It’s that time again. Seniors are hoping to get into their dream college,
and juniors are just beginning the tedious college process. Whether having already applied to schools or not, students are faced with a choice: should they visit the place that could be their home for the next four years, or commit to a school without ever having been there?

Diane Grant, Community High school counselor, is a strong advocate for visiting schools. She recommends choosing three local schools that are very different (for example, Kalamazoo College, Michigan State, and Eastern Michigan University) and visiting them, just to try and figure out what aspects you like and don’t like about a college.

Despite the fact that college visits consume both time and money, Grant still suggests that students should visit the schools they are interested in at least once before committing. John Boshoven, also a guidance counselor at Community, recommends making a trip out of it; get a group of friends together interested in either the same schools, or schools, near each other and share a ride and a room. Not only will this decrease cost, but having the opinions of the people you trust, like friends and family, is extremely important when choosing a college.

For some students, the idea of an urban college is appealing. Others prefer peace and quiet. Visiting schools in a variety of locations will be a important factor when you are deciding what setting you want to be in.

Before you visit, do some research; see what the weather is like during the school term. Be sure to ask your guide questions about the surroundings of the school. What kind of activities are available? Do students feel isolated? Or are they distracted by the opportunities around them? Questions like these will help you get a better idea about where you want to be in school.

Grant also reminds students to visit schools when they are in session; it won’t help you to wander around an empty campus in the middle of the summer. By just asking students on campus what classes they like, or what they are disappointed with, you can get a better idea about whether or not you would like to make that particular school your home for the next four years. According to Boshoven, “…We all love to have our opinions heard…” Don’t feel weird asking students their opinions, because those students could be your peers, and are certainly the most direct way to learn about a school.

When asked what question she thought was most important to ask when on a college visit, Grant replied: “Tell me one thing you really didn’t like and didn’t expect.” Take their answer into consideration when picking a school. Boshoven recommends asking the campus tour guide “What’s one place you wish you could take me on the tour?” Boshoven also said to make sure and do the “unofficial visit,” and just wander around.

While wandering campus is a great way to picture yourself at a school, official tours can teach you about the history and the culture of a college. At Northwestern University, campus tour guides tell perspective students the story of the “Rock.” According to legend, four freshman boys sneaked out at night to paint a giant rock located in the center of the campus. When some seniors discovered what the freshmen had done, they made the four boys scrap the paint off with the rock with toothbrushes. Three years later, when the boys were finally seniors, they decided to paint the rock again. To this day, the tradition at Northwestern is if you paint the rock, you must then guard it for 24 hours.

Poom Boonsin, a senior at Community High, benefited from a college visit. He was offered a scholarship to play lacrosse at Alma College in Alma, Michigan. Never having been to Alma before, he went with a friend to check it out. Alma College is in a rural setting, but Boonsin felt comfortable, and did not mind.

Drake Johnson, another senior at Community High, was debating whether to go to University of Michigan in the fall. Although visiting college wasn’t a big deal for Johnson, he still had a lot of fun. “I went to dinner with the players and I tried to go into a club, but I was too young. The next morning, I went to breakfast and talked with the coaches about football,” Johnson said. Due to the positive experience that he had when visiting Michigan, Johnson accepted a scholarship to play football next fall.

No matter where you are in the college process, Community High School’s counselors strongly believe that visiting colleges is very important. After all, as Boshoven said, “How do you know how a place feels until you’ve felt it?”