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College Admissions
May I Sit in On a College Class?
The challenge is that most students never attempt it. They assume it requires special permission. That is not true.
June 4, 2026
The challenge is that most students never attempt it. They assume it requires special permission. That is not true.
Much is made of the importance of “faculty-student ratios” as an indicator of the quality of undergraduate teaching, or on the importance of teaching at a university. These ratios are unhelpful as a guide to understanding the priority paid to undergraduate teaching at a university.
As students and their families organize themselves to visit college campuses, they usually focus on itineraries, on reserving hotel rooms, and on scheduling those campus tours. Only a few, however, consider direct contact with professors during the visit. Why would a visit with a professor be important?
New research suggests that college students aren’t really learning. So how do find a college that will be academically challenging? How do you know if the students at the schools you are visiting are academically engaged?
The Chronicle of Higher Education posted an interesting article on professors using mediums like Twitter and Facebook in the classroom. Sugato Chakravarty, a professor of
I love visiting colleges. I learn stuff on campuses. Every once in a while I’m surprised by a conversation I have with folks. I was
The other day I received this question from a client: Hi, Mark. I’ve been reading college profiles, and nearly all of them cite student-to-faculty ratios,