Milk That College Visit

With many high schools approaching Spring Break, it's a good time to start cultivating a list of colleges you're interested in applying to next year.

College visits are important for many reasons. It gives students a chance to experience the environment they might choose to live in for four years. Students can also get a sense of the resources the college has to offer. Not that students need to have a definitive idea of what they'd like to pursue in college by their junior year, but it would certainly be helpful if they leaned on any one of their interests as they wandered around these campuses. If you're interested in studying film, be sure to visit the film department and inquire about the opportunities available to undergraduates. If you want to study mechanical engineering, take a good look at the professors in the department and find out if they do any research on campus. What are the facilities like?

Take advantage of the college tours, and don't be afraid to ask lots of questions.

It would also be in your best interest to take notes about your experiences on these campuses. Many schools ask students to write a few hundred words on why they are interested in "this particular school." These essays are always easier to write when you have some personal anecdotes to allude to, separating your answer from the run-of-the-mill responses most students provide.