Admissions counselors agree, visiting a college campus is a critical step in choosing the right school, but what makes campus visits so important?
Beyond the opportunity to explore a student’s potential new 4-year home, a campus visit is the best way to demonstrate interest to a college’s admissions department. Research suggests that a campus visit can be the single most important factor in a prospective-student’s decision process, even linking campus visits with matriculation.
Getting a Feel for the School
In order to determine if a school is the right fit, nothing compares to actually walking through the campus, sitting in on classes, and chatting with other students. Prospective students should ask themselves – Can I imagine myself here?
Environment and Atmosphere
Colleges range drastically in size, population, and environment. Small colleges in rural environments differ significantly from colleges located in densely populated urban campuses. Some students will find that they prefer the quiet, meditative atmosphere offered by a small liberal arts college, while others will enjoy the hustle and bustle of a large state-school, or a college located in an urban center.
During a campus visit, a prospective student will have the opportunity to walk from one end of campus to the next, or even to see what it’s like to use campus or urban transit if necessary.
When on campus, a prospective student will have the chance to see the dorms as well as take some meals in the dining halls. It’s important to remember that this will be home for the next 4 years.
For any student that doesn’t plan to live on campus for that whole period, he or she can check out the area surrounding the campus, and ask about off-campus living opportunities. He or she should also consider restaurants and coffee shops in the area, proximity to a local grocery, laundry and parking facilities, access to nature, and quiet spaces to read and study.
Check List for Prospective Students Conducting Campus Visits
- Schedule a Meeting with an Admissions Counselor
- Attend Information Sessions (General Sessions and Those Within Your Field of Study)
- Sign up for a Campus Tour
- Sit in on Core Classes and Classes of Interest
- Eat in the Dining Halls
- Visit the On-Campus Housing / Dorms
- Walk the Campus on your own
- Ride Campus or Public Transit
- Visit the Surrounding Area
- Off-Campus Living Opportunities
- Restaurants + Coffee Shops
- Natural / Recreational / Study Spots
Demonstrated Interest
Beyond the commonly recognized gut check associated with a campus visit, a prospective student benefits from visiting a school by showing what college recruiters refer to as demonstrated interest, which can substantially improve chances of being accepted.
To demonstrate interest to a college means that a student actively contacts that school, thus showing that he or she is interested in attending, and thereby giving that student a competitive edge. There are myriad ways to show demonstrated interest, but campus visits have been proven to be favored by admissions counselors.
A prospective student should contact the admissions department in advance of visiting, and if possible, schedule a meeting with an admissions counselor. A face to face meeting on-campus with an admissions counselor is an excellent way for a prospective student to show the school that he or she is excited by the opportunity to attend.
Read more about demonstrated interest on our blog.
Campus Visits are Linked with Matriculation
Research suggests that visiting a college before applying can positively impact a student’s likelihood of matriculating. A three year study conducted at Midwestern State University 1 with a sample size of 23,187 students shows that,
“A student who visits a college campus is twice as likely to matriculate compared to a student who does not visit prior to applying.”
The study confirms,
“The greatest impact in the decision-making process of a prospective college student is a campus visit.”
This includes any visit, whether the student plans a rigorous series of meetings with admissions counselors and faculty, or simply takes an informal campus tour. Sometimes the simple act of being on campus provides enough subjective information for a prospective student to know whether or not the school is a good fit.
1 Brown, J. K. (2010). An examination of undergraduate student recruitment procedures and activities at a Midwestern state university. Enrollment Management Journal, 4(3), 89-116.
College Boarding Pass Supports Low-Income Students in Their Search for Best-Fit Colleges
It’s clear that when choosing the best-fit college, campus visits are crucial to the decision process. However, for some students, especially first-generation students, and those from low-income families, campus visits can be cost prohibitive. While some schools offer fly-in programs, most don’t.
For these students College Boarding Pass offers a solution.
College Boarding Pass offers fly-in scholarships for qualified students from traditionally underserved communities so that they can visit colleges and determine best-fit.
College Boarding Pass is a charitable, educational, public benefit organization funded entirely by generous public support.
Leave A Comment