Summer vacation is almost here and many high school students will be traveling to different destinations. If you are planning to visit a country where you would like (or think you might like) to attend university, summer is the perfect time to schedule university visits and campus tours!
Here are our top tips for successful university visits:
- Do not schedule too many visits – You may be short on time or there may be a few universities in one particular city that you feel like you can visit in one day. It will be too much if you try to visit more than two universities in a day. Not to mention, the universities will start to blur together and you probably will not be able to retain as much information. Scale down your visits to the must see universities and take virtual tours online for the others you are not able to make.
- Do not wait until the last minute – Now is the time to find out visiting times for your universities. Summer is the most popular time for students to visit from all over the world, so reserve your space early so that you and/or your family can be accommodated.
- Schedule an on-campus interview – Many universities will give you an opportunity to meet with admissions representatives who are very knowledgeable about the application and admissions process. These people are important to get to know as they can answer specific questions regarding the university. However, another way to get an up-close and personal perspective is to schedule an on-campus interview, if offered. It is possible that you will interview with an alum, current student or even a person from the admissions office. This one-on-one opportunity is great for narrowing your list down and determining if the university would be in your top 10.
- Meet with a professor – While summer vacation is just that, vacation, there are professors who stick around campus for the summer. If you know which field of study you are interested in, contact the admissions office or contact the professor directly (if their information is online) and request a time to find out more about your specific program and the types of courses you would be taking within your major. Many professors are glad to speak with prospective students and their families and may even remember your visit, which may be helpful later on.
- Enjoy the campus tour – Yes, it may be hot in some places or the tour guides are loading you up with quirky facts about the university, but the tour is one of the most crucial parts of the visit. It allows you to imagine yourself as a student there. As you walk from building to building, or through the quad on a campus, imagine that this is a typical day. Do you see yourself eating in the dining hall or hanging out in the student center? Take advantage of your surroundings and determine if this is a place that could “feel like home”.
If you are unsure about the type of university you want to attend or you think it doesn’t matter if it has a large or small population, visit different types of universities within your field of study in a specific city (large public, small private, liberal arts, research based). That way, you will find out what you must have and what you can live without.
Enjoy this part of the process and, most importantly, enjoy your summer!
Dulwich College Beijing counseling team offers career and university advice and support to all Senior School students. Preparing students for university start as early as Year 7 (Grade 6). They spend many hours with each student to guide them with admission essays and to make the right choices for university applications. Students’ final choices often reflect the right fit for them individually – whether it is campus location and size or area of specialty, and it is not necessarily based on university ranking.
This post is provided by Dulwich College Beijing.
Photos: DCB