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Why I Didn't Visit CollegesDec 18 '00 Write an essay on this topic.I am now a junior in college. When I was at boarding school (I will eventually write an epinion regarding my year at boarding school) I had many opportunities to visit colleges; the teachers were very understanding and allowed you to miss class if you were on a college visit- the boarding school even arranged to take various groups of students on school sponsored college visits (for a hefty fee). I did not sign up for these trips. Why? I'll explain later, but first I feel that I should mention that I met with plenty of college representatives; the ones that came to speak at my school. I chose not to visit colleges because I felt that if I did visit a school, I might like it so much that if I didn't get accepted, I wouldn't appreciate the school that I ended up going to. I am pretty sure that this is how I would feel because that's the type of person I am. Also, I'm not so sure that I would have wanted to go to Brandeis if I knew what it looked like. Don't get me wrong, I love Brandeis, but it took a little while for the school to grow on me. I am not discouraging everyone from going on college visits although I should point out that merely touring the school will not give you a 100% honest opinion of the school. Tour guides and overnight hosts volunteer for the admissions department and tend to have a more optimistic opinion of the school. I am not trying to say that all tour guides and overnight hosts will lie to you about the school- if you want an unbiased opinion of the school, try to stay overnight and talk to both your overnight host and some of his/her friends. Remember, there are two sides to every story and for every kid who tells you that the food "sucks" there will be another kid who get seconds and thirds at every meal and can't believe how many options the cafeteria has. This brings me to another point- if you visit a school, eat there! Many schools will give you a free meal voucher, so the meal will be free. Try to find out how often certain things are served and which meals are the most popular. Is the cafeteria notorious for running out of popular items? Also, just because the cafeteria has brand name food court food doesn't make the food wonderful, even if you really like Taco Bell, etc. It might seem whimsical eating a Big Beef Burrito Supreme (or Whopper, etc) when you visit the school, but after a month of Taco Bell, you will be sick of it. While you're staying in the dorms, look around. If your host is a freshman, this might be the type of housing that you could find yourself living in. Find out exactly where freshmen end up living. Attend a class or two. Find out how big classes are and whether or not most classes are taught by professors or TAs. Walk around the campus by yourself in the daytime. Are there students sitting outside and socializing? Do they look happy? Finally, take the time to decide whether or not you could see yourself attending the college. A rural college might offer beautiful views and great academics, but if you like to go clubbing or to the mall/movies on the weekends, then maybe you need to think about whether or not you could adapt to your new surroundings. I could.....adapt, you know. I go to camp every summer, but I don't know if I could live in a rural setting at college too. A student who grew up in a small town might have no problem and not even see the transition as an adaptation, but that decision is different for everyone. In conclusion, a tip for finding unbiased opinions about a college is to go to AOL and search in their member database for current students. Find a profile that seems friendly and send them an IM saying something like "Sorry to bother you, but I'm thinking of applying to (Name of School) and I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions." Most students will be glad to help you.  |
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