Note from Clyde: One of my friends, a senior, just came back from her accepted student visit. I asked her for suggestions to give you and here are her comments:
For some, an accepted student weekend on a college campus may seem like a pointless venture, especially if you have already been through the traditional campus tour and student information session. However, an accepted student weekend can be extremely important for one simple reason: the campus is a vastly different place for the potential student than it is for the prospective applicant. Upon setting foot on campus, the accepted student encounters a peculiar sense of entitlement that is impossible for the pre-application process student to feel. While the entire application process has been about showing the college why it should choose a particular student, the accepted student weekend finally reverses the role, providing an opportunity for undecided high school seniors to be told why they should choose this college. While the accepted student weekend is extremely beneficial for an undecided student (or even a student who has made his or her decision but wants to learn more about the school), it is only a few days spent at an institution where the student may or may not be spending the next four years; you must try to reap the most from this limited time spent on campus.
Here are ten tips for making the most out of an accepted student visit:
10. Eat in the dining hall, if possible. College food can range from extremely enticing gourmet cuisine to unidentifiable mush. Whatever it is, it could make up many of your meals for the next four years!
9. Stay in a freshman residence hall if the option is available. Dorms can also range in quality, but no matter how large or small, or the location of the bathrooms, they will certainly be different from your bedroom at home and it is beneficial to get the experience of living in one.
8. Visit the library. While sometimes it is not shown on the campus tour, it is a place where you will be spending a lot of your time for the next four years, whether you like it or not.
Stay tuned for part two later this week. I feel the urge to go get a snack–did I mention I like food? I think a brownie is in order☺!
L8R,
Clyde
