Questions to Ask On Your College Search

When you are searching for colleges for your student one of the most important things that you are going to do is to actually go and visit the college. One thing that you need to do is to make sure that you visit the college when the college is in session so that you can actually get a feel for what is going on at the college. If you visit during exams or breaks you are not going to get a feel for what actually goes on at the college on a daily basis. Not only do you have to pick the right time to go and visit but you also need to make sure that you do certain things when you are visiting each campus. By knowing what you need to do at each campus you will be able to plan how many days you will need to spend at the college. By knowing ahead of time what you are looking for you won’t miss something that could be a big mistake because you are going to get an accurate view of what a student’s life is actually like at this college.

Something else that you need to do is to make sure that you are asking the right questions when you are searching for these colleges. Keep in mind that many of these questions can be asked before you actually go and visit the college, which is nice because it can help to narrow down the colleges you want to visit. But the questions can also be asked when you visit the colleges during your college search.

Here are some of the questions you should ask when doing a college search.

Admissions

•What is the school known for?
•What are the admissions requirements?
•What qualities should prospective students have?
•Which standardized test scores do they require?
•What majors are offered?
•What’s the most popular major?
•What are the application deadlines for admission?

Financial Aid

•How much will tuition and expenses cost?
•What financial aid options are offered?
•When is the financial aid deadline?
•Do they offer scholarships?

Classroom

•What is the average class size?
•How accessible are professors outside of class?

•When must I choose a major?
•What happens if I decide to change my major?
•What student services are offered? Which ones are missing? Which ones do I need to have?
•What are the libraries like?
•Are there computer labs?
•Is the bookstore user friendly?

Housing

•What type of housing is available?
•Is student housing guaranteed for four years?
•Would I have a roommate or live alone?
•What is the cost of renting apartments near campus?
•What are the rules for living on campus?

Student Life

•What special interest groups, activities, fraternities/sororities are available?
•What’s it like on campus on the weekends?
•Are any programs offered to help students adjust to the college life?
•Are intramural, club, and varsity sports offered?
•Are meal plans available?

General

•What is the surrounding community like?
•How often does tuition rates increase?
•What special rules apply about living on or off campus?
•What are the policies of the college in general?
•When do they offer campus tours?
•Do you have to schedule campus tours ahead of time?
•Can you schedule an interview with an admissions counselor and financial aid officers for general questions?