85 Essential Questions to Ask On Every College Visit
College tours are a perfect opportunity to observe firsthand what the campus is all about. It is also a time to get answers to questions you otherwise cannot get via the college's website and other social media channels.
Take these questions with you on every college tour.
Some of the questions will automatically be answered during the tour. Be patient and thoughtful of others while on a group tour. The best way to get your questions answered is to align your questions when touring various areas of the campus. For example, while touring the dining hall, asking questions about food or if the tour guide talks about campus life, asking free-time-related questions is appropriate.
To get you started, here is a list of potential questions you can hope to get answered while on tour.
Admissions
What is your acceptance rate?
What are you looking for in your students?
Does demonstrated interest play a role in admissions?
Are you test-optional or blind? Are there exceptions to your test policy?
Do interviews play a role in the process?
Financial Aid
What percentage of students receive financial aid?
What is your average financial aid packet?
How do you structure your financial aid awards?
Are institutional scholarships available?
How do I qualify for your merit scholarship?
How does outside merit or other scholarships impact the financial aid package?
When does the financial aid package get awarded? At acceptance or later?
What happens to my financial aid packet if it takes more than four years to graduate?
What are the work-study options on campus?
How much should I expect the tuition rate to change every year?
Does your net price calculator provide an accurate estimate of what your school will cost me, and when did you last update the net price calculator?
Academics
What is the average class size for introductory as well as upper-division classes?
What's it like to be a first-year student here?
Which majors are popular at your college?
Do you have an honors college?
Is the school on a semester, trimester, or quarter system?
When do you have to declare a major?
Do they offer double majors?
What difficult is it to change majors?
What's a typical day like?
How are the professors?
Are the professors good teachers?
What is the professor-student ratio in my intended major?
Are professors readily available outside of the classroom?
Are tutoring services available? Is it free?
Who teaches most of the classes? The professors or teaching assistants?
Are the classes hands-on, lecture, or discussion-based?
Does the college have a study abroad program?
How difficult is it to get into the classes of your choice? Which students get priority?
Do seniors complete a capstone project?
How accessible is your academic advisor?
Are available for students with disabilities and accommodations?
What is your four-year graduation rate?
What is the main reason why students do not graduate on time?
Career
Is career counseling available?
Do you provide career-networking opportunities with local businesses?
Do you provide internships?
What is your job placement rate?
General
Are there computer labs and IT support?
What is your retention rate?
If students drop out, what is the main reason?
What do you think is the biggest complaint about the college?
Are drugs and alcohol prevalent on campus?
Is there diversity on campus?
Do students from different races mingle easily?
Are there active fraternities and sororities on campus?
What intercollegiate and intramural teams are represented on campus?
What kinds of clubs are represented on campus?
How are the libraries, gym, and other facilities like?
What kind of medical services are on campus?
Are mental health services provided?
What transportation is available?
How active is the alumni network?
Dorm life
Can you stay in the dorm for more than freshman year?
Can you have a single room or must you share? And if you're sharing, with how many others?
Are the bathrooms private or shared?
Are the dorms separated by year, majors, shared interest or?
Who helps with a roommate and suitemate conflict resolution?
Safety
How safe is the campus?
Do you feel safe walking across the campus alone at night?
Where are the campus police located?
Are there safety programs on campus, such as escorts and emergency phone boxes?
How can I gain access to the latest incident reports?
Dining
How's the food in the dining facilities?
Are there other dining options available?
Do they accommodate food allergies?
Free time
What do you do when you're not in class?
What do you do on the weekends?
Do students have access to local churches? Is there transportation to and from church?
What is the social scene like?
What kinds of things are there to do in your school's hometown?
Personal Survey
Once the tour is over, ask yourself these questions. Use your answers to compare colleges and narrow down your choices.
Did the campus feel like a home away from home?
Can you see yourself making friends easily?
List 3 things you liked about the college.
List 3 concerns about the college.
Were you comfortable with the diversity ratio of the student body?
Did you meet with an advisor?
Did you attend a class? Is the average class size large, medium, small?
How was the dining -- good food, variety?
Did you like the dorms and the way they are set up?
What would you add to this list?
If you need help navigating the college career process, call on us. We can help save you time, money, and confusion by taking the guesswork out of this time in your life.