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Photo Credit: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dd/Binghamton_university_campus_alley.jpg

Once school is out summer is a great opportunity to visit colleges and universities. Tours can be overwhelming considering the amount of information that is thrown at you. Additionally, your memories of schools may overlap. There are so many things to consider.

Scroll down to find the link to the College Research Guide!

Before your visit sit down as a family and create a list of the important features you want in a college or university. Then, while visiting you can check off the features, which will be helpful later when comparing schools. Also, before you go it is a good idea to explore the schools’ websites. Write down any questions beforehand. The more specific your questions are the better.

Tips when visiting:

• Talk to current students and professors. They are the experts and a great resource. =)

• Venture out on your own: The official tour will take you to specific places, but take an unofficial tour by wandering around campus. If there are any physical features of a campus that are important to you, find them and explore them for yourself.

• There are no “stupid questions!” Ask away. That’s what your visit is for. If certain information is important to you and will impact your college decision then ask about it. Don’t ever be afraid to ask questions.

Possible questions to ask students, professors, etc.

• Why did you choose this college?

• What other schools did you look at?

• When do students typically declare a major?

• How easy is it to switch majors?

• How’s the food?

• What is it like to live on campus?

• What do students do for fun?

• What is your most favorite and least favorite thing about this college?

• What are the job and graduate school placement rates?

• What is the freshman to sophomore retention rate?

• What is the four-year graduation rate?

• What percent of students have internships?

• What are some of the top employers for graduates of this college?

• What is unique about this college?

• What are the strongest or most popular majors?

• Where are students from geographically?

Your College Research Guide

CLICK HERE to access the College Research Guide. You can print the guide and write on it, use it on your tablet, or your phone. The document is in Google Sheets. Simply view the spreadsheet and click on File. Then, click Make a copy. Save it and you can edit it as you wish. Please not if you are using your phone or tablet you may need the Google Sheets app prior to accessing and editing the spreadsheet.

Most importantly, don’t forget to have fun on your college and university visits!