Even if you live next door to a college, planning an actual campus visit can be time consuming. What you see is not always what you get, and a campus visit is a chance to get below the surface of the pretty green lawns and impressive academic buildings.

To start, make sure you visit while school is in session! Although visiting on holiday breaks or during the summer seems easy, you will not get the full experience on an empty campus. When you are able to visit, begin by calling the admission office to verify times for guided tours, and find out if interviews are available with admission representatives. Make arrangements to sit in on classes or shadow a student for a day. Many schools offer overnight stays with students of similar interests.

Take advantage and ask questions outside of a formal setting. You can receive more honest answers when officials are not listening. Attend open houses with other prospective students on campus, and inquire if there will be events for prospective students in your hometown, which will come in handy if you have more questions. If you go into any visit without a set of questions, you will not come out with any answers. Ask multiple people the same question: a dean, a tour guide, and a student will give you different answers! Even if your question seems trivial, ask—it may be the little things that help you make the decision about where to attend college.

There are six major areas you should have questions about: academics, athletics, activities, dorms and facilities, surroundings, and specialties.

Academics
Don’t know what you want to study yet? Make sure you have plenty of options open to you when you are choosing schools, and ask about them. Does the school focus solely on one academic area or does it offer a liberal arts program?

If you have a major already in mind, e-mail the department and set up an appointment with someone to learn more about the program. Ask what resources are available, such as labs, research opportunities, and study abroad.

Find out what the rules are for studying different disciplines. Can you double-major across colleges? Can you take art classes if you are not an art major? How late can you change your major or add a minor? Are minors required? Tour more than one department, and don’t be afraid to explore new options if something strikes your fancy.

Also, many schools encourage, or even require, internships for course credit. Other schools offer cooperative education. Internships and co-ops are great ways to get real-world experience before you graduate: does the school have opportunities in these areas?

Athletics
If you are a serious athlete, contact the appropriate recruiter for your sport before you check out any school, as recruitment and scholarship rules vary. If you’re just looking to play for fun or want to learn a new sport, check out the school’s intramural and club sports. You may also want to take a tour of the wellness or recreation facilities, if it is important to you. (For more information about collegiate athletics and getting recruited, check out www.takkle.com or www.ncaa.org.)

Activities
Student government, a capella groups, Model United Nations, cultural activities: campuses are home to dozens of student organizations. If you were involved in something unique in high school, ask if the club exists on campus. If it does not, ask how difficult it is to start a club!

It’s also helpful to know how big sororities and fraternities, often known as Greek life, are on campus. They can be very influential at some schools and completely nonexistent at others.

Dorms and facilities
You may never have had a roommate, but most college freshmen will! Clarify how many roommates you might have, and the size and layout of freshman dorms. Are there quiet floors, or areas for students wishing to learn a language? You should also ask if housing is guaranteed—or required. You may be required to live on campus all four years, just freshman year, or not at all. Also, how easy is it to find an off-campus apartment or summer housing?

Or are you craving a great gym? Want practice space to jam with the band you’re hoping to start? Desperate for a pottery wheel? Check out all of the available facilities for your favorite activities.

Surroundings
It’s important to know the setting of the college. Is it urban or rural? How can you get around the city or town? Check into programs like ZipCar and transportation options like subways, airports, walking paths, etc. If you have a car, ask if parking is available to first-year students, or even at all! And how close are grocery stores, movie theaters, museums, and parks?

It’s also important to check out the safety of the surrounding area. Is there a lot of crime on campus or in the bordering area? What does the school do to keep its students safe?
 
Specialties
Find out what makes each school different. A unique major, the championship basketball team, a stellar cooperative education program, horseback riding on campus, or proximity to a major city: it’s the defining characteristics that will draw you to a specific campus.
  
Finally, don’t forget to take notes. If you are visiting more than one school in the same trip or even on the same day, you’ll have a tough time remembering everything you learned. Write down answers, pick up lots of informational handouts, and get contact information for any-one who has been particularly helpful on your visit. If you had a visit with an official or admission representative, send a thank you e-mail or letter no more than a few days after your meeting. Good luck and happy college hunting!

Marisa Levine is a freelance writer based in Boston, Massachusetts.

2009