Campus visit checklist

Are you packing your bags and getting ready to visit your list of colleges abroad? Even though it’s not necessary, it certainly does help with your decision process. Visiting the campus will give you a real sense of the atmosphere, the academic programmes, fellow students, faculty, student life, the neighbourhood, and much more.  Here’s a checklist to guide you through the process:

Before you travel

Do your research:  Once you have identified the universities, make sure you know everything about your programme, curriculum, professors, and extracurricular offerings. Also pen down some insightful questions to ask students.

Connect with your selected colleges: Before you finalise your travel plans, contact the universities to find out when official campus tours are offered.  The official tour allows you to learn more about the university and go beyond the website. You will meet staff and students, and get a genuine feel for the campus. Some universities will require you to pre-register for tours, and many offer tours at specific times and days of the week. Contact the Office of Admission and the Office of International Student Services to learn more about the possibilities for your campus visit.

Once on campus, make the most of your time there: 
Walk across the whole campus: Get a good sense of the student body, classrooms and facilities. Check if you can actually picture yourself as a student on this campus.

Attend lectures: Ask if you can sit for one or two lectures. You can get a deeper understanding of the teaching style, classroom size, subject material and much more by sitting in one (or a few) of the lectures.

Connect with students and professors: Interact with the admissions team, students, and professors who share similar interests.

Visit important offices on campus: If it isn’t part of the campus tour, you will want to visit the Financial Aid Office, Admissions Office and the International Student Services Office. 

Get your questions answered:  When conducting your due diligence prior to travel you may have penned down questions, or queries may have emerged during your visit.  Make sure you clear any doubts you have regarding exams, deadlines, financial aid, curriculum etc.

Keep a record of everything: Remember to make notes and take photos; write down your first impressions, what you liked and did not like, whom you met and anything distinct about the college or university that caught your attention. This will come in very handy when you are working on the application and also when deciding on which college is the right fit for you.