College Visits and Visitors

Although visiting a college campus can never tell you what it’s like to attend the school for four years, it will give you a sense of the atmosphere of the school, something you can’t get from a school’s catalog or website . (You’ve never seen a photo of a rainy day in a catalog or website .) Every guide book and computer search program may tell you that a certain college is right for you, but if that school doesn’t feel like it’s right for you, it probably isn’t . Visiting several college campuses will also help you focus your search on what’s important to you . When you see what you like and dislike about one school, it will remind you to look for or avoid those things at other schools .

At some schools the only options available will be a General Information Session . This session gives the college an opportunity to give you a great deal of information and allows you an opportunity to ask questions . Because many colleges view the campus visit as an important part of their admission decision, be sure the college has a written record of your visit!

Plan Ahead

The key to having a successful tour of colleges is in early planning - the earlier the better . Depending on a college’s policies and on your timing, your visit may include a tour, sitting in on a class, an informational session and/or an interview . Determine, as soon as possible, what your spring/summer schedule will be and set aside specific dates for seeing schools . During the months of March and June, public schools are still in session, so you will have the advantage of being one of a small number of visitors . June visits will generally afford you more attention from the admissions officers . Later in the summer you may find yourself on group tours or having a shortened interview due to the time constraints of an admissions office schedule .

Looking ahead to next year, consider the Fall Long Weekend, Thanksgiving break, and Winter Break as good times to visit colleges without sacrificing class time . Your grades are the most important aspect of your profile and you will be “robbing Peter to pay Paul” if you miss class days to interview at colleges .

Call Ahead

Get specific information about tour and interview times . Ask whether you will be having an individual or a group tour, an individual or group interview session . Ask the admissions office for information about places to stay, time required to get to the school and time required to get from that school to the next school on your travel schedule . Very often, the admissions personnel at one school will have the best directions to get you to the next school on your list .

Schedule Wisely

Avoid seeing more than two colleges on a given day . Plan to travel at the end of the day so that you are already in the next town in the morning, rather than worrying about an early departure and an arrival with only minutes to spare . Allow plenty of time to get from one college to another . Should you find yourself running late, stop and call the admissions office to let them know when you expect to arrive . If they know you are going to be late, they can often reschedule you for a later interview .

Prepare for Traveling

Dress in “nice casual” clothes which are neat and comfortable . You don’t have to wear a dress or blazer, but don’t wear torn jeans either . Have a change of clothes handy in the car if you are seeing

two schools in a day . You may not need them, but a change of shirt/blouse can make all the difference in feeling less hot and humid in the middle of July -- if you feel refreshed, you’ll feel more comfortable and relaxed in your interview . Be sure to bring a notebook and a pen or pencil for recording information and reactions to schools . Make sure you are well rested and relaxed .

Prepare for the Visit

Review your grades, SAT scores, etc ., in case you are asked about them . You may want to request a copy of your transcript at the end of your fifth form year so that you will be able to discuss your grades accurately . Do not, however, share your transcript with the admissions officer . During an interview, admissions officers do not have the time to study the Westminster transcript and understand our grading scale .

Review the written literature or websites of the colleges you will be visiting and prepare some questions to ask . Don’t ask questions that can be answered in the literature, unless you are looking for some clarification .

Class Visits

Most schools and professors welcome visitors, but check first before wandering into a class that isn’t appropriate for visitors . If time permits, try to visit a small seminar-style class and a larger lecture .

The College Interview

Interviews may be required, optional or unavailable, and they may take place on campus with a member of the admissions staff or they may be conducted by an alumni/ae representative in our area . The importance of the interview to the admissions process varies considerably from school to school, but it’s a good idea to be well prepared and to take every interview seriously . Be prepared to talk about yourself and to ask questions about the school in an enjoyable conversation . The days of confrontational and trick questions are over, but keeping a recently read piece of literature in mind might be a good idea .

• Be prepared to answer questions about your academic record and interests . Although the interviewer may ask about your grades, she/he is likely to be more interested in hearing about what you’ve learned and why .

• The interviewer will also ask about your extracurricular activities, both during the school year and over the summer . Be willing to discuss your interests and experiences in more detail than will fit on your application .

• Don’t try to “sell” yourself, but don’t hesitate to bring up accomplishments of which you are proud .

• Don’t be afraid to reflect briefly on a weakness or a mistake, especially if you can also describe a positive outcome to your experience .

The Tour

Listen carefully to your tour guide, but remember she/he is giving you one person’s (usually a student) perspective mixed in with the admissions office’s party line . Some tour guides are excellent; others are not . Don’t blame a school for an inexperienced tour guide and don’t be sold on a school just by the skills and personality of a great tour guide .

Ask questions, pay attention to the answers, and don’t forget to listen to the questions from others on the tour . Suggested questions to ask of a student tour guide: What did you do last weekend? How well do you know your favorite professor? What would you change if you were president of the college? Look closely at the facilities . Are they well maintained? Is the campus “wired?” Are there enough computers in labs and libraries? Are there places to run around or relax outside? What are the dorm rooms like? How far will you have to go for meals? Where will your classes take place? Are shopping, restaurants, museums easily accessible? Can you imagine yourself attending and living at that school for four years?

College Interview Questions

Westminster students responded to the questions listed below in past summers during their visits to college campuses . While you may not encounter exactly the same questions, you should use these examples to prepare for your own interviews .

• Which one of your activities has given you the most satisfaction?

• If you could change one thing about

Westminster, what would it be?

• If you could re-experience your time at

Westminster, what would you do differently?

• If I visited Westminster for a few days, what would I find is your role in the school community?

• What is something about you, that you would like colleges to know that they would not find through your application?

• How would you describe Westminster, and how would you change it?

• Tell me something you have really wanted which you had to go after on your own .

• What books or articles have made a lasting impression on our way of thinking? Have you read deeply into any one author or subject?

What book is by your bedside table?

• Why did you go to Westminster and what made you stay?

• If you could take one year off from school regardless of funds etc ., what would you do?

• If your friend was asked to describe you, what would he/she say?

Questions to Ask College Admissions Officers

Every interviewer will ask if you have any questions about the college . Make sure you do, to show that you’re interested in the college and that you’ve done your homework . Start with the questions that matter most to you . Have those questions written down in your notes to refer to . When you are introduced to the admissions officer who will be interviewing you, be sure to get his/her name . This will help you to call him by name both during the interview and to write directly to him after you get home . Make a positive first impression . Give a firm handshake, look him/her directly in the eye and introduce yourself clearly . If your parents are with you, be sure to introduce them as well (especially important if your parents’ last name is different from yours) .

Remember to be sure not to ask basic questions whose answers are easily obtained in the catalog or on the school’s website . View the catalog/website carefully before the interview . Pay attention, and if appropriate, respond to the interviewer’s answers .

Questions to Consider

• What are the most important issues on campus?

• What is the strongest program at the college?

• What is the most popular department/course on campus?

• How is the college working to improve itself?

• How big a role do graduate assistants play in the teaching?

• How diverse is the student body?

• What is the most important aspect of a student’s application?

• Does applying for financial aid or needing financial aid affect one’s chances for admission?

PLEASE NOTE: If you cannot arrange to visit a college, you should contact the college to set up an interview in the Hartford area with an alumna/us

of that college . Each college has different policies and arrangements for these interviews, but most encourage you to show this level of interest during the application process . Make these arrangements as early in the school year as possible .

College Visitors at Westminster

Each fall, admissions officers from over 100 colleges and universities visit Westminster’s College Office . These college representatives come to share information, answer questions, and help Westminster students make a connection to their college . We encourage Sixth Form students to meet with the visitors from any colleges to which they are considering applying . Students should make a special effort to meet with representatives from colleges they were unable to visit .

Sixth Formers may be excused from school commitments for these meetings provided they have secured permission from the responsible Westminster faculty member (teacher, coach, club advisor) . College meetings usually last at least one half hour and sometimes as long an hour; students may come and go depending on their individual schedules . The schedule of college visits is posted outside the College Resource Room and on NAVIANCE (https://student . naviance .com/westminster) .

Procedure: Interested Sixth Formers are required to sign up on NAVIANCE in advance of the visit . It is your responsibility to arrange for permission from your teacher/coach . A college visit is considered a school appointment and absences will be reported to the Dean’s office .