Besides the relief of getting out class, college visits can be important to your future education and could just determine where you go to college.

In the fall each year, representatives from college admissions offices travel to high schools around the U.S to meet with students one on one. This allows the student to make a connection and learn more than what is listed on the website and/or for the college rep to see if the student is seriously interested in attending.

At these visits students generally receive brochures which include useful information such as when open houses are, sports/clubs offered,  undergraduate programs of study and undergraduate admissions.

“When I visit schools I give a brief introduction of myself then a general overview of Albright College. The overview includes our most popular and strongest academic areas on campus. I also describe campus/student life and the application process,” said Hillen Grason, college rep for Albright Univeristy.

Reps from James Madison University visited Linganore on October 6th, and the eight students who attended learned helpful tips about attending/applying to JMU. One area the college rep focused on was how to fill out the application, which can be a confusing process. She explained that certain sections on the application such as the personal statement and teacher recommendations are not required and do not affect the students acceptance.

Juniors and seniors are encouraged to sign up for these meetings so they’re able to have specific, in-person contact with the school. Prepare by bringing a list of questions. Here are 20 questions a student should ask the college rep.

“My senior year I attended a college visit for Towson University. Towson was a college that I was looking at but wasn’t sure if I actually wanted to go there until I met the college rep. The college rep was extremely helpful, and I learned a lot more about Towson than what I learned from the website. I’m currently a sophomore in college and I highly recommend for you to attend the college visits,” said Linganore graduate and Towson student, Sami Phelps.

Even parents are encouraged to attend to better understand the application process and information about the school that their son/daughter plans to go to. 

“I did not attend my daughter, Sami Phelps, college visit due to scheduling, but I did however email the college rep and asked for information that would be gone over during the visit. Emailing the college rep helped me understand the steps to take in applying to Towson, and it let me see what Sami was being told,” said Dominique Phelps.

To sign up for the college visits log into Naviance. Your username and password is your student ID, and click on the “More Information About College Visits” under the “What’s New” tab.

Next you’ ll see a list of all the colleges visiting and you’re able to seek more information about them and/or sign up.