Helpful hints for campus visits

The following hints will assure that you get the maximum benefit from your tour of any campus.

• Call ahead. While almost all schools will host walk-ins, it is to your benefit to phone a few days before a proposed visit. By doing so, a school can arrange a tour that will meet your individual interests and needs.
  
• Bring a family member or friend. An extra set of eyes and ears will be helpful on the tour and afterwards when you think about the visit.
  
• Ask questions. There are no bad questions. What about job placement? How safe is the campus? What support services are available? What out of class opportunities are there for students?
  
• Attend a class. If you think that you have selected a major field of study, then ask to sit in on an introductory class in that discipline. If you are uncertain of a major, then ask to visit a class that all students take regardless of major.
  
• Talk to a faculty member. If you have selected a major field of study, the professor can explain what is expected of those studying in that area. If you are undecided about an academic discipline, an instructor can discuss the core or basic courses which students take as they move to a decision.
  
• Talk about financial aid possibilities. Schools will have need-based aid and merit-based aid. You should be aware of all possible sources of aid.
  
• Eat in the dining hall. You are not going to choose a university because of its salad bar, however the dining hall is one of the community centers of a campus. You will be able to sense that tone and feel of the place.
  
• Trust your instincts. Do your instincts tell you that you will fit better in one school instead of another? If so, go to the one with which you feel most comfortable.