When fall comes around, seniors begin to apply for college and get stressed out about which colleges to apply to without spending too much money. Applications for college can cost up to one hundred dollars. Visiting colleges before senior year gets rid of a lot of stress in the fall and will benefit students.
“Visiting colleges before your senior year is important because I realized that some colleges will not work out for me,” Junior Alex Patterson said. “When I apply for colleges this fall I will not waste the time and money applying to those schools.”
Many seniors apply to big schools such as UCLA, Harvard and Brown without researching or seeing the school. Do not apply to a school just because all of your friends are applying there. Every college has its own culture and it is essential to find a college that you like. Seeing campuses will help students determine whether or not the vibe of the college feels right.
“I feel like a lot of the students apply to schools because of the name,” Patterson said. “It is important to see the school and see if it is right for you. The school may be a wrong fit.”
Even though online sites about colleges provide information about majors, tour guides provide in-depth answers. Students can ask the tour guide any question about the college and they will always have a specific answer.
“I look for campuses that have good journalism programs and a lot of school spirit,” Junior Mckenna Aiello said. “Since applications are expensive I will pick my top six to apply to in the fall.”
Many students have specific requirements about a college. When visiting colleges, students will get the opportunity to see the size and qualities of the dorm rooms. Also if students want to be involved in college they can look at what type of intramurals and organizations the school offers.
“When I look at campuses I always look at the training center because exercise is important to me,” Junior Caitlin Umphreyville said. “I also look at the quality of the buildings and the reputation the school has.”
While touring campuses, students find out about the size of the school. Some students want to go to a school filled with lots of spirit while others like a smaller school filled with less craziness. Underclassmen will figure out which school fits their ideal class size by visiting them.
“When I visit colleges I see how many people walk around and I look at the class sizes,” Junior Sana Hussain said. “I want to go to a small school because the class ratios are smaller and you learn a lot more in a smaller class.”
Visiting colleges before senior year will benefit students in the application process because when they apply they will know all of the schools they picked will fit their personality.
“I’m glad I toured college campuses because it gave me a feel of what I like in colleges and now I can narrow down where I want to apply to,” Umphreyville said. “
