Choosing your College Campus from Home
You have a range of tools available to help you understand the college community you hope to join. Go beyond public reputation or popularity.
Remember, when deciding where to go to college, keep in mind – it matters less where you go, what matters the most is what you do when you get there.
How to visit colleges from home:
- Start with a deep-dive review of the college’s website
- Locate and review your potential college’s academic department, professors, and course web pages.
- Search for student perspectives on social media – locate alternate, student-produced viewpoints. If you can, talk with current local students or recent alumni.
- Research support services that are available to students. At most colleges, you’ll find a lot of opportunities for support and community, depending on your needs and what you’re looking for. Some schools offer mental well-being and counseling services to students, but you’ll want to find out if they cost you anything out of pocket.
- Review online professor ratings
- Look for video tours
- Read the campus newspaper
- Read news from the surrounding area near campus
- Checkout the college’s financial aid website – Accessible services? Scholarship opportunities?
- Find out what you can about the scene like off campus. Restaurants, nightlife, coffee shops, art galleries, live music venues—your college town (or city) may have a lot to offer on the weekends when you feel like getting away from campus. Find out what the locals do for fun when they’re not hitting the books.
