Goal: Help My Kid Get More from a College Tour  

Recommended Steps

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  Encourage my kid to sit in on a lecture.

  Notice how the students interact with each other and with the professor or teaching assistant. Could your child learn in this environment? What is his or her impression of student-teacher relationships?
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  Visit a dorm room with my kid.

  Most schools have several living facilities, so try to visit them all. Does your teen feel comfortable in the dorms? What other living options are open to freshmen?
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  Point out the campus bulletin boards to my kid.

  Notices about social events, community service opportunities, people needing rides home, and ads for tutoring services tell a lot about the things that are important to students. Reading the campus newspaper can also provide you and your teen with a more in-depth look at campus life.
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  Ask if my kid and I can eat on campus.

  Visit the dining hall or the food court. Look at what it has to offer and sit down for a meal. Your child will eat here, so make sure the food appeals. Sure, the unlimited ice cream looks enticing, but are there also a variety of healthy foods to eat?

  
  

  
  Tip: Try to visit campus at a time other than a special event designed for high school students. The quality of the dining hall food is often better on "showcase" days than it is on a regular school day.
  
  

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  Look at details like the condition of restrooms on campus.

  Seriously, do it. Unsanitary restrooms may be a sign of other deficiencies. If the campus areas used by the public aren't up to par, what about the areas that visitors don't usually see? Peeling paint in dorms or sagging lounge furniture also tell a story you may not want to hear.
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  Use a checklist to make sure I have all the information I need.

  Items to consider include:

  
  

  
  
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    Academic programs-majors, class size, study abroad, research opportunities
  
  
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    Housing-dormitories, off-campus student housing
  
  
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    Campus student life-clubs and organizations, politics, social activism, entertainment
  
  
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    Athletics-organizations sports teams, intramural sports
  
  
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    Student support-tutoring, counseling center, career center, computer labs, college campus safety
  
  
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    Campus facilities-library, gym, dining hall, student union, commuter lounge, performing arts center
  
  
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    Campus atmosphere-casual, formal, high pressure, laid back
    
    
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  Download a college visit template to help me and my kid remember important details.

  To make it easier to keep track of the colleges you visit, you can download a college visit summary sheet from Making It Into a Top College by Howard and Matthew Greene (HarperCollins 2009)