Plan to Visit Colleges and Universities Without Your Parents

College-bound high school seniors – You should plan one more visit to your top choice colleges and universities and schedule overnight stays in student residence halls (dorms). Overnight stays give the unique opportunity to check out all aspects of a campus, experience campus activities first-hand, observe the types of students attending that college or university, and to see the campus and social scene at night.

While on-campus, visit with college students and try to get a “feel” for the college. Ask yourself, “Will I fit in at this college next year?” and, “Will I be happy here as a student for the next four years?” Bring a notebook so you can write down your impressions.

At this late stage of the college selection process, campus visits should be conducted without your parents (if possible). Parents can help with planning campus visits and making travel arrangements, but you should be on your own when participating in on-campus activities and events. When you return home, talk over your experiences with parents, teachers, and friends to get their opinion on whether colleges you visited meet your needs and appear to be a good fit for you.

Overnight visits are very helpful when making the final decision between two or more colleges on your acceptance list. Many current college students regard their high school overnight stay experience as the deciding factor that pointed them toward which college to attend.

You should make overnight arrangements a couple of weeks (or more) ahead of time; contact each college’s admissions office and ask about spending the night in student residence halls. Some colleges designate specific weekends for overnight stays by accepted students; make arrangements soon so as not to miss any opportunities.

For more information visit MyCollegeCalendar.org.