So you may be aware that summer is a great opportunity to get out there and visit some college campuses, but do you know what you should really be focusing in on when at these colleges? Let me help you out.

While amazingly green grass, pretty flowers and new Sports Complexes may make the campus look great and seem desirable, these areas alone should not be the selling feature of a college.  First things first; do they have a major or a few majors that sound interesting to you?  If nothing they offer is even remotely an area you want to pursue, that is not the college for you.  Next, what is the size of the school?  We all have different comfort levels; some of us want the ability to meet new people every day, which usually equates going to a larger institution.  Some of us want to be able to walk around campus and know virtually everyone, or at least recognize their faces, and that typically means attending a smaller school.

As you are walking around the campus grounds, get a feel for the atmosphere.  Are the students (if there are some on-campus for a summer session) and the faculty friendly and welcoming?  Do they have activities and events posted through the common areas or Student Unions announcing ways for students to get involved and show their campus spirit?  Try to hone in on the non-verbal clues that will be taking place all around you.

Save time after the formal tour to walk around the campus with your family or friends.  Tour guides are usually not able to show you all the building based on time constraints.  So if there is a particular building that you may spend a significant amount of time in (such as the Criminal Justice Studies building if you are going into the Criminal Justice field) walk through it afterwards.  They want you to become familiar with their campus and encourage you to get a true feel for their facilities.  While there, perhaps you can schedule a meeting with a professor or head of the department you want to major in.  Ask questions such as: What makes their program different from others?, Is an internship required?, What is a typical class like (i.e. lecture, round table discussion, etc.)?, etc.

When you get home, make a record of the impression you had and important features you want to remember.  Ask your parents or whomever was with you to do the same as they may have picked up on things that you missed.  You will find this “cheat sheet” helpful later because after you visit several schools and time has gone by you may forget the differences between the colleges.

When you're out visiting colleges, take some pictures and enter them into the iamcollegebound.org competition!  You could win 100 points on the site and one of five $50 gas cards for your next road trip excursion.  For more information visit http://www.iamcollegebound.org/win_cool_stuff.php. 

And most importantly, remember to have fun!  Searching for colleges is supposed to be exciting, you are planning for your future.  So don’t treat it like a chore, but rather as a time to explore your options.

Start visiting today,
Val