campus visit tips

Hi Everyone - Well, Minnesota National was a blast. We talked to thousands of students from MN and WI. Our booth was on a corner in the UW System aisle, so we had a lot of traffic which was great. I have to remember to order carpet next time because standing on concrete for 4 hours at a stretch was tough!

But now, we're on to hosting visitors. October is really busy. A lot of students have days when they're off from school for teacher conferences, so they hit the college visit trail! By the end of the month, we will have talked to probably 3,000 students and parents about UWEC.
That makes me think that it might be helpful to tell you some tips to getting the most out of your college visit. Here goes:

1. Plan ahead. Since lots of students are out of school at the same time, our visit days fill up quickly. Give a school at least two weeks' notice....that way we can also email you your parking permit, map, etc. No one wants to be late for their tour, fumbling with a map in the car, losing the parking permit, etc.

2. Pick a day when classes are in session. This time of year is great for visiting because campus is hopping. The weather is still good, campus is pretty, students aren't too stressed yet:).

3. Wander around on your own after your official tour. There's nothing like just sitting in the student center and getting a vibe on the campus. Eat the food. Check out the res halls. Read the student newspaper. Visit your academic department. Ask yourself, "Can I see myself here? Do I fit here? Can I thrive here?" Ask your parent/s - nicely, of course - if you could have 30 min to do that on your own. Then you can really get a feel for the place and soak it in.

4. What to wear? You don't have to dress up. Jeans and a sweatshirt are just fine. Of course, don't wear the competition's sweatshirt to a different school, though! That's just goofy:). Wear comfy shoes. Oh, and take off your baseball caps, please!!

5. Ask lots of questions. We really like it when students ask the questions. It's your education, and we love it when you take ownership over it. Sometimes I see students sitting in the presentation room, and their mothers are picking up all the brochures. Come on! I know it can be intimidating to visit a college but we really are nice people and want you to be engaged in this process. After all, you'll be the one in class, right?

6. Write down some notes afterwards. If you're doing a lot of colleges in a short timeframe, they'll begin to blur. Keep a log with your impressions, questions to follow up on. Better yet, take a few pics with your cell phone to jog your memory. (But note to self: only use it for that. I once saw a student texting during the whole campus tour, looking shocked when she ran into things. That is SO high school. lol).

Well, time to go sign a bunch of admission letters. Yup, I sign them myself. Great part of my job...to see who you all are and where you're from.

Kris