Beginning the College Application Process

Beginning the College Application Process
1. When should I start visiting colleges? College visits can start as early as middle school or even younger. Go to the Admissions Page of the schools that interest you and see when they have Open Houses. Pick a date that works for your family and make that trip.
2. What types of college visits are there? Some schools have Open Houses when you attend an information session and tour the campus. Some schools have overnight visits where the student stays with a current college student and can attend classes.
3. I’m interested in a school that’s really far. How would I visit the campus? Some schools have virtual tours on their websites so that you can see what the school looks like. Otherwise, your family may have to plan a vacation near that school and incorporate the visit into the activities.
4. How will I know what to do/ask on the visit? Review the “College Visit Checklist” for some tips on what to do.
5. How do I start picking colleges? On www.collegeboard.org, there is a page called Big Future where you answer certain questions about the type of college you’d like to attend and at the end, it gives you a list of colleges whose websites you can visit. After that, then you can set up actual visits to the school. In addition use www.colleges.niche.com and the Naviance or whatever college preparatory program your high school uses.
6. What other ways are there to pick colleges? Visit any local college fairs so that you can meet the admissions staff and ask them questions.