At many colleges, admissions officers are assigned to read applications from and visit high schools in specific geographic regions. Visiting schools in the fall allows admissions representatives to get to know the high schools and students whose applications they’ll see when they return to the office to read files. Attending one of these visits at your school is a great way to demonstrate your interest—if the school tracks it—without even leaving the premises of your school building.
Some high schools limit attendance at admission representative visits to seniors only, so make sure you know your school’s policies before you sign up.
Tips for Attending College Visits
Look presentable! There’s no need to dress up super fancy, but you should definitely avoid showing up in your gym clothes. Remember, when a visit is at your school, you are representing your school. It’s best to leave a positive impression.
Conduct research on the college before you go. If you’re planning to meet with a particular college, do some preliminary research beforehand so you don’t end up asking questions you could have easily answered on your own through a quick scan of their website. Admissions representatives prefer questions that get more at the substance and character of the school than their Frequently Asked Questions.
What to do if you missed representatives visiting your high school
Typically, many high schools or school districts host their own college fairs. Remember that this is not an interview. A college visit is not your opportunity to chat with your favorite college for 30 minutes while a line of students builds up behind you. You’ll want to come up to the table, introduce yourself to the representative, ask your question (or two), pick up some materials, and move on.
Have an open mind. You may already have some specific colleges in mind–and that might be your dream school, and one that is quite selective. That’s understandable, but we encourage you to be open-minded, especially because you need to have a balanced list of reach, target, and safety schools. Plus, by talking to admissions representatives, you might find that your dream school is one you weren’t as familiar with!
Ask your school counselor about any upcoming college fairs at other schools or community centers that may be open to the public and see if they have a list of schools that will be attending so you can arrive prepared.
If your high school doesn’t have a college fair, or if you want access to a larger group of schools, you could also check out the National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) Spring College Fairs. NACAC offers numerous college fairs around the country throughout the fall and spring. Typically, national college fairs are huge, often with hundreds of colleges and thousands of students and parents visiting. But since the start of the pandemic, NACAC has started offering both virtual and in-person college fairs. NACAC fairs provide resources that many smaller college fairs cannot, like workshops and presentations on admissions and financial aid.
The Colleges That Change Lives (CTCL) consortium also hosts in-person college fairs in various cities between March and August. CTCL is an organization of 40 small colleges that offer particularly unique, engaging, and transformative college experiences.
What if there isn’t a national college fair nearby and your school doesn’t host a fair? Your counselor may know of some college fairs organized locally by city or region. You can also reach out to the colleges you are most interested in to find out if they are going to any college fairs in your area.
Questions to ask admissions representatives during their visits
You won’t get a chance to ask every single one of the following questions but we have provided a range so that you can pick and choose based on what you’re looking for!
General Admissions Questions
- Is there something in particular that admissions readers look for when evaluating applications at your school?
- What kind of student would not be a good fit for your school?
- What are some of the best ways to engage with the admissions office as a prospective student (visit/information session/social media, etc)?
Academics
- What is unique about your school’s (your major) department?
- Can you tell me about this particular major?
- What is the most common major at the school?
- Do you admit students based on which major they have chosen? Are there certain concentrations that are more competitive than others for admission?
- How is this particular major different at your college than at others?
- What are some advantages and disadvantages to the average class size at your school?
- How many students are in the typical freshman classes? What about upper-level classes?
- How does the college help students access professors outside of class?
- How many students engage in research or other kinds of projects?
- What student-faculty research opportunities exist for undergraduates?
- What kinds of mentoring and advising relationships do students and faculty have?
Extracurriculars and Student Organizations
- What extracurricular options exist for students interested in XYZ?
- How easy is it for students to start their own club at this college?
- What are the options available for intramural and club sports?
- How involved are students in the local community?
- Is this particular club competitive to get into?
Campus and Social Life
- Does the school have a big athletic culture? What is a typical game day like?
- How does the presence or absence of Greek life affect the campus community?
- What do students typically do on weekends?
- Can you tell me what you enjoy most about the city/town/area where the school is located?
- What are the dorms like? Are there other housing options?
- How are residence halls secured?
- Do most students eat in dining halls? How are the dining services?
- What does the college do to ensure campus safety in general? What about in the event of an emergency?
- What are some popular restaurants and shops near campus?
Career Services
- Where have students from your school interned? Are there any formal internship arrangements with companies?
- How long does it typically take recent grads to find a full-time job in their career field?
- What career advising services are offered, and how long are they available?
- What networking or career fairs are held each year?
- How accessible and involved are alumni?
- What kinds of on-campus or local part-time jobs are available?
Available Resources
- What kind of support services are available to students?
- How common is it for students to receive financial aid or scholarships?
- Are there any major-specific financial aid or scholarship programs?
- Is it easy for students to find jobs on campus?
- What are the on-campus libraries like?
- Does the school have access to any additional library collections (local or other school libraries)?
- How would you describe the college gym/fitness center?
- In what ways does the university support students with technology needs (tech support, access, discounted or free software, etc)?
- In what ways does the university support students in need of educational support (disability services, writing centers, study groups, freshman interest groups/first-year support, etc)?
- What kinds of counseling and/or mental health services are available?
- How does the university foster/encourage multicultural identity in daily life?
- What quiet spaces are available for studying?
These are just a few examples of questions you can ask admissions representatives.There might be other topics that you want to learn about further. However, try to avoid yes/no questions and answers that you can easily find with a quick Google search. Show the school that you’re actually interested in acquiring information about their offerings and tailor questions to what you’re genuinely most curious about.
Make sure to connect with your high school counselor early and ask them when representatives might be visiting your campus so that you don’t miss out. Prepare well and show up ready to learn and take notes. Good luck!
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