chance to find out everything about the college. List down questions which you want answers to. Ask different students the same questions. This will help you discover what they think about their college experience in that school. You should have a list of pre-drafted questions to ask at college visits, like how to write a perfect essay. Do not let your parents do all the asking. Plan and figure out what is important to you. Whether you want to know about the classes, state of the dorms, or partying – ask away.
Your host will have all the information about:
• How involved students are,
• How you can choose your classes,
• The state of the dorms, as well as the bathrooms, and
• Whether the college has a house-party or bar oriented party system.
Do not be afraid to ask questions. When it comes to choosing a college, there are no silly questions.
3. See what it is Like Spending a Weeknight in College
You will spend more weeknights than weekend nights once you are in college. An overnight stay will help you discover how the evenings at the college you are visiting are like. Some questions to ask prospective colleges about campus life on weeknights include:
• Do students hang out together on weeknights?
• Do many students prefer studying or partying on weeknights?
• Do events take place on weeknights?
• These are some of the questions you can get answers to about campus life on weeknights.
4. Figure out what Current Students Do Not Like
Finding out what students like is almost as important as finding out what they do like. You may find out something that the students do not like and drop the college. Be sure to mingle with everyone so that you can get a more balanced concept of the school.
Experts recommend putting the negatives and positives in a column. If the negatives outweigh the positives, then it is not worth considering that college.
5. Attend a Class that Interests You
Ask your host to find you a class that interests you. This will give you a chance to mingle with other students, as well as the professor. Even though you cannot judge a teacher based on one class, you can get a feel of the atmosphere. This will help you determine if the environment is fitting for you.
Once you are in class, introduce yourself to the professor and your fellow students. Your fellow students are your best resource. They can fill you in on how the curriculum is like and what classes are like on a typical day.
6. Have Dinner with Current Students
Some colleges allow visitors to have dinner in their dining halls. By attending an overnight visitation fit, you will get to eat what currents students eat. Even better, you will get to eat with the students. Dinner with currents students will allow you to ask more questions about campus life. Take this opportunity to find out what your host’s friends have to say about the school.
7. Spend a night in the Dorms
Some campus tours allow visitors to visit the dorms. But, sometimes admissions can be cunning and send visitors to spacious and well-decorated dorms. An overnight visit will help you see how living in a standard dorm is like. You can also ask other students how the housing situation at the college is like.
Observe how students living on the same floor interact. Are they friendly with each other? Or is it evident that the dorms are a place reserved only for sleeping?
8. Attend a Club Meeting or any Other Campus Event
You should attend club meetings or other campus events. A lot of activities take place on campus on weeknights. These include lectures, club meetings, performance rehearsals, and performances. Ask your host about the activities taking place on that particular evening. If anything captures your attention, do not be afraid of getting involved. You can also tag along when your host is attending a lecture, performance, or meeting. You never know, you might end up liking something you never thought you would.
9. You Can End Up Meeting Your Future Classmates
If you are attending an overnight college visit during an admitted students’ weekend, you will likely meet your future classmates. College visits for high school students provide an opportunity to meet other high school seniors. Meeting and interacting with high school seniors who share the same interests as you can be fun. You can also scope out who is likely to be your future classmate by asking questions such as:
• Did you apply to any other college?
• What are your interests?
• What field of study do you want to pursue?
• How do you like the campus so far?
The answers to these questions will help you determine who is likely to be your future classmate.
10. Do Not Cut Off Communication after the Visit
After the overnight visit, call, text, or email your host to express gratitude for their help. Your host will appreciate this gesture and keep you in mind in case you need their help in the future.
After the visit, feel free to contact your host and ask questions about housing, curriculum, or scholarships. But, do not overwhelm your host with questions. Your host might have a lot on their plate and fail to answer all your questions. Wait for the college summer to start. This is the best time to ask your host all the pressing questions.
11. Envision Yourself in the College of Your Dream
Many students look at the following when choosing a college:
• Extracurricular opportunities
• A combination of academic programs
• Social scene
• Rank of the college
All this information is available online on a college’s website. Additionally, some students prefer taking a college tour. This is not as effective because a college tour will not give you an in-depth view of the campus.
At the end of it all, there is a real value in overnight college visits high school students. You will have the first-hand experience of what it feels to attend the college you are considering. This will place you in a better position to envision yourself attending the college of your choice.
Final Word
An overnight visit is the only way you will discover if the college is right for you. The more you know before you enroll, the more informed your decisions will be. The above tips will help you know what to do during your next overnight visit. Follow them to ensure that you make the right decision when choosing a college. After you choose a college, you can seek essay writing help from academic CV writing services. These services will help you draft the perfect essay that will impress any admissions board.
Go ahead and attend an overnight college visit. You will not regret it!
