With many prospective students wandering around for tours, college visits are an exciting time. For many students, it can be difficult to decide if a school is a good fit for them. When you go on your next tour, here are some important college visit questions that can help you decide.
What is the Typical Class Size
This is one way to get a sense of the academic experience you could expect. Some classes typically have class sizes as small as a dozen students. Others may have large first-year lectures with 500 students in attendance. Smaller class sizes make it easier to connect with your professors and, for many students, to learn. For many, this is an important question to ask on a college visit.
What is Academic Advising Like?
Do you have an assigned advisor or just go to the first person available? Is academic advising required or optional? How often do students typically meet with their advisor? These are all useful things to know. Advisors help make sure you are on the right track to graduation and give important advice, making this a useful college visit question.
Do You Offer Merit Scholarships?
While all universities have need-based aid through the federal government as well as various other potential programs, not all colleges give merit scholarships. If you are a strong student, a merit scholarship can make a huge difference in the price you pay for college. That makes this an important question to ask on a college visit for those looking to reduce their overall cost of attendance.
How Did You Get Involved in Student Life?
College is about more than academics. A lot of the learning that takes place occurs outside of the classroom. Things like leadership and interpersonal skills are strengthened through participation in student organizations. You’ll probably meet several current students on your tour. Be sure to ask them how they got involved!
Do You Feel Safe When on Campus & in the Community?
Safety is an important consideration for everyone. While the vast majority of college campuses tend to be very safe, this can be a useful college visit question to ask to get a sense of potential concerns or areas to avoid at night.
What Opportunities Are There for Studying Abroad?
Studying abroad is an excellent way to expand your horizons, cultural knowledge, and get good experience for your resume. If you are interested in this, ask about their study abroad program, how many countries students can study in, and whether the college has scholarship money to support study abroad.
What is the Four Year Graduation Rate?
We all know that college can be difficult at times. The best universities are well organized and have many support programs to help students. While there are many important things about college, getting a degree is the ultimate goal. An important question to ask on a college visit is what the university’s four year graduation rate is. All colleges track this data. Higher rates mean you’re more likely to succeed and graduate on time.