Hints for College Prospecting( print friendly version here... )

The growing trend toward combining the annual family vacation trip with a spot of college prospecting is expected to continue apace this summer. If you plan to join this season's campus-bound tourists, the following tips from the University of Rochester Admissions Office may be helpful:

1. Before deciding on your college-tour itinerary, ask one of your 'school's guidance counselors for his suggestions. His recommendations will help to guide you to the kinds of colleges that best meet your 'needs and interests.
   
   
2. Remember that summer isn't an "off season" at the Admissions Office. If you want to talk with an admissions counselor, it's wise to make an advance appointment, if possible.
   
   
3. Dress comfortably. This means casual dresses for girls; perhaps sports shirts and slacks for boys. Admissions officers are human; they recognize that it's hard to look spic and span after a long, hot auto trip with the family small fry in tow. But you'll find it pays to stop off at a service station somewhere and freshen up a bit before arriving on campus.
   
   
4. Don't hesitate to bring your parents. It's important for them to get a realistic impression of each college, too.
   
   
5. Don't be afraid to ask an admissions counselor whether he thinks your qualifications are such as to make it worthwhile to file a formal application. It's important, of course, that you provide him with reasonably accurate information on your high school performance to date and your College Board scores.
   
   
6. If you're a high school freshman or sophomore, you may find it helpful to tour campuses and pick up general admissions information this summer. However, it's better to wait until later in your high school career to schedule a formal admissions interview.' Rochester's admissions officers find that a high school sophomore can offer little of the objective data - - such as College Board scores, comprehensive high school records, etc.- - that provide the "meat" of a formal admissions interview.
   
   
7. Remember that on many campuses the summertime student body is different in composition from the regular student roster. For example, the University of Rochester runs a number of workshops, institutes and special summer programs that are attended by teachers and other professional people, as well as by undergraduate and graduate students from other colleges.
   
   
8. Don't try to cover too many colleges during a single trip. You'll be too rushed to get more than a fuzzy idea of each campus - - and you and your family certainly won't have much of a vacation!
   
   
9. If you have time, take in some of the special events on campus. With many colleges operating full- -steam-ahead throughout most of the summer, you're likely to find summer theatres, library and art exhibits, concerts, special lectures, and sports events listed on the campus calendar. You and your family will enjoy them' - - and they'll help to give you a more complete picture of college life.
   
   
10. After each visit make Some notes on your reactions to the college. These can be extremely useful when you talk over your college plans with your school guidance counselor next fall.
    
    
11. Follow up your trip, by talking with students in your area who attend the college you've visited. Summer is a good time to find some of them at home and to get their first-hand reactions to campus life. Alumni in your area will be glad to answer your questions, too.
    
    
12. If your tour raises some additional questions, don't hesitate to write for further information. But it's wise to check first to see whether such- information may be provided in the catalogs and other literature that you received at each admissions office during your visit.