Top 5 tips for college visits

If you plan to attend college then you need to figure out which one is for you. During freshman, sophomore and junior years of high school you should go make some college visits to help make a decision. Taking college visits can be a time consuming affair. Here are the top five tips you can use to help focus your decision about what school to attend.

1. Do you want to live on campus or commute? It’s a lot of fun to dorm if your school has an active campus life and you enjoy the people around you. If your choice school is smaller and closer to home it might make sense to commute. Remember, the dorm is an additional cost that must be paid for. If you are going to pay the extra money to live on campus you better take full advantage of what it has to offer.

2. You should research the price of tuition and dorms. This way you can easily compare the schools you visit considering the costs and what they have to offer. If you really want to attend an expensive school then you will know what kind of financial aid, scholarships and loans you would need to cover the costs.

3. Know a career path as you enter college. The reality is that making a college commitment is a decision to build a future for yourself. It’s time to think big and let your creativity take control. You need to make a decision about what your interests are and what you would be happy to do. If you are not sure then you should commit yourself to discovering what it is you like. By knowing what you want you can make a clear choice about what college to attend.

4. Talk to current students and alumni of any school you want to visit. They can help give you insight into what the school is really like because they have firsthand experience. Candid feedback can help you to make a decision that looks beyond the admissions booklets that are handed out by colleges every year.

5. Use the internet. There are websites like collegeboard that offer tremendous resources for college search. Also check out collegeconfidential that offers student feedback and videos direct from campuses around the country. Through offering innovative tools and options, websites like these can save you a tremendous amount of time and add value to your college visits.