For a majority of your students, the campus visit is as much about getting out of school as it is about gathering information in order to make an informed decision about college. We all know that. The trick for you and other guidance counselors is to give the students a quick, fail-safe checklist for evaluating each college during a campus visit.

In order to help you, we have consulted with universities in order to compile this resource for you and your students. Here, without further fanfare, is our primer …

Campus Visit Checklist
What to do before the visit:
1) Go online and read about the college. Write down any questions you want to ask during the visit.
2) Find out details about campus visit times and dates so you can schedule yours.
3) Develop a checklist of things you are looking for in a college.

What to take:
1) a notebook with your pre-written questions and checklist of wants
2) a camera

As you visit more and more colleges, you will find your memory quickly fades. Use the notebook and the camera to jog your memory about which things you want to remember about each college you visit.

You can also use the notebook to check off the items on your want list that are offered by each college.
This can also help you make your decision as to which college to attend.

At the end of the campus visit, once all of your questions have been answered, make sure you take some
time to jot down your overall impression about the college. This will help you immensely when it comes time to sit down and compare the various colleges you have visited.

Remember, you can always follow up later to clear up any questions you have. It might be wise to collect a few phone numbers for alumni or current students for each college so that you can ask them questions, too. While you campus visit tour guide is obviously giving you a very positive take on everything pertaining to the college, a student or graduate will be more likely to give you an honest take on the pros and cons of attending that college.

Taking a few notes is a quick and easy way to effectively evaluate a college. Better still, doing this doesn’t interfere with another core purpose for you campus visit — to have fun.