So you invested the time, energy and money to visit some college campuses, now it’s time to make sure you get your full bang for the buck. Campus visits will meld together unless you make the effort to evaluate and debrief.

HOW TO EVALUATE YOUR CAMPUS VISITS

Hopefully, you took some time to explore the campus on your own; either before or after your tour and information session. It’s important to get the “lay of the land” both on and off-campus, so if you didn’t have a chance to do any of the following things, try to incorporate the most meaningful ones for you on your next campus visits.

• Find the building which houses your major and walk through it.
• Eat in one of the dining halls.
• Ask a few students how they feel about the college, maybe something as simple as
  • “What are your favorite and least favorite things about this school?”
  • “Why did you choose to come here over the other schools where you were accepted?”
  • “What’s one thing you would change about this school if you could”
• Sit in on a class. Many colleges make this very easy; allowing you to make arrangements right from their website.
• Attend an event on campus. If you haven’t researched prior to coming, ask the admissions office if they know of any events happening on campus.
• Pick up the campus newspaper to read it on your car ride home.
• Collect the names and email addresses of any staff or faculty member who took the time to talk with you. Make sure to send email thank you notes.
• Be sure to take pictures while on the tour – they will be super helpful when thinking back and comparing schools later!

What Should I Do After the Tour?

When you get back into your car, take a few minutes to debrief. Below is a form that you can copy and paste, edit as needed, and then print out for each of your visits. Whatever method you decide to use, it is important to spend 15-30 minutes evaluating your impressions after touring a campus. If not, you will have a hard time remembering the specifics of what you liked and disliked about each college.

DORMS:  ☆☆☆☆☆ (Overall Rating)

Things to Consider:

What did you think of the size of the rooms? What did you think about the bathrooms? Size? Location? Is there a common area? Study area? Do all freshmen live together or near each other? What happens after freshman year? Do they offer “Living/Learning Communities?”

Your Notes/Thoughts About the Dorms:

FOOD:  ☆☆☆☆☆ 

Things to Consider:

How many dining halls are there? Are there fast-food options or quick pick-up places across campus? What did you think of the quality of the food? If you have any specific allergies or food requirements, can they accommodate you? Details about meal plans.

Your Notes/Thoughts About the Food:

STUDENT BODY:  ☆☆☆☆☆

Things to Consider:

If you spoke with anyone (students, faculty, or staff), what were their thoughts? Could you see yourself with the students? Did you get a sense of school spirit and pride?

Your Notes/Thoughts About the Student Body:

CLASSES/PROFESSORS:  ☆☆☆☆☆

Things to Consider:

If you were able to sit in on a class, was it as you expected? Better? Worse? How engaged were the students? How did the classroom look and feel? If you were able to speak with the professor, what did you discuss?

Your Notes/Thoughts About the Classes/Professors:

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES:  ☆☆☆☆☆

Things to Consider:

Did you learn about any clubs or activities that might interest you? Did you notice any signs on bulletin boards with interesting events? Were you able to attend a sports game? How active was the student body?

Your Notes/Thoughts About the Extracurricular Activities:

CAMPUS/LOCATION:  ☆☆☆☆☆

Things to Consider:

Did it feel too small? Too big? Just right? Did you like the style of architecture? Why or why not? What transportation services are available? Did the campus feel safe? Are classes within a major located in a specific area? How close are restaurants, bars, a pharmacy, Target/Walmart/CVS/Walgreens? Is the climate what you think you’re looking for? Is it a good distance from home?

Your Notes/Thoughts About the CAMPUS/LOCATION:

After you have written down your thoughts, take a few minutes to send emails to the faculty and staff with whom you’ve spoken. Then, when you return home, it’s a good idea to send them a handwritten thank-you note as well and include specific things you spoke about or specific topics from the class that you found interesting. In addition, do not judge an entire college on the tour guide alone. Oftentimes, students will not like a college because they didn’t like the tour guide. Remember the tour guide is one person out of thousands on the campus. Instead of focusing on that person, use the time on campus to evaluate all aspects of the college.

Bierer is an independent educational consultant based in Charlotte. Send questions to: leesbierer@gmail.com and visit www.bierercollegeconsulting.com.