Some schools are known as party schools, some are filled with "studyaholics". Usually, the reality is somewhere in between. Do the students know and love their school's reputation, or do their comments paint a different picture? Do the students stay on campus on weekends? What do they do? Does everyone participate in social events? Is the football (lacrosse, basketball) team the main focus of social life? Do you have to belong to a fraternity or sorority to have a life? As you listen to the students' answers, or even to their random remarks about campus life, you will learn a lot about the school's character.
Once again, talk to the students and listen to their answers. Are they friendly? Arrogant? Competitive? Where do they come from? Do they like the school? Why? Do their reasons relate to your own concerns? Are the students unified, or is there divisiveness on campus? Does everyone look like you, or not like you? We're talking diversity here. Take a look at the bulletin boards and the school newspapers for clues.
We say "talk to students," but you might only have a chance to talk to the tour guide. By and large, the tour guide will be a wonderful advocate for the college. But, remember, tour guides are not chosen, nor do they volunteer, for the task of leading potential applicants around because they have complaints about the school. So expect their prepared remarks to be positive. They will answer your questions honestly, but you can assume that they will also put a positive gloss on their answers. We recommend you keep your eyes and ears open and engage other students in conversation whenever possible.
You may have a natural tendency to like or dislike a school based on your feelings about the tour guide. Try to restrain this inclination, especially when you're not impressed by your guide. He or she might not always be your type of person, but that doesn't mean you won't find other folks on campus who are. Look around.
Beware of confusing the living situation with life on campus. You may be horrified when you see four students living in a room intended for two, or see long registration lines, large classes, and crowded cafeterias. This living situation results from a lot of people doing the same thing at the same time.
On the other hand, the life of the place is defined by how its students interact, and what people do with their time. If you can't have a great living situation and a great student life, consider your priorities.
Usually, only the odd or wacky things stick out in your mind, so right after your visit, write down your impressions about the school. Some people believe in a grading system from 1 to 10 for categories like food, social life, academics, campus, student body, etc. We think it's more helpful to write down the first words that come to mind after your experience. Most often, these words will translate to a summary of your experience. Pay attention to what you write; that will give you insight into what you feel about the school.
A college visit, done properly, can be the most useful tool you have in understanding what it is like to be student at a given school, and, eventually, deciding if you want to go there.
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