The bottom line is that you cannot tell everything about a school just by looking at the college publication. In fact, you cannot tell near about a college just by reading this material. The best thing for you to do if you are interested in a college is to set the time aside and go take a visit. Now, I understand that this is usually easier said than done. What if I play a sport in high school and we are in season? What if the college I want to attend is 500-miles away? These are all things that come up- you cannot let them stop you from visiting. In the long run you will be doing yourself a huge favor by visiting the campus in person.
When you are on campus you will have the chance to physically meet with someone from the admissions office. You will be able to sit face to face with them and ask questions about your desired program of study as well as anything else that comes to mind. In fact, if you have not been accepted to your desired college yet meeting with the admissions department could help your cause if you present yourself well. If you want to make a good impression then make sure to dress nice and act mature and interested. This will go a long way to getting you accepted into the school as the people in admissions have the authority to make that decision.
Another thing that you can do when you visit a campus in person is sit in on a class. This may seem like a small detail but it is actually a big deal. If you know what you want to major in you can sit in on a class in your field of study. This will give you a good idea of what the curriculum will be like, the class size as well as the teaching style of the professor. Furthermore, after the class is over there is a good chance that you can have a conversation with the professor and ask them questions about the course material. This is nice because it will give you a unique perspective on the class and allow you to formulate an opinion before you even step foot on the campus as a student. Maybe you will like what you see in the class and maybe you won’t!
Finally, when visiting a campus in person you will want to take the time to have lunch in the cafeteria. Why is this important? In short, it is important because it will give you the opportunity to observe the other students in a social setting. It will allow you to see how well you would, or would not, fit in. Also, it will give you a chance to taste the food. If you are a picky eater then you may want to try to find a school that has top-notch food service. After all, a meal plan will be something that you need and use every single day. You should at least make sure you enjoy what you are paying for!
