College Visit Student Experience Guide: What to Look For & How to Compare Schools

As students explore potential colleges, this guide helps them evaluate and document each visit based on key aspects of the college experience. Using a 1–5 rating scale and notes section, students can track impressions while they’re fresh and compare schools to determine the best fit.

Key Categories to Assess:

• Campus: Size, layout, safety, transportation, and location (urban/suburban/rural).
• Facilities: Quality of athletic centers, arts spaces, and labs or equipment for specific fields.
• Dorms & Dining: Housing options, convenience, and food quality.
• Student Body: School size, diversity, and presence of important communities (linguistic, religious, ethnic).
• Student Life: Clubs, weekend activities, Greek life, and overall student wellbeing.
• Academics: Majors available, class size/structure, and access to research or experiential learning.
• Career Services: Internship support, alumni networks, and career readiness resources.
• Financial Factors: Loan vs. scholarship breakdown, merit-based aid, and expected debt after graduation.

Students can total their scores across categories for each school to support decision-making with both data and personal insights.

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