• Contact Us
  • Events calendar
Entering Swellesley
Pinnacle, Wellesley

The Swellesley Report

More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.

  • Advertise
  • Wellesley Square
  • Deland, Gibson Insurance Athlete of the Week
  • Camp
  • Private schools, sponsored by Riverbend
  • Business index
  • Contribute
  • Eat
  • Schools
  • Top 10 things to do
  • Embracing diversity
  • Kids
  • About us
  • Events
  • Natick Report
  • Seniors
  • Letters to the editor
  • Guidelines for letters to the editor
  • Live government meetings
  • Raiders sports schedules & results
  • Fire & police scanner
  • 2023 Town Election
 
Needham Bank, Wellesley
Write Ahead, Wellesley

Wellesely education spotlight: college visits—tips before you go

July 7, 2021 by Martha Collins Leave a Comment

Thank you to education writer and guest columnist Martha Collins of Admit Fit College Admissions Counseling for the following post:

Now that COVID-19 restrictions are easing, many colleges have resumed offering admissions visits, which typically include two elements: information sessions and campus tours. But before you go, here are a few tips for making the most out of your college visits.

Admit Fit, WellesleyIf you are just getting started on the admissions process, consider visiting colleges close to home first to help you narrow the type of school you want to target. For example, if you live near a major metropolitan area, you may be able to visit a large university with 20,000 or more students, and a small liberal arts college with 2,500 or fewer students. Which size is a fit for you?

In addition, you may be able to visit colleges within an easy drive that are city schools, embedded in the hubbub of a major city, or suburban campuses at the outskirts of a metro area, or still other universities in a rural setting surrounded by nature. This can help you better understand whether a college in an urban, suburban, or rural environment is right for you.

Next, consider the reasons for visiting a college campus: to confirm that a school is a fit for you, and to confirm that you are a fit for the school. Before you go, make sure you have registered with the admissions office for the information session and tour. These free events can be ‘sold out.’ While it is ideal to visit during the school year when classes are in session, summer visits are still valuable and worth taking advantage of.

Try to limit the number of schools you visit to two per day. Transit between college campuses, even those that are close together, takes time and you don’t want to feel rushed. If you are visiting several schools in succession on a road trip, make sure to take notes, even if these are informal memos on your phone. Colleges can easily blur together in your mind weeks or months later when you are deep in the application process. Many schools may ask you to complete a supplemental essay such as, “Why do you want to attend SCHOOL NAME?” If you have taken personal notes, you will have ready content at hand.

So, what should you look for? First, can you imagine yourself on this campus? While the typical college tour will include a walk through the main quad of the campus, pass by academic buildings, the arts and athletic centers, as well as a dorm, don’t be afraid to supplement your tour with your own walkabout.

If you have a specific academic interest, try to visit the buildings where the classes for that major are held. Do the students you see seem like ‘your people’? Have lunch or a snack in a dining hall to confirm that a college is a culinary fit with your tastes, and observe students in their ‘natural setting,’ relaxing and sharing a meal.

Check out campus bulletin boards or even pick up the college’s newspaper to glean a bit more detail on what students care deeply about, as well as what kind of extracurricular activities are available.

To address the question of whether you are a fit for the college, note that larger universities and those that receive a large number of applications typically do not heavily weight or even consider ‘demonstrated interest’ when evaluating a candidate for admission. When in doubt, you can always email the college admission office and ask (which in itself is a way of demonstrating interest.)

Furthermore, there are many ways to show interest beyond visiting a college in-person. You can attend a virtual information session, or contact the college’s admissions representative assigned to your high school to discuss your interest. And while your inbox may be inundated with spam from a myriad of universities, it is worth opening the emails from the colleges that particularly appeal to you, since most schools track these interactions.

Last and maybe most importantly, relax and enjoy yourself. To memorialize the trip, take silly selfies on each campus, or purchase a t-shirt, a key chain or other nominal item from the student bookstore at each college you visit.

And try to be patient with your mom or dad, who may seem especially over-earnest. For parents, taking their teenager on college visits is a bit like watching their fledgling baby bird fly for the first time. Soon enough, you will be leaving their nest.

Martha Collins is president of Admit Fit College Admissions Counseling.

MORE:

Waitlisted? What to do?

College admissions kick-off

Avoiding common college admissions essay errors

print

Filed Under: Education

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Linden Square, Wellesley
Riverbend, Natick

Tip us off…

Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

 

Advertisements

Wellesley Square, Wellesley Merchants
Wellesley, Jesamondo
Beacon Hill Athletic Club, Wellesley
Fay School, Southborough
Sexton test prep
Feldman Law
Wellesley Theatre Project
Volvo
Cheesy Street Grill
Mature Caregivers
Admit Fit, Wellesley
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
Never miss a post with our free daily Swellesley Report email
Name: 
Your email address:*
Please wait...
Please enter all required fields Click to hide
Correct invalid entries Click to hide

You can subscribe for free, though we appreciate any contribution that supports our independent journalism.

Click on Entering Natick sign to read our Natick Report

Entering Natick road sign

Most Read Posts

  • Sign up now for summer camp in Wellesley (and beyond)
  • Letters-to-the-editor day in Wellesley—important election-time updates
  • Wellesley business buzz: Board business liaison phased out; Help ID top business leaders of color; Hospital taps new president
  • Wellesley Cotillion makes a strong comeback
  • Business buzz: Nantucket wine bar to boast Wasik's cheeses; Needham Bank has new Wellesley branch manager; Thanks to new sponsor Beacon Hill Athletic Clubs

Upcoming Events

Jan 26
9:00 am - 10:30 am

Select Board office hours—in-person or online

Jan 31
9:00 am - 11:00 am Recurring

Coffee and Conversation with the Wetlands Administrator and Staff

Jan 31
7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Families Eat Together online presentation

Feb 1
11:59 pm

Deadline for Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club grants application

Feb 3
10:00 am - 6:00 pm

Sara Campbell winter warehouse sale

View Calendar

Popular pages

  • Wellesley’s 7 official scenic roads

Recent Comments

  • LADY WELLESLEY on Wellesley police officer injured in crash at intersection of Grove and Benvenue
  • Peggy Heffernan on Wellesley police officer injured in crash at intersection of Grove and Benvenue
  • Beth Dublin on Wellesley police officer injured in crash at intersection of Grove and Benvenue
  • Erika on Where to buy the Wellesleyest stuff in Wellesley
  • Alice Roy on Inside Track has jewel of a Wellesley engagement scoop

Links we like

  • Danny's Place
  • Great Runs
  • Jack Sanford: Wellesley's Major League Baseball Star
  • Tech-Tamer
  • The Wellesley Wine Press
  • Universal Hub
  • Wellesley Sports Discussion Facebook Group

Categories

  • 2021 Town Election (24)
  • 2023 Town Election (2)
  • Animals (428)
  • Antiques (49)
  • Art (592)
  • Beyond Wellesley (52)
  • Books (376)
  • Business (1,556)
  • Camp (11)
  • Careers/jobs (53)
  • Churches (82)
  • Clubs (236)
  • Construction (300)
  • Dump (130)
  • Education (3,189)
    • Babson College (252)
    • Bates Elementary School (18)
    • Dana Hall School (36)
    • Fiske Elementary School (11)
    • Hardy Elementary School (47)
    • Hunnewell Elementary School (46)
    • MassBay (57)
    • Schofield Elementary School (26)
    • Sprague Elementary School (19)
    • St. John School (2)
    • Tenacre Country Day School (11)
    • Upham Elementary School (35)
    • Wellesley College (613)
    • Wellesley High School (996)
    • Wellesley Middle School (204)
  • Embracing diversity (84)
  • Entertainment (814)
  • Environment (772)
  • Fashion (144)
  • Finance (15)
  • Fire (173)
  • Food (358)
  • Fundraising (641)
  • Gardens (164)
  • Government (604)
    • 2020 Town Election (47)
    • 2022 Town Election (15)
  • Health (866)
    • COVID-19 (203)
  • Hikes (6)
  • History (399)
  • Holidays (440)
  • Houses (162)
  • Humor (47)
  • Kids (867)
  • Law (8)
  • Legal notices (10)
  • Letters to the Editor (71)
  • Media (72)
  • METCO (4)
  • Military (13)
  • Morses Pond (109)
  • Music (579)
  • Natick Report (30)
  • Neighbors (280)
  • Obituaries & remembrances (86)
  • Outdoors (655)
  • Parenting (63)
  • Police (778)
    • Crime (395)
  • Politics (554)
  • POPS Senior Profile (10)
  • RDF (6)
  • Real estate (344)
  • Religion (138)
  • Restaurants (340)
  • Safety (155)
  • Scouts (2)
  • Seniors (127)
  • Shopping (163)
  • Sponsored (6)
  • Sports (1,012)
    • Athlete of the Week (12)
  • STEM (108)
  • Technology (165)
  • Theatre (397)
  • Town Meeting (23)
  • Transportation (240)
  • Travel (17)
  • Uncategorized (1,244)
  • Volunteering (350)
  • Weather (179)
  • Wellesley Election 2019 (21)
  • Wellesley Free Library (280)
  • Wellesley Holiday Gift Guide (2)
  • Wellesley's Wonderful Weekend (20)

© 2023 The Swellesley Report
Site by Tech-Tamer · Login