Visiting Colleges & Universities
In order for you to narrow down your list of colleges to apply to, the campus visit is by far the most important thing you can do. While there is a great deal of information online, and in books & catalog’s, nothing can replace actually walking the grounds of a campus. All colleges look good online or in the literature they produce, but until you get a chance to check out the facilities, the dorms, and the student life, you will never know if a particular school is the right place for you. Below we have assembled some information to assist you in your college tours.
CAMPUS VISITS
School visits and tours have come a long way in the last 10 years. With the competition for new students as fierce as ever, colleges and universities are placing a new emphasis on campus visits. What to look for on a campus visit
SAT OPTIONAL SCHOOLS
Over 850 Colleges that you can apply to without submitting your SAT Scores. SAT Optional Schools
RESEARCHING COLLEGES ONLINE
Find what you need without leaving the house? Researching Colleges Online
NATIONAL COLLEGE FAIRS
There are many college fairs throughout the country each year. This is an opportunity to talk to reps from those schools and learn more about what those schools offer. NACAC National College Fair Schedule
Did You Know?
U.S. News & World Report several years ago decided to drop yield as a factor in their calculations for ranking the top schools in the country. Their seemed to be a belief that many schools were manipulating their Yield number by accepting more students through binding Early-Decision programs and accepting students “more-likely” to attend. By doing this schools could in theory increase their rankings, thus their prestige and popularity.
Yield = the percentage of students enrolling that are accepted at a particular school).
Elite schools (Harvard, Stanford, Princeton) often have yields as high as 80%. A State school or a less competitive school might only have a yield of 15-20%. As the economy “changed” in 2008, many families found State School more appealing (a.k.a affordable) and State schools saw a big rise in applications. This made State schools harder to get into, as students now had to compete with thousands of additional applications.
