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Researching
Colleges
CAMPUS VISITS
By now you probably feel as though you have been doing research
forever, but hopefully you have narrowed down your list of
colleges that you are seriously thinking about applying to. You
have looked at the view books, explored the college’s website,
and talked to the representative who visited DCS last fall. You
are certain this is the school for you.
No matter how certain you are, you should still plan to visit
the campus. Visiting the college is the only way that you can
really get a feel for the atmosphere of the campus. From the
moment you walk onto the campus you will start to get a feeling
of what it would be like to go to school there. Sometimes you
will know what made you like or dislike a school, whether it is
the friendliness of the students, the layout of the campus, or
the athletic facilities. Sometimes, you won’t have any idea why
you like or dislike the school, just a gut feeling that it is
not the place for you. Go with that gut feeling. If you don’t
think you would be happy there, you probably wouldn’t be.
When you have narrowed down your list to 3 to 5 schools, or
maybe a few more, plan on going back for a second visit, try to
stay overnight if possible. Many schools have students who
volunteer to show students around the campus, attend classes
with them, and house the visiting student in their dorm room for
the night. If it is possible for you to spend a couple of days
at the campus, call the admissions office so they can help you
set up your visit. Staying with a student is probably the best
way to get to know the college. After an overnight stay you
should be fairly certain if the college is for you or not.
As you start to look through the college applications that you
have received you may notice that many schools recommend, if not
require, an interview as part of the application process. When
you call the admissions office to set up your visit and tour, be
sure to mention that you would like to schedule an interview
during your stay. We will discuss preparing for the college
interview further in Section 4.
Now that you have done all the research, and visited as many of
the schools that you would like to apply to as possible, it is
time for that final narrowing down. Choose the 3 to 5 colleges
that you feel are a “best fit” for you. Remember that there is
more than one school out there for you. In fact, there are
probably quite a few where you could be happy, successful, and
receive the education that you desire. Be sure to choose one
school that you are almost assured of being accepted into, just
as a “fall back” school if another application is not accepted.
After making what is probably the hardest decision yet, you can
start to fill out all those college applications. Turn to
section 4 for help with filling out your college applications,
writing your essays, and doing well at your college interview.
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Duanesburg Central Schools, 133 School Drive, Duanesburg, NY
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