Questions Your Students Should Ask on Their College Visits
U.S. News and World Report publishes some great content about the college search. They recently published an article about 32 questions to ask on a college visit. Here are some of those key questions they recommended asking:
Questions About Admissions
- Does this school consider demonstrated interest?
- Is there an opportunity for prospective students to sit in on a class to experience a real lecture?
- Are there options to receive a lunch or dinner pass at the dining hall to try the food?
Questions About Academics
- Where do students typically study?
- How does advising work?
- What are the academic strengths of this school?
- What opportunities are there for study abroad and exchange programs?
- If available, are these global programs directly run by this school – where faculty members travel with students – or are these study abroad programs outsourced to a third-party company?
- Are these study abroad experiences built into the tuition or are there additional fees to participate?
Questions About Financial Aid
- What is this school’s average financial aid package?
- What is the average net cost when students enroll?
- What is the current level of funding with endowed scholarships – how much are donors contributing to scholarships?
- Do you offer merit aid? If so, what are you looking for in a candidate?
Questions About Campus Housing and Community
- What are the housing options?
- What are the fee structures for these different options?
- Are students required to live on campus?
- How does your campus define diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging?
Questions to Ask Your Tour Guide to Gauge Campus Life
- What surprised you about this school? What’s something you didn’t expect?
- What keeps you coming back to this school each year?
- Have we seen your favorite place on campus?
- What event on campus gets the biggest turnout every year?
- If you were struggling with an issue, would you know who to turn to? Who would that be?
Questions About Work and Research Opportunities
- What are the opportunities for undergraduate research on campus?
- How do those research opportunities give students valuable hands-on experiences that enhance their resumes?
- What are some specific ways this school helps students gain hands-on experience through internships?
Questions About Student and Career Outcomes
- What is the retention rate from freshman to sophomore year?
- What is the five-year graduation rate?
- What is the job-attainment rate of graduates within six months of graduating?
- What percent of students are going on to graduate school?
- What percent of students are intentionally taking time off post-graduation compared to those who are not able to find jobs?
- What size is the alumni network?
- How are alumni actively engaging with recent graduates to help connect them specifically to opportunities in their fields?
