31 Questions to Ask a Tour Guide

Hi everyone! I hope your week was great and you are on your way to the best 2017 possible!  (Hint: It will be because you're chasing college. 😉)  I know that when you go on visits to college campuses, you aren't exactly sure what you want to ask ... trust me, I've been there on both sides of the tour!

Here's your ticket to bring prepared! I've compiled my list of great questions to ask the tour guides and students you meet while you are on campus! Here we go ...

1. Have you ever had a conversation with the president?
2. What has been your favorite class so far?
3. What has been your least favorite class so far?
4. Where do students spend their time between classes?
5. Does Student Activities host any day trips places?
6. What do your college friends study and do? (**This will help show you if the college is cliquey or if students grow friendships outside of just their major or their sport.)
7. Do most students go home on the weekends?
8. Do students have to pay for tickets to sporting events?
9. How often do you meet with your academic advisor?
10. For students that live off campus, what neighborhood do they typically live?
11. Is there a doctor in the Student Health Center, or do students have to go to a local Urgent Care to be seen?
12. What made you choose to go to school here, as opposed to the other colleges you applied to?
13. What's your favorite spot on campus? (**This is my favorite question - it gives you something special to look out for, especially if it's a hidden secret.)
14. How are faculty and administrators committed to student success?
15. Where do students spend their Saturday Nights?
16. Can every student use the athletics facilities or are they only reserved for team use?
17. What can a student not have in their dorm room? Microwave? Keurig? Scentsy? Twinkle Lights?
18. How do students get care packages or larger deliveries?
19. Do more Freshmen choose their roommate or have one matched to them?
20. What is the winter weather like on campus? (**Even two campuses in the same city can have different weather. It's good to know to plan for just rain boots and good rain jacket or a down winter coat and snow boots.)
21. Are the intramural sports played within teams from the college or do the intramurals only play against other colleges?
22. Would you say this is a more liberal or conservative campus? (**They will most likely answer in a politically correct way [I would tell my student workers to answer very pc], but it is something to ask that could help you find your fit at a school.)
23. Is there a full kitchen with stove and oven in each residence hall?
24. What do students do to relax during the day?
25. Do your faculty and administrators have office hours that students can drop-in for if they have a question or need help?
26. How late is the library and the dining facilities open during the week and on the weekend?
27. Is there a lot of school spirit on campus? Does everyone support student performances?
28. Can you recite the alma mater? (**If you're looking for a college committed to tradition, your tour guide should at least be able to recite a line, if not the whole song!)
29. How do students get around campus? walk? bike? bus? car?
30. How is the relationship between the college students and those who live in the town?
31. Why should I choose this college? (**Don't accept "Because it's awesome," as an answer.)

I hope all of these questions will help you feel prepared for your next campus visit. If you won't be visiting a while, be sure to pin this or bookmark it to come back to for future college visits!

Is there another questions, that you always ask on college visits? Comment below so I can add it to my list! Have a great week!

enjoy the chase,

skylar

College Road Trip Series: THE MIDWEST

Happy Thursday everyone!!! I hope you all are enjoying the College Road Trip so far and getting to know a lot of great, different universities around the country. Today we are travelling through the Midwest, visiting many different sizes of schools in various locations and city-scapes. Keep reading to get a taste of the universities in the Midwest!!

LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO
Loyola University Chicago is one of the most highly recognized Catholic universities in the country for its academics! (Don't worry if you're not Catholic,it usually isn't an issue!) They offer so many academic programs like: Bioinformatics, Dance, Forensic Science, and Software Engineering. Not only are there tons of opportunities to get involved on campus and within your academic program, but its prime location in the city of Chicago make it a great destination for those craving a city life like no other!

The Lake Shore Campus (which is gorgeous, by the way) allows visitors each weekday to take a tour of campus. They also offer campus tours and information sessions on the weekends in the Fall. If you want to visit both the Lake Shore Campus and the Water Tower Campus, which the university suggests, they have a day schedule that allows students who would take classes on both campuses the opportunity to see both sides of Loyola. You can get more information about these tours on their website here.

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON
Funny Story: When I was in the 7th grade, all I wanted in the world was to be a Badger at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and study Meteorology and attend every hockey game! Truly that was what I wanted, but life happened and I changed my mind a couple thousand times, but the interest stuck and the college culture in my family let me examine every crazy college idea I had!  Anyways, I digress ....

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is a large, public, research university that admits about 50% of applicants and awards approximately 7.000 Bachelor's degree a year! They offer so many different programs that it would be hard to find someone who was interested in studying something UMW doesn't have. If you and your friends want a confident college experience filled with large lectures, tons of clubs to join, and an amazing network of alumni (33 of which have won the Pulitzer Prize), why not check out the University of Wisconsin-Madison on your Midwest Road Trip!

UMW offers information sessions and a walking tour every weekday for visitors. Something that is really interesting that they do is offer a seperate tour of all of the university housing options. So, you can do both tours in your day there, you will just need to register for both of those here. Now remember, it is a large campus, so be prepared to walk a lot on your tours, but focus and enjoy every second!

CARLETON COLLEGE
As a liberal arts college in Minnesota where 70% of its students study abroad, Carleton College is a great college visit destination for any prospective student looking to create their own college experience and get the most for their investment! Its country location allows students the chance to reconnect with the outdoors and embrace nature, while the hour-long drive to Minneapolis gives you that big city getaway when you need some more excitement! They also offer majors in Women's and Gender Studies, Environmental and Technology Studies, and Linguistics.

You will want to schedule your visit two weeks in advance to Carleton College, but your tour of campus could also include an interview, an overnight stay, or attending a class. Because of these opportunities, it may be wise to dedicate a whole day to Carleton before heading on to our next university in the road trip! You can find out more visit information here.

MINNEAPOLIS COLLEGE OF ART & DESIGN
For the artists in your group or those who love the art world, a trip to the Minneapolis College of Art & Design should definitely be on your list for a college road trip! They offer a lot of the more expected art school majors, but a great initiative they have is a hiring program for students. So, they have a specific part of their website where businesses can request interns or artists to help their company with specific projects. How great is that? Attending a university that not only supports your professional growth but also does everything in their power to help you get experience .. that's a place where you want to get an education!!

In order to visit MCAD, you will need to e-mail or call their Admissions Office to set up an appointment. They also allow prospective students to tour the facilities without an admissions counselor or student tour guide, so if you are just stopping by, that may be a good opportunity for you to see what the campus has to offer, while still keeping on schedule for your road trip. Check out their visit website here.

IOWA LAKES COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Iowa Lakes Community College offers many different Associate's Degrees both on-campus and online. Some of their online programs include: Accounting Specialist, Human Services/Disability Studies, and Business Administration & Management. While the term 'community college' may suggest that their on-campus resources are limited, they actually offer many different offices to students at ILCC. They even offer on-campus housing for students who wish to live in the dormitories while achieving their two year degree!

A great thing about visiting Iowa Lakes is that all you do is complete an Individual Visit form on their website here and the great staff in the Admissions Office will plan a visit that is specific to your interests and needs! If there is something more specific that you want to know about college visits or about setting up a group tour, you can call the Office of Admissions to speak with an Admissions Counselor about it!

SOUTH DAKOTA SCHOOL OF MINES & TECHNOLOGY 
The South Dakota School of Mines & Technology offers great programs for those students who are wildly specific about the STEM major they wish to pursue. Students can study Meteorology, Geology, Mining Engineering, and several different Engineering programs here, while pursuing an active life on campus in clubs and organizations. To get even more career experience, Miners can start research while an undergraduate student and can then present that information at a Student Research Symposium!!

Personalized visits on the SDSM&T campus in Rapid City, South Dakota allows you to meet with an admissions officer while going over the admissions process, financial aid information, academic programs, and touring campus. They also offer large visit opportunities at Open Houses throughout the Fall where you can get more information here. If you or one of your friends is really interested in engineering or any of the STEM programs, you will want to make SDSM&T a mandatory stop on your college road trip!!

Is there any place I forgot or you think is worth visiting? Add it in the comments below or tweet me on Twitter for everyone to see!!

enjoy the chase,

skylar

College Road Trip Series: THE SOUTHEAST

Welcome Back to Day 2 of the Chasing College Road Trip Series! I hope you liked yesterday's post, but if you are more interested in travelling to the Southeast, then read on!! Again, I am not supporting these universities or saying these are the only ones you can visit. If there is another that has caught your eye, add that school into your campus visits!!

COLUMBUS STATE UNIVERSITY
Columbus State University is located in the western, central portion of Georgia and is right close to the border of Alabama! CSU offers a wide-variety of undergraduate programs including: Earth and Space Science, Information Technology, and Theatre Education. They also have several Computer Science degrees and were just awarded a grant to fund cyber-security research! If any of your road-trippers are interested in computer science or even focusing on cyber-security, you'll want this to be a definite stop on your college search!!

To visit CSU, you will have to register online here for a campus tour. They are offered with an Information Session most Mondays and Wednesdays at 10:30am, but you will want to check the calendar for the university's availability! If you visit before July 28th, you may even be able to see a Summer Class in session!!

CALHOUN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
As the largest community college in Alabama, Calhoun Community College boasts a diverse set of traditional and non-traditional students within a variety of Associate's Degrees and Certifications. They are located in the Northern part of Alabama and educate students who transfer to the University of Alabama and Auburn University -- if you or one of your friends is looking to gain some credits before transferring to a large research university, this may be a great stop for you all to visit!

Because of CCC's size, you will have to call the campus' Admissions Office to schedule a student or staff guided tour of campus. If you decide to take a student-led campus tour (which I suggest), I would still try to meet with an Admissions Representative to talk more about your needs and questions. You can find that contact information here.

UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE 
If you love the color orange and what that large school (27, 00 students), sports arena (23 National Championships), Southern scene offers, then you should certainly visit the University of Tennessee's Knoxville campus! They boast 560 acres, containing over 230 buildings, 26 of which have been built or renovated in the past five years. In terms of their academics, they offer many options for students to study anything that interests them, including: Agricultural Leadership; Disasters, Displacement, and Human Rights; and Forestry.

The University of Tennessee offers a pretty comprehensive visit opportunity in their Campus Visit Program. You start with an Information Session, then go on a campus tour led by a current student. From there, you can request additional appointments with other administrators and faculty. You can find out more details and register for a visit here.

COKER COLLEGE
Because I believe in liberal arts colleges, I will share one for each road trip!! Coker College is just that, a small, liberal arts college in Hartsville South Carolina. It is located in a small town in the middle of two big cities (Columbia, SC and Florence, SC), but still has great opportunity! They have an average class size of 12, which allows you to get to know your professors and create a lasting connection with your fellow students. If you or any of your friends are interested in playing a sport in college, Coker is a Division II college that offers Golf, Wrestling, and Track and Field, among the 'normal' sports teams.

Coker offers visit opportunities Monday-Friday at 10:00am and 2:00pm which consist of a meeting with an Admissions Counselor, a student-led tour, and then the option to attend a class, or meet with a coach! Something cool that they do for the summer is a Sunset Tour on Tuesday evenings where you tour the campus at dusk. Be sure to spend some time downtown touring as well; they are in the process of introducing new boutiques and restaurants into the area!

SAVANNAH COLLEGE OF ART & DESIGN
This private art university has campuses all around the world, but the Savannah campus provides Southern culture, amazing architecture, and a downtown center that will help jumpstart any student's creativity. The Savannah College of Art & Design offers programs in Accessory Design, Cinema Studies, Historic Preservation, and Sequential Art (among others), while students pursue a social life which includes clubs like Colleges Against Cancer and the Philosophy Club.

The Savannah College of Art & Design conducts campus tours daily Monday-Saturday at 9:30am and 2:00pm. To register for a tour of the Savannah location, you can visit their website here. Their location in Atlanta also offers campus tours, if that better fits your college road trip, and you can find that here! You may want to spend a few days in Savannah just so that you can get a true grasp of the city's creative culture!

FLORIDA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
The Florida Institute of Technology is located in Melbourne, Florida and was originally founded to provide advanced education to those working at Kennedy Space Center! (Perfect for those Aerospace Lovers in your group!) Their academic programs emphasize Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, however they also have a research field at the local airport for graduate students who study Aviation. If you are also interested in expanding your reach outside of the research world, the university takes advantage of many opportunities for civic and on-campus leadership engagement.

If you plan on visiting Orlando or Daytona Beach this summer, be sure to take a trip to visit Florida Tech's campus. They provide campus tours almost every day where you can also speak with professors or take tours of the laboratories. They also offer an Exploration Day event on July 22nd where you can take a tour of campus, but also attend information sessions on the admissions and financial aid processes, and attend meetings with the different academic departments. You can sign up for either of these on their website here.

Be sure to add chasingcollege.blogspot.com into your Favorites so that you can check in each day this week for the rest of the Chasing College Road Trip Series!!

enjoy the chase,

skylar

College Road Trip Series: THE NORTHEAST

Hi everyone and Welcome to the first day of the Chasing College Road Trip Series! This week my blog posts will take us on a chase and journey throughout the country to look at some great colleges and universities! I chose the specific universities that I did because of their uniqueness and because of their appeal to a wide variety of majors and programs, or because they were really specific.

If you plan on travelling with a bunch of your friends, I wanted to include schools that would fit everyone's needs, both the wildly specific and the super low-key! Today's road trip takes us through the Northeast region of the United States. As I am a native to the northeast and pretty familiar with colleges and universities in this area, I wanted to share those with you first. Please Note: in no way am I endorsing these institutions as the only options for a college visit to the Northeast. If there are specific types of universities you want to visit and need some advice, comment below or send me an e-mail! You can visit these from top-to-bottom or from bottom-to-top depending on where you live and how you want your trip to look. Let's get started!!!

Google Maps

HARTWICK COLLEGE
Hartwick College is located in the upper Catskill Mountains of New York State and they offer a comprehensive liberal arts education in a variety of academic programs offered to undergraduate students. Their small class sizes and unique academic opportunities like, J-Term and beginning internships early, will excite even the most unexcitable in your road trip group! Their location in Oneonta, NY is great for those students seeking a college town with activities going on downtown and on campus!

Hartwick Colleges offers many opportunities to visit campus this summer with Visit Days offered each Friday in July and on Friday, August 5th where you can take a tour of campus, attend an information session, as well as, eat in the Dining Hall! If a Friday visit doesn't work for your visit, you can try a weekday too with opportunities to take a tour of campus Monday-Friday! You can learn more about their visit days at their website here.

SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY
Syracuse University is also located in Central New York and offers both undergraduate and graduate programs across 14 schools within the university. Not only do they offer the 'normal' majors, but they also offer these interesting academic programs: Aerospace Engineering. Creative Leadership, Jewelry and Metalsmithing, and Supply Chain Management. SU is sure to meet everyone on the road trip's needs, while still offering something for the artists and the athletes!

Syracuse University's Admissions Office offers tours and information sessions Monday-Friday, several times throughout the day. They also have three planned Preview Days for this summer: July 29th, August 5th, and August 12th where you can take a tour of campus and attend information sessions. For more information, you can check out more about Syracuse's visit opportunities and how to schedule your appointment at their website here.

UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT
The University of Vermont is located in Birlington, VT, directly across Lake Champlain from New York State. UVM is a large, public research university which attracts students from across the country and the world to the #1 Ranked College Town in America. It offers 100+ majors in the health sciences, engineering, and arts and sciences fields, as well as, many others. If you or your friends are looking for that big lecture hall and college town environment, UVM would be a great place to check out and take a tour of!

The University of Vermont provides Information Sessions and tours to prospective students most weekdays and Saturdays during the summer. They also offer major-specific information sessions to students who want to learn more about their intended program. You can make a reservation and learn about the dates for Information Sessions on their website here. The campus is huge, so you'll want to bring your walking shoes!!

SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE
Another great small, liberal arts college to visit on your tour of the Northeast is Springfield College in Springfield, MA. If you're looking for a small community where you can contribute academically and as a campus leader, you won't want to miss Springfield. They have many campus traditions and offer many different academic programs including: Athletic Training (one of my friends from HS graduated from this program and loved every minute of her time at SC), Emergency Medical Services Management, and Pre-Physician Assistant.

Springfield College offers campus tours three times a day during the week and on some Saturdays as well. They also present Information Sessions at 11:00am on weekdays to visitors regarding the admissions and financial aid process, student life experience, and their academic programs. You can learn more about scheduling a visit and you can view their Events Calendar on their website here.

WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE
If you have a science lover in your car for this road trip, a great place to stop for them is Worcestor Polytechnic Institute. WPI is located in Worcester, MA and is a university that focuses on the science, technology, mathematics and engineering field. They do offer other majors in the arts and sciences, however they are highly recognized and regarded as a leader in STEM research. If you're looking to be a student-athlete, WPI offers various athletics teams that boast many past All-American and Scholar Athletes!

Worcester Polytechnic Institute offers a two-hour visit opportunity at 9:00am, 11:00am, and 1:00pm, depending on availability, where they do an Information Session and a campus tour. The Admissions Office has a really nifty calendar here where you can see what time slots are available for which days to help better plan your campus visit. You do need to register in order to take part in the Information Sessions and campus tour. All of their visit opportunities are listed on their website here.

MASSACHUSETTS COLLEGE OF ART & DESIGN
For the artsy members of your social circle, the Massachusetts College of Art & Design will definitely be an interest to them to visit. MassArt is located in Boston, MA and is close to many of the other universities that call Beantown home. They offer majors in Art History, Fashion Design, Graphic Design, and Sculpture. Here you will earn a B.F.A. (Bachelor's of Fine Arts) and be able to take part in the many exhibits and lecture series offered by renowned artists and alums!

Massachusetts College of Art & Design offers campus tours most weekdays at 12:00PM. If you're really interested in going to an Art School, it could prove beneficial to set up an appointment with an Admissions Counselor to talk about admissions and also to do an informal portfolio review. They can help provide pointers on strengthening your application for admission. You can find the calendar for campus tours here and then you can find all other information for visiting campus and scheduling a visit here.

Again everyone, these are my suggestions to make your road trip well-rounded and inclusive of anyone's interests. If there is another university you want to substitute another for, by all means go right ahead. Just make sure that your road trip is filled with fun and exciting moments of chasing college!!

enjoy the chase,

skylar

P.S. Be sure to tag me or the Chasing College blog on social media of all of your college road trip fun!

Student Perspective: Small Town to Large University

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend and are getting prepared for an amazing week ahead!

When I was writing the post from last week about getting involved on a large college campus, I had the idea to ask one of my best friends from high school talk to you all about her transition from a small high school (we graduated with 75 students) to the University at Buffalo (SUNY), which boasts a population of roughly 30,000 students. She survived and thrived through her transition from a small high school to a large university and here is her advice to help you through yours:
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Getting involved on a large campus can be really challenging. I was used to my high school where I graduated with 75 people; when I graduated from college it was 3500 just in my class. Now, I was never the most outgoing of people so this was a huge transition for me. When I started out freshman year I knew one person, whom I had met at Orientation. But from there she and I started going to club meetings and activities around campus so we met more people every day.

UB made it so you have the same classes and get put in the same arena with people of the same major. So even though the campus was so large, you saw a lot of the same people every day. I started out as a pre-pharmacy major, so right away I joined the pharmacy club to try to meet some like-minded people, which then led to joining the Honor Society. During my sophomore year I then started working with a catering company on campus. We were the ones to work all the football games and feed the players afterwords. I met a lot of really amazing friends working those crazy long hours!

Sarah at work with the UB mascot

I had a really hard time the first few weeks being away from home. My freshman year I was in one room with three other girls, so as you can imagine it wasn’t the best situation to be in. So yeah, you may have a pretty crappy living situation but you end up learning so much about yourself and the people around you that it’s hard not to have fun! To get out of the room though I got really involved at the gym on campus and started taking Tuesday night yoga classes. Just put yourself out there and make sure you have fun doing it!

Remember it really helps that everyone is in the same boat as you! Most people that go to college don’t know many people there either. It can be really hard starting out at a huge school not knowing anyone. Now is the time to put yourself out there and get out of your comfort zone. You will meet people from all walks of life that have so many interesting things about them, so make sure you ask questions. Enjoy the time you have in college but also remember you are paying for it so keep your priorities straight. It will definitely help out in the long run. :)
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I hope this post has helped you guys a little in planning for your transition to a larger university or for changing the way you are doing things there now. Just remember, getting involved is essential on any college campus, so find your niche and go with it!

enjoy the chase,

skylar

P.S. Sarah has just ventured out and become a presenter for the Cosmetic company Younique, feel free to check out her page here. 

I was Accepted ... Now What?

Hi everyone! We are entering a very exciting time in the next few weeks ... COLLEGE ACCEPTANCE LETTERS are mailed out! Some universities do rolling admissions, so you may have already heard your decision, which was hopefully favorable for you! Because of this exciting time, I wanted to provide you all with some advice on what you should do once you learn that you are accepted to a university!

First things first, CONGRATULATIONS!! Getting accepted to college is a dream come true, whether you are applying to community colleges, state schools, small private colleges, or the most elite universities, it is a-okay to be excited about your acceptance! I cried when I got the phone call that I was accepted to my undergraduate alma mater because I was so happy and so excited about what was to come! This is an accomplishment in its own right, so be proud of it!

You may also want to celebrate with your family and your friends about your acceptance to college. Bake a cake, go out to a nice restaurant, blow up some balloons, and throw some confetti! You are entering the next phase of your life and it is a cause for celebration. It doesn't need to be outlandish or ridiculously expensive of course, just make it a great time to recognize where you've come and where you are possibly going!

Once you go to school the next day or a few days following, you will want to update your school counselor and the teachers/administrators who wrote your letters of recommendation. They will want to hear the update and this also gives you the opportunity to thank them for their help and support of your college application! If you want to tell your friends and other teachers, go right ahead, but don't feel obligated to inform the whole world. --This is the same for updating on social media. Obviously, if you want to update your Facebook status or post a picture of your acceptance letter to Instagram, then definitely do it, but don't feel like this is an obligatory aspect of your college acceptance!

Follow me on twitter @Chasing_College 

Plan to visit campus one more time! You can check out my post here on the difference between your first and last visit to campus, but you really should try to see campus once more before making your final decision. You can take a more in-depth look at the major you want to study and possibly talk with some administrators in the functional areas you are interested in, e.g.: Campus Ministry, Athletics, or Study Abroad Office. Most universities have Admitted Student Days, so that would be a nice chance to visit too.

At this point you should have already filed your FAFSA, but if you haven't, make sure you do that! This can give you access to more financial aid opportunities, federal loans, grants that you don't have to pay back ... so many things to help make college a little more affordable. You should also check out even more scholarships that you can apply for on that campus and throughout your community. If you have any questions or concerns about your financial aid packet once it is sent to you, be sure to call the Financial Aid Office or make an appointment to discuss particulars in person. DISCLAIMER: Don't be upset when they can't offer you any more money, a lot of times there is no amount of begging or pleading that can be done for them to find available money and give you an extra $5,000 a semester.

Without a doubt, something you should do is join that university's Facebook page for your class year. There will be administrators and upperclassmen already on that page to help answer your questions and you can also meet potential classmates of yours! Some of my first "Facebook Friends" from college came from the Class of 2014 page I joined once I was accepted and really interested in going to my alma mater. You can find people in your major or who are interested in some of the other extra-curriculars in your life, so definitely don't blow it off as something unimportant.

Finally, my advice to you is RELAX. The first and most draining part of the process is done, you have been accepted somewhere and you do have a future in college, so don't stress out. Enjoy the rest of your senior year and make sure you still keep your grades up, the university will request your final transcript!

Have you already been accepted? How did you celebrate? Share in the comments your acceptance stories :)

enjoy the chase,

skylar

Visiting Campus Faux Pas

Hi everyone and Happy Saturday! It has been a beautiful day today where I live, warm and sunny, so I spent the day visiting some colleges and taking some pictures and I can't wait to share them in some upcoming blog posts! But, today I wanted to talk to you about some of the "no-no's" of visiting and touring college campuses. I know that none of us try to overtly offend people when we travel to new places, but sometimes we do, so here are my list of some things we should steer clear of when visiting campuses.

1. Do not wear another college's outerwear - You probably don't think about it when you throw on that Penn State sweatshirt or wear a Michigan State hat, but it can put a bad taste in an Admissions Officer's mouth if they see you with another university's gear on. You may think nothing of it, but from an Admissions perspective, we see that you are not really invested in the campus tour because you are already supporting another college (possibly a rival).

2. Do not compare colleges while on campus - Again, you are probably not trying to offend, you're just trying to make judgements for yourself, but constantly saying College A did this, College B did that ... etc., can rub people the wrong way. As an Admissions employee, I know firsthand what other colleges in the area and what other 'like' universities have to offer that we don't, but being reminded of that constantly throughout the day does not make me want to work hard to please you and make your visit everything great. **When I was searching at colleges, I always made sure to be back in the car with my parents before I started giving my judgements on a university. Its okay to take mental or written note about the aspects of campus that do not fit your qualifications, but save them until after the tour.

3. Do not wait until the end of your tour to ask to see something - Always be up front with your tour guide about something you would like to see on campus; tell them right at the beginning of the tour so that they know. At my alma mater, the weight room/gym was not included on the tour because it was out of the way, but if visitors asked ahead of time, the tour guide could fit it into the schedule. So, if your tour guide knows beforehand, they are able to include it in the tour or take you at the end of the tour when the other families with you are done.

4. Do not be late - So, this is kind of an obvious one, but do your absolute best to not be late to Admissions events or to campus tours. These things normally run on a schedule and if there are other families ready to go out on a tour on time, they won't wait for you. Also, if you show up late to an Open House, there is a good chance you've already missed half of the presentations. In admissions, we do understand that things happen: traffic is bad, you missed a turn, your little sister got sick ... etc., but plan ahead so that you can arrive to campus with some time to spare!

5. Do not act uninterested - Obviously we don't expect you to jump up and down for joy when you come to campus, but don't have a frown on your face the whole time. Try to at least act interested and ask some questions. Usually you have a student tour guide, so use their experience as a student to learn more about the college. Ask them what their favorite part about living on campus is or how they stay connected to home while living somewhat far away. Tour guides and Admissions representatives put a lot of effort into their tours and feel disheartened when they feel like you don't care, so do your best to at least seem interested.

6. Do not spend time on your cell phone - When my sister and I were visiting colleges, cell phones were not as big of a deal as they are now, but still be respectful and keep your phone away throughout the day. If you're taking pictures of the campus and the things you see (NOT SELFIES), then that is fine, but don't be snapchatting and texting the whole time. This goes with #5, show your respect to those that have put the time in to make your visit extra special. Plus, if you are paying attention to your phone the whole time, you won't be able to learn about the campus and see if it actually fits all your needs!

This is NOT meant to deter you from visiting college campuses, it is more to just get you thinking about your college visits and what you should be projecting of yourself. You really want to make a great impression because Admissions counselors and tour guides really do remember you! If ya'll have any questions about other visiting faux pas or just general questions about visiting college campuses, feel free to comment or tweet me, I'd love to help!

enjoy the chase,

skylar

Should I do an Instant Decision Session?

Hi everyone and Happy Sunday! The university where I work and study had our final Fall Open House yesterday, so I apologize for the delay in posting this! Some universities will still have opportunities for you to visit this fall, so be sure to check out those universities if you want to visit before the Holidays start! Today I want to talk to you about the choice of whether or not to take part in an instant decision session at a university that you're interested in.

Instant decision sessions vary by institutions and not all of them offer this opportunity, so it is important to check with your admissions counselor. This event is where you submit your application, test scores, letters of recommendation, and high school transcript to the college before your arrival on campus. Then, while you are out on tour or taking part in the Open House, admissions representatives review your materials and make their decision based on the materials they have on file. So, if your test scores aren't in or your transcripts aren't official, then you won't be able to receive a decision.

Here are some Pros and Cons of doing an Instant Decision Session:

Pros:

- Exactly what it says, INSTANT DECISION, if you really want to know whether you are accepted to a university, then this is the quickest way to know. You don't have to wait the three weeks (if the school has rolling admissions) or the four months (if they have a regular deadline).
- You can start planning a little earlier for your future! If you know whether you are accepted, wait-listed, or denied you can plan to apply to other schools if necessary or you can start gaining experience in the program you are interested in studying.
- If it is your top-choice university and the decision is favorable then you get to find out the fate of your future while at your dream school. That is pretty awesome!

Cons:

- There is a lot of last-minute work that goes into preparing your materials for an Instant Decision Session. You have to follow-up with your guidance department to make sure they sent everything in and that there are no delays. You also have to apply earlier than you may have planned on. It is quite a bit of stress.
- Because the admissions representatives are in a hurry to give everyone their decision, some items may be overlooked (not on purpose). Some test scores may be ignored, even though they are higher than the others, or your History teacher wrote a stronger letter of recommendation than your counselor, but they only had time to look at the one from your counselor.
- You may not get the decision you want during this visit. You could be wait-listed because your test scores aren't high enough, or you could be denied. Personally, if I am going to be denied by an institution, I'd rather it be in the comfort of my home, rather than in a public spot with others around.

There are definitely positives and negatives of choosing to take part in an Instant Decision Day, but it is important to weigh them based on your own needs and your own expectations. Personally, I never took part in an Instant Decision Session and I don't necessarily recommend doing so, just because I am a private person when it comes to school work and achievements like a college acceptance. However, if you and your family believe that an Instant Decision Session would be a positive experience for you, then why not try it out!

I hope today's post helps you consider this one aspect of college admissions and helps you weigh your options in terms of waiting for a decision or receiving it right away! If you've had a positive experience with Instant Decision, I'd love to hear, so feel free to leave it in the comments or contact me through my Contact Page! Have a great week everyone!!!

enjoy the chase,

skylar

Should I do an Overnight Visit?

Hi everyone and Happy Friday! I hope you all had a great first week of November and are enjoying your classes. Tonight I want to talk a little bit more about doing an overnight visit at the colleges you are really interested in. Some universities are already offering overnight visits for prospective students, so it is important to consider whether this is a visit that fits your personality and fits your needs.

Typically universities will pair you with a student who is in the academic program that you want to join or with an athlete on the team you are being recruited for. Either way, their goal is to help you connect with this student and get a real look at what your day-to-day life will be like at the college/university. If you are an athletic recruit, you may even practice with the team to get a sense of the team dynamics.

Here are some questions you can ask yourself to figure out if an overnight visit is right for you.

Have I applied to this college?

Am I genuinely invested in this college?

Do I need more information to help make my decision?

Is this my first or second choice college?

Does it fit in my schedule?

What more do I need to learn about this college?

Will spending the night help me learn what I need to know?

Ultimately, I think it is up to you whether you want to do an overnight visit. Think about your personality and your needs and then use that to decide if it would be the right type of visit for you. (Don't forget, there are other opportunities to visit the colleges held throughout the year.) A lot of my friends from college did overnight visits during the Spring before they entered college and they said that it really helped them make their decision. You're able to see the college in its natural order, as opposed to seeing it through an admissions lens. For myself though, I had no desire to do an overnight visit, I was more concerned about going into college with an open mind and without this pre-conceived idea of what my college life would be. I did other visits though, such as Accepted Student Day and the Honor Scholar Day in the Spring -- these are geared towards students making their decisions and have some different exercises and information for students and their families.

Either way, whether you are learning towards doing an overnight visit or not, make sure you go in with an open mind. Try and relax and go with the flow. Your overnight host may have everything planned, so just go with the flow and let them show you what life's like at their college. Ultimately, have fun, ask your questions, and learn as much as you can!

enjoy the chase,

skylar 

P.S. If you are interested in doing an overnight visit, make sure you check out the university's website and also talk with your Admissions Counselor to set it up!

Visiting Campus: Part 4 - 1st Visit vs. 2nd Visit

Hi everyone! For all you upstate New Yorkers, I hope your first week of school goes well! If it is your Senior year, be sure to meet with your Guidance Counselor soon to keep them up-to-date on your college search process!

Today, I am going to be talking about your first and second visit to a college how you should approach each differently. This will help you make your decision to apply to the university, as well as, help you decide where you ultimately want to go!

FIRST VISIT:

• This is when you want to get the overall impression of the college. Find out its culture, what the students are passionate about, what types of programs they have, how their campus is ... etc.
• You can do your Admissions Interview at this point if you want. Mostly this is an opportunity for the college to get to know you and for you to get to know the finer aspects of the college and how they apply to you. **It was in my first visit and specifically the interview that I realized I didn't want to apply to a specific university anymore. If I hadn't visited, I wouldn't have known that it wasn't the right fit for me. 
• Attend during an Open House or a Junior Visit Day. These days are designed for students new in the search process to get more general information about the university. There are a lot of great presentations to give you an inside look at the university, too.

SECOND VISIT:

• This is best during a one-on-one visit, an overnight visit, or during an Accepted Student Day. They can be designed towards your needs and the needs of an accepted student that wants to make their decision. (Check out my post on Overnight Visits here!)
• Insider Tip: If you visit close to May 1st (the National Enrollment Deadline) chances are the university will do anything to make you happy, as long as you give them timely notice to prepare. Use this to your advantage to get to know exactly what you want and need to make your final decision!
• Visit the places that you want to see. Use this one-on-one time to visit the chemistry lab, the video production studio, the squash courts, and the row house across town. If there is a place that is vital to your major, you will want to look at that place at every college in order to compare them when you make your final decision.
• Ask all of your questions on this final visit. You should leave the campus knowing everything you want to know and everything you need to know. Also, if an Admissions Counselor says that they need to ask someone specific about your questions, follow up with them! They know how important it is for you to get answers, so be sure to follow up with them if you haven't heard back in a week to two weeks.

I hope this comparison between your visits helps you, once you get to that stage! For myself, visiting both of the colleges I applied to really solidified exactly why I wanted to apply there. I knew that each university's culture fit my personality, I liked their academic programs, and their campus feel. If it weren't for both of my visits to each university, I wouldn't have known!

enjoy the chase,

skylar

Visiting Campus: Part 3 - What to Bring to Your Visit

When I was preparing for my own campus visits, 6 years ago for undergrad and 2 years ago for grad school, I consistently researched what to bring on a campus tour, what to wear, and what questions to ask. I got very little guidance and had to use trial and error until I got it down to a science!

What to Bring:

• Folder and Notebook: You will want something to carry any hand-outs you get, as well as, a place to keep your questions and to take any notes during presentations or conversations. 
• Pen/Pencil: Obviously to take notes. *When meeting faculty and other administrators, if they talk with you about things you are interested in or chair the program you hope to study, write down their name and e-mail address so that you can send them a quick e-mail when you decide to apply!
• Questions: Research the university's website before you visit so that you know what you want to ask. (Below, I've made up a list of some good questions to ask if you can't think of anything)
• Résumé: This isn't required by any means and you can use your own judgment, but you may want to have a small résumé for your interview or just for your Admissions Counselor to add to your profile. (You can include academic awards, clubs and organizations, and part-time jobs)

Hamilton College, Clinton, New York

What to Wear:

This was one thing that I really needed guidance for before I visited my first college ... I even instant messaged my Admissions Counselor to ask her what she recommended her students wear to interviews/visits. Here are my suggestions:

• You'll want to look nice, as to make a good impression, but you also want to be comfortable when walking around on your campus tour. 
• Unless you have a prestigious scholarship interview or an audition for a program, you won't need to wear a suit and tie or a fancy dress. 
• Khakis, dark wash jeans, nice button down shirt, blouse with a sweater, conservative-length skirt (A little shorter than knee length or longer)
• Check the forecast for the college town before you leave. You won't want to leave your raincoat or umbrella at home if it's going to rain!

Navy Khakis, Flower Blouse, Cream Sweater
Brown Ballet Flats, Brown Satchel

Some Questions to Ask:

• To Students:
• What's your favorite place on campus?
• What do students do on the weekends? Do they go into town a lot or just stay on campus?
• Do you think the faculty are easily available outside of class?
• What has been your favorite experience here so far?
• To Admissions Representatives:
• What is your university's student body like?/What is your typical student like? ie: values, aspirations, actions.
• If this campus was known for one thing, what would you say it is?
• Why did you choose to come here? (As an alum or as a new employee)

Colgate University, Hamilton, New York

I hope this helps you prepare a little better for your campus visit! My major suggestion though is to go to each university with an open mind. Every college campus is different; each one has their own identity, their own students, and their own culture, so don't judge one based on another. **Also, don't forget to go to the book store and pick up a t-shirt as a souvenir!

enjoy the chase,

skylar

P.S. Follow us on Twitter @Chasing_College  

Visiting Campus: Part 2 - What to See on Campus?

When you do a campus tour through the Admissions Office of a college or university, they have specific areas of campus they will show you. These will include academic buildings, dining facilities, some athletic areas and usually a Residence Hall. Because of their tour, you may think there is nothing left to see ... FALSE! If you do your research before you visit the campus, you should have a list of spots you want to see on campus. 

Your list of specific places on campus will help guide your tour so that you get the most out of your campus visit. When I was visiting the colleges I applied to in my undergrad, I knew I wanted to see the university's dance studio, hockey arena, and library, so I made sure the tour guide took us there. If it wasn't part of the tour, I asked my Admissions Counselor how to get there and my parents and I toured it ourselves.

Depending on your prospective major, here are some places you may want to visit:

video production lab

art studio

chemistry/biology labs

newspaper room

chapel

upperclassmen dorms

Also, don't just confine your tour to campus, be sure to take a drive through the town in which the campus lies. Check out the coffee shop, deli, bookstore, vintage shop, park, and the other interesting places in that town. This could be where you spend four or more of your "growing up" years, so not only are you marrying the college, but also the town it's in.

Your campus tour is the chance to see what you want and what is going to help you make your college search process easier and eventually help you make your admission decision, so make it yours!

enjoy the chase,

skylar

Visiting Campus: Part 1 - When Should I Visit?

Hi everyone and Happy Friday! For those of you who have started school, I hope your first week went well! For those of you who don't start for a few days or even a few weeks, enjoy the last little bit of summer.

An important topic when discussing the college search process is visiting college campuses. Visiting a campus is one of the most important factors in deciding to apply to the college and even deciding to enroll at that university. Because of its importance, I am doing a four-part series about visiting colleges! Please feel free to leave questions or comments in the comments section and I will be sure to address them!

Colgate University, Hamilton, NY

 Part 1: When should I visit?

Open House vs. One-on-One Visit

Colleges, especially during the Fall and Spring, have many large visit opportunities for prospective students. These Open Houses offer information sessions, campus tours, and the ability to meet with faculty and other staff members. They usually offer a lot of information and these are really great for a first visit to the campus. A one-on-one visit is a visit that you schedule yourself with the Admissions Office, usually it will just include an interview and a tour of campus. It will typically be just you and the tour guide or you and another family, so the tour can be really customized to what you want to see on the campus. Also, if you miss a day of school for a college visit, ask your Admissions Counselor if you could get a notice from that university to give you an excused absence.

Go When Classes are in Session
A campus can have a totally different feel when students are on campus from when they aren't. Seeing how the students interact with each other and with other faculty and administrators will show you what your experience could be like on that campus. You also might be able to sit in on a class if you visit while classes are going on. Talk with the Admissions Office about being able to sit in on a class when you come to visit. If given enough notice, they can usually plan it for you!

Hamilton College, Clinton, NY

Junior year vs. Senior Year
If you know a college or two that you like and plan to pursue, visit those colleges in the Spring of your Junior year. A lot of universities will offer a Junior Open House in April, so take advantage of that! They will offer information sessions about the college but also about the college search process in general, so that will be useful! Visiting the campus in your Junior year will also help you decide if you still want to pursue that college. You may see that after visiting the university that the campus doesn't fit your personality, so no need to spend more time pursuing it than necessary! Going your Senior year is best for your second visit to the institution. (I will discuss more about the 1st vs. 2nd visit later on in the series.)

If you have questions or comments about when you should visit a college, please feel free to leave them in the Comments section and I will address them later on in the series! Have a great weekend everyone!

enjoy the chase,

skylar