‘Tis the Season for the Spring Revisit to Campus
As the weather gets warmer and May 1st starts to feel a little bit closer every week, I want to encourage you to take full advantage of the spring visit options specifically designed for already accepted students. Most every institution will host an event to invite all of their accepted students back to campus for one last visit before the enrollment deposit is due. This is usually an upbeat and fun event where the campus will be in full bloom with spring bulbs and the excitement of a proud community of students and faculty welcoming you to their home. I realize that this time of year can be very stressful as you begin to wrap up your senior year and start to realize that going to college is only a matter of weeks away, but you need to make time to visit your short list of institutions one more time to help you confidently move one to your top choice.
It is OK if you still have not made your final choice as to where you will be attending in the fall. In fact, the spring visit will probably be the most helpful step you will take to help you make the final decision. These days are designed exclusively for seniors who have already been accepted and looking to finally commit. The Admissions Staff has designed a day that will highlight all the benefits of attending their institution. Throughout the day you will be toured around campus by current students who are excited about their school, you will meet the very best and most engaging faculty members as you sit in the classrooms that will be your home within your academic building, you will connect with the hundreds of student organizations that will be available to you once you are on campus, and you will hear from the successful alums who are making a difference in their profession and equally as passionate about their time on campus. Most likely one of the most valuable sessions of your day will inevitably be the session where you will learn about the next round of steps you will take after you make the decision to pay your enrollment deposit (housing application and orientation registration). You still have a busy summer full of to-do’s following May 1st.
I am sure by now you are probably questioning the need to revisit campuses you already have been to in the fall, but remember you should only be revisiting those institutions that are on your short list. The revisit enables you to compare your top choices in a shorter time frame so that your impressions and gut feelings you had while on campus are fresh in your mind instead of the marathon of visits you completed in the fall when college felt so far away in the future. Also, the revisit will allow you to meet other representatives from campus that you may not have crossed paths with in the fall. Your head and heart are in a different place than in the fall so you may be looking at campus through a different lens. I am sure your list of questions and concerns are different from your fall self. You have learned so much this year about what you are looking for in a major and campus. You are no longer a beginner to the search process. Take notes during your spring revisit and take special note as to whether or not you feel like this campus and its community are a good fit for you. This is something you will just feel as you walk around campus.
Do not feel pressure to make any final decisions during your visits. Just take it all in, and enjoy being surrounded by those who are just as excited as you are to be in this final stage of the college search process!
Contact our experts if you want to learn more about how a college coach can help you through the search process no matter where you are in your journey. Don’t forget to check out our additional resources such as the “Questions to Ask While Touring Campus.”