Here are three things you should do after a college visit:

1. Jot down notes

After each visit you should write down a few notes about the college. These notes will help to trigger your memory. These might include: the dates you visited, what you liked or disliked, what you did while you were on campus, questions you still have for the school, etc.

2. Record names of the people you met with during the visit

Make sure to write down the names of the people that you interacted with during your campus visit. These names might include: coaches, deans, professors, students, or admissions officers. You may want to refer to these people later on during the application or interview process especially if they influenced your decision to apply.

3. Follow up

Make sure to follow up on any loose ends after your visit. Did you interview while you were there? Make sure to follow up by writing a thank you note. Did you have lingering questions? Follow up with an email or phone call. Unsure if you are on their mailing list? Follow up by giving them your contact information and requesting to be added to their distribution list.
Have a great college visit!
 

Great College Advice

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However, the question that seems to stress many students and parents out is what to wear, or in this article’s case – what not to wear on a college visit.
When I worked in college admissions I would often see students (and parents) show up dressed completely unprepared for the day’s events.

To help you plan for your campus visit keep these tips in mind:

• Don’t wear uncomfortable shoes. Campus visits require a lot of walking and the last thing you want to worry about is tired feet. Leave those high heels at home.
• Don’t wear clothing from another college. There is nothing worse as an admissions counselor than to have a prospective student come up to you raving about how much they want to attend your college while wearing the sweatshirt from a peer institution.
• Don’t wear inappropriate clothing. Watch the holes, ripped clothing, and inappropriate slogans.
• Don’t wear anything too tight, low-cut or revealing.
• Don’t overdress. Unless you are doing an interview there is no reason for a suit and tie. Especially in the late spring/summer- you will just be uncomfortable.
• Don’t forget to check the weather channel. Make sure to dress for the climate and bring layers.

Whenever you are interacting with a college you want to dress to impress, but make sure you are comfortable and ready to brave the elements.
Looking for more college visit tips? Check out our recent blog post on tips for planning spring break college visits.

The post What Not To Wear: The College Visit first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

I don’t know if this student was embarrassed, but I certainly would have been.  While her response to the tour guide’s question may seem innocent enough, it quickly revealed that she had not researched the college before visiting.  Her lack of preparation was further evidenced by the fact that, during the tour, neither she nor her father asked a single question.  While the tour guide probably could have cared less (hey, it made his job easier), imagine if this student also had an interview with an admissions officer while she was on campus.  Had she answered a question about her intended major the way she answered it on the tour, or had she been offered the opportunity to ask questions and not done so, the admissions officer likely would not have been impressed.

Does the school have the major you want?

The point of this story is that visiting a college is a great way to learn more about it, but that doesn’t mean you should go in blind.  If you want to make the most of a college visit, you should do some research beforehand.  First and foremost, find out if the school has the major(s) you’re interested in.  If not, does it really makes sense to spend your time and money (and that of your parents) visiting?  Probably not.

What is important to you?

Secondly, take some time to explore the college’s website for information about things that are important to you.  Do you want to live in a single-sex dorm?  Better find out if the school has them.  Hoping to join a fraternity or sorority?  Make sure they exist at the college.  (Not all schools have a Greek system.)  Hoping to write for the school newspaper but don’t want to major in journalism?  You need to see if that’s possible.  If you have questions whose answers you can’t find on a college’s website, call the admissions office.

As I explained in my blog post, “When Doing College Research, People Are One of the Best Resources”, going on a campus tour enables students to not only see the college’s physical setting, but also to ask questions of a current student — the tour guide.  Take advantage of that opportunity to get inside information about what life at the school is really like.  Better yet, talk to other students in addition to the tour guide.  But before you do, do some research so that you can ask relevant questions about what you’re interested in.  And if you’re going to have an interview during your visit, research becomes even more important.

With a little preparation, you can avoid being caught in an embarrassing situation like the one I witnessed.  Additionally, you’ll get a great deal more out of your time on campus.

The post Before Visiting Colleges, Do Some Research first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

According to admissions officers, students who are a good fit for Knox are academically curious go-getters who think outside the box.  I also was fortunate to talk to some Knox students, who said the college is defined by accountability and community.  Diversity probably should be added to that list. As Knox is in the top 50 most ethnically diverse liberal arts colleges, in the top 25 most international liberal arts colleges. And is among the best colleges for LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered) students.  Knox operates on a trimester system in which students take three classes per term and each term is ten weeks.   

Great College Advice

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If you’ve identified a college that may be of interest to you, make a special point to visit that school. While on campus, why not make a little time to visit with the coach? Meeting with a coach is a great opportunity to ask questions about the school and the athletic program that you are interested in.

Not only will it give you more insight into the program and help you decide if you like the coach. But it’s also an excellent chance to market yourself. Be sure to contact the coach in advance of your visit to schedule an actual appointment. You don’t want to show up on campus hoping to speak to a coach and have no one there to see you!

Before you go, it’s also good idea to do a little bit of research about the college so that you can highlight to the coach the particular reasons why the school appeals to you. Spend some time on the school’s website. Read up on the school in one of the guidebooks to colleges. Check out YouTube to see if the school has a virtual tour, or go to one of the websites that offers virtual campus tours such as ecampustours.com  or Youniversitytv.com.

For your appointment, be sure to take:

• A copy of your transcript, so the coach can see what kind of student you are
• A copy of your athletic resume

When you go, there’s no harm in having a parent be there with you. It may even be beneficial since your parents will ask questions that you won’t. Be nice to your parents, however! The coach will be observing you, and you want to leave the best possible impression. Coaches don’t want disrespectful players on their team.

Because you have initiated the contact with the coach, and you are paying for everything having to do with your visit (i.e. transportation, food, lodging). You are considered to be conducting an “unofficial visit”. “Official visits” are those where the athlete is invited by the coach to spend time with the college’s team and the athlete’s expenses are paid for by the school. (Note that “official visits” can’t happen until after a student’s junior year in high school.) There is no such thing as an “official visit” in NCAA Division III sports, since those schools will not pay to recruit athletes.

If you are on an early “unofficial visit”, and you don’t really know where you stand with respect to the team and the recruiting process at that school, frame your questions as exploratory (e.g., “Playing my sport in college is very important to me, so I’m interested in understanding your approach to the team and the student experience on the team and at the school.”)

If you are further along in the recruitment process, and you appear to be clearly on the coach’s radar for recruitment. Then you can be more direct and specific with your questions. Either way, don’t be afraid to ask questions of the coach when you meet. You need to have as clear an understanding as possible about where you stand as an athlete with that school. And, if you attend, what your experience will be like when you get there.

For a great list of possible questions to ask the coach, see my colleague Mark’s blog post here.

Andrea Aronson
College Admissions Counselor
Westfield, NJ

The post Athletic Recruiting – Why Not Plan An “Unofficial Visit” with the Coach? first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

During my visit I stopped a few students to ask them what they liked about Villanova and why they chose to attend the school. While many of them chose the college for specific academic programs they all mentioned the word community.

Part of the reason for the strong community may be because Villanova is rooted in Augustinian Catholic tradition. The religious foundation of the college creates a strong identity for the campus and students. Programs and research on issues are taught through the lens of Catholic teaching.

As you are searching for colleges you may want to think about the role you want religion to play in the campus you attend. Do you want it to be a big element to the campus or a small one? Do you want religion to be visible on campus physically in the buildings or theoretically through teaching or both. Or, do you not want a religious influence at all? These are all important considerations in your college search.

Watch below to hear a little more from me on this subject and also from a few students about why they chose to attend Villanova!

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