How to Plan a College Trip

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By Sonia Says So

Be sure to bring your camera to record points of interest along the way. We found it helpful to take a photo of the college's entry sign first to distinguish on which campus the subsequent photos were taken.
Be sure to bring your camera to record points of interest along the way. We found it helpful to take a photo of the college's entry sign first to distinguish on which campus the subsequent photos were taken.

If you're like me, the planning process for helping your child get into the college of her choice is full of excitement, fear, and overwhelming mountains of paperwork. To help you get a leg up, here are some easy steps to take when planning a college tour.

1. Visit the College Board website at www.collegeboard.org. This website offers a gold mine of information. If you or child hasn't done so, start by registering him or her. You can then move on to setting up a student profile and search for colleges that meet your child's criteria (by SAT scores, academics, geography, cost, etc.).

2. If possible, block out some time to visit a number of schools. In our case, we took off on a week-long road trip and visited six colleges in seven days, building the trip into our summer vacation. We traveled from Pennsylvania (Bucknell and Villanova), into Virginia (University of Richmond and UVA), and ended up in North Carolina (Duke and UNC Chapel Hill) before driving home to Erie, PA.

3. While touring a campus on your own can be fun, I highly recommend attending a college's Information Session and Guided Tour. The tours are usually lead by students and are full of the type of info your child really wants to know (what are the dorms like, how is the food, security issues, etc.) . When possible, try to join a tour that is lead by a student with similar academic interests as your child. This makes your tour more relevantto your child's future plans. Information Sessions are led by a college's admissions personnel. The sessions offer a broad look at the college's mission, academic programs, study abroad options, financial aid policies, and the like. Most colleges ask that you register for Information Sessions and tours. This is easily accomplished by visiting a college's website admissions page.

4. Make time to check out the surrounding community. This important step can get lost in the busy college tour schedule, but it's a key factor in picking a school. Are there cultural or sporting opportunities nearby? What are the transportation options if the school is far from home? Are there hospitals, malls, grocery stores and pharmacies near campus?

5. Finally, create a comparison chart to fill out in the car after you leave a campus. It's difficult to remember all the details when visiting several campuses in one trip, so it's helpful to write things down when the details are fresh in your mind. Record things like the academic requirements, number of undergrads, impressions of the academic buildings, cafeteria, dorms, and fitness center. What is the community like? You can also use the College Board website to fill in specific details, such as SAT/ACT score requirements, costs, and financial aid information.

College tours are a fun way share this exciting time with your child. If you're like me, you may even want to return to college yourself when you see the opportunities available today.

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