Tips for Visiting Campus

Visiting college campuses is a big part of the college search experience but it can also be stressful when you're doing it for the first time! Here are some tips for your entire trip from beginning to end.

Before the Visit

First thing's first — check the school's website for a registration link! Most schools will have a designated location on their website for you to register for visits and events. This ensures that the school knows that you're stopping by!

After you register, you will receive all the information you need to start planning logistics for your trip to campus. The next important task is to prepare some questions you might have for the admissions office or the representative who will be working with you during your visit. Visits are a unique opportunity for students and families to be meeting admissions representatives who work with students and read real applications on a daily basis. Their primary role is to help you figure out what it is that you're hoping to get out of your college experience and if the school is the right fit for you!

Next, prepare for an active day! College visits usually include a campus tour so be sure to wear comfortable shoes and prepare for the weather. The tour is a great way for students and families to experience the fullness of campus but that might involve some walking!

During the Visit

The day is finally here, and you're heading out on your college visit.

Choosing a school also means choosing a home for the next couple of years, so if you have the time to explore, it will help with your decision-making later on.

Be sure to give you and your party extra time as you are leaving for the visit. This is especially important if you are not staying close to the campus and will be driving in. Usually getting to campus an hour prior to your scheduled visit will give you enough time to find parking, walk to the visit center, check in, use the restroom, and take a breather before officially starting the information session and tour.

I know this next tip is a little silly and maybe obvious but please attend the entire information session and tour! There is a plethora of information being shared during the visits but if you are late or decide to leave early for any reason, you might be missing out on really important information.

As the information session ends, don't be shy to ask the questions you came prepared with! There may be a few other students and families attending the session with you or over 100 people, but that's okay! If you had a question, chances are that some other student or family also had the same question. The purpose of the visit is for you to gather enough information about your potential new school to make a decision whether or not you'd like to apply, accept, and attend.

Finally, this goes without saying but, enjoy the tour!

After Your Visit

Okay, so, you've invested time in preparing for your college visit, you arrived and attended the information session, had a great tour — now where do we go from here?

I always encourage students and families to stay on or around campus a little while longer after their visit to explore on their own. It could be as simple as getting a coffee and sitting in the quad to watch life happen on campus. Hopefully, this will give you a good sense of what your life might look like if you decided to attend the university. This also includes the surrounding city or town that the school is located in. Choosing a school also means choosing a home for the next couple of years, so if you have the time to explore, it will help with your decision-making later on.

Another tip I usually tell students is to visit campus multiple times, if possible, especially if you are unfamiliar with the area or location of the school. For example, Drexel University students experience all four seasons while attending school, which means they see the leaves change amongst the crisp autumn air, snow drifting on top of skyscrapers during the winter, students lounging on the lawn during the peak of spring, and undying vibrant spirit in the summer. For a student to truly understand their future home, they should see all sides of it, if possible.

Okay, friends! My last tip! Please stay in touch with your admissions representative! We are here to HELP YOU figure out if our school is the right fit for you. Although we do the very important work of reading your applications, we are just human too. We want the best for you and hope that we can be a resource to you and your family as you go through your college search process. So don't be shy, reach out whenever you need something, stay in touch, and hopefully we will see you around again soon!

Read more stories at our Undergraduate Admissions Blog.