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May 12, 2006
When is the best time to visit campus?
You hear from a number of different sources when the ‘best’ time to visit a college campus is. I think ultimately it is best when you are ready.
With visiting such websites as lunch-money.com, they tell you that visiting in the summer is “the worst time to experience a college.” Is this really true?
The Independent Counselor Advisors writing at lunch-money.com go on to say,
“…most smaller schools are not in session, so students and classes are absent. Dorm rooms are empty and devoid of all personal touches, making it difficult to envision oneself there. Bulletin boards, usually so revealing of the cultural and social opportunities of the college, are bare. The campus grounds, on the other hand, look neater and cleaner than they will look again the entire year.”
The above reasons may very well be true in some cases, but not all. Keep that in mind when you visit institutions. You may want to just take a tour of campus and see the facilities for the first time if you are a junior or even a senior for that matter. This doesn’t require people to be sprouted over campus to make it look good, does it? Another thing is how the campus grounds look…I must say, our grounds look great 12 months out of the year, so come in the rain, sleet, snow or hail, and our campus always looks great!
Typically when you are planning the next stage in your life, one would assume that you would visit more than one time at any given institution, unless you really don’t like it and you can now cross it off of your list.
There are many reasons to visit campuses in the summer. Speaking for Seton Hill in particular, you can come and tour campus, make appointments with Financial Aid, Admissions and Athletics! This is a great time to get to know your Admissions Counselor and get a great relationship started!
See you in the summer!!
Posted by AshleyHoffman at May 12, 2006 1:17 PM
Comments
I certainly am an advocate for taking advantage of the summer months to visit college campuses. Sure, the students may be gone and the residence halls might be empty, but students can at least benefit from meeting their admissions counselors and seeing the layout of the campus. It has been my experience as the Campus Visit Coordinator that most families only want to see the campus and meet with their counselors in the summer. Based on their campus visit experience in the summer they decide for themselves whether or not they want to come back in the fall for an Open House or another visit. But keep in mind that the fall can become very busy for students and before they know it they are trying to squeeze in visits in the month of May. Why should they bother putting themselves through that kind of unnecessary stress when they could be scheduling visits right now? My advice is not to wait. Get out there and visit!
Comment by: Quiana Golphin at May 17, 2006 4:08 PM
I agree with Quiana, summer is a great time to visit. Lots of folks plan a road trip around college visits, checking out all the schools located in a certain area or they make stops at colleges along the way to a vacation destination. Be sure to take lots of notes if you are visiting several schools. They will help you remember key points when it comes time to narrow down your choices.
In the fall you can plan to re-visit the one or two colleges on the top of your list for an overnight, open house or some other special event to help you make up your mind. You will have one less thing to fit into a busy fall schedule.
Have fun!
Comment by: Lois Harbison at May 19, 2006 2:22 PM