Why should you visit a college BEFORE you apply?

  1. All colleges are different. Don’t assume that if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all.
  2. Location, location, location! Do you like the big city atmosphere, or something a little quieter? Take a walk around the campus and check out the surrounding area.

3. Talk to students—And not just one! Talk to as many as you can. They’ll give you the honest answers to the questions you have and fill you in on the “secrets” of the campus (AKA: the fun stuff)

Our own version
Our own version

4. Peek into a few classrooms (or better yet, ask if you can sit in on a class). Are they big lecture halls? Small classrooms? Are the students taking notes or involved in a discussion?

5. Housing. Sometimes pictures of the student accommodations can be deceiving, so seeing them in person will help you figure out if you really can fit a futon, entertainment center, and bookshelf in your room (or to start working on your Tetris skills).

View from the window
View from the door
View from the door

6. Take the opportunity to meet a professor.  If there is a professor available in the area you’d like to study, ask if you can have a short meeting with them.

7. Grab a copy of the campus newspaper. Stories and pieces written by students will also give you the lowdown on campus and local happenings and events.

8. Try the food! Look through the options; is there more than one thing that sounds appealing? Make sure you try it too—there’s nothing worse than food that looks good but tastes, well, not so good. (Try a sandwich at Shorewood!)

All in all, you want to find a place that you can see yourself at for the next four years. If you can’t see yourself being happy there after your visit, don’t bother applying. Would you buy a car without test driving it?  A campus tour doesn’t take too long and will help you to make that important college decision. I know campus visits definitely helped me decide which schools I wanted to apply to and I hope that they’ll help you too. Happy touring! (You might even get me as a tour guide!)

27 thoughts on “Why should you visit a college BEFORE you apply?”

  1. I tell students to visit campuses all the time. The last thing you want is to be miserable somewhere in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do. You can mix studying with fun or else you’ll go insane. Great advice to take a camera to remind you of the good the bad and the ugly.

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  3. Visiting BEFORE you apply always makes sense. It’s so easy to create an ideal picture in your mind that cannot live up to reality. You have to be on site to really get a feel for where you may be living.

  4. Definitely and preferably i want to visit first the campus before applying, sort of tour around the campus if there are changes or something new happens. I admit i am more excited to visit first the campus before the admission office.

  5. I always visit the colleges before i take the admissions.I will meet the students in the college and ask them about the college and teaching staff.

  6. I was wondering when I should come visit the campus. I’m a junior in high school, should I come visit soon or wait until I’m a senior and know more what I want to do after high school? Your help would be appreciated! Thanks!!

  7. Yes.. That’s the awesome post by you.. You must always check the college before taking admissions.. because the things you have heard about the college in telivision or by friends (whether negative or positive) might not be true.. You should also have a conversation with the students already studying in it. That will surely solve your some of the myths as well as will guide you in a better way..

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  8. It’s definitely a good idea to shop around dorm rooms. They can really vary in size and many of them are updated years apart. Some dorms are a lot nosier than others and some come with better furniture.

  9. My daughter and I plan to enjoy the Viking Packer game on Saturday, November 1st and am wondering whether a tour of the Green Bay campus would be available Friday or Saturday? Please reply with the earliest convenience.

    Thanks!!

  10. I am interested in touring UW-Green Bay with my parents. Can this be done on any given Saturday during the fall?

  11. hey Sarah,
    We would love to have you visit in late October. We have a couple different options for you to choose from. You can check out the Campus Preview Day and the Daily Visit options at this website- http://www.uwgb.edu/admissions/visit
    just fill out the online form and we will get you a confirmation and stuff.
    See you soon!
    Jen

  12. I am a junior in high school and would like to tour UWGB. When in late October would be a good time for me to do so? Thanks for your help!
    -Sarah

  13. My son, Nicholas Mittelstadt, would like to tour your campus. Do you have a list of days that campus tours are given? We will be traveling 2 or 2-1/2 hours to visit.

    Thank you,
    Kathleen

  14. Gerilyn,
    I will be forwarding your email to Maxine our tour coordinator. She will be in touch soon. Our daily tour programs start up again on Monday, September 14th and are Monday-Friday starting at 10:00 at 1:30. We also have a few Campus Preview Days coming up as well: http://www.uwgb.edu/admissions/visit/index.asp
    Thanks!

  15. My daughter is a Junior in high school and we would like to visit UW Green Bay sometime this school year. Is there a group tour or a time you would recommend? How do I go about scheduling? Thank you.

  16. Rosa, I will forward your e-mail address to Max, our tour coordinator, and she will contact you shortly about setting up your visit. Thank you!

  17. I wanted to have a tour of the campus Wednesday, August 5 sometime throughout the day preferably during the morning. I know it’s short notice but a family member is planning on going to Green Bay tomorrow and I was wondering if it were possible to have a tour of the campus.

  18. Annette, we are actually not offering tours the morning of the 26th but we will be offering tours that afternoon (1:30-4:00). I have passed on your e-mail address to Max, our tour coordinator, and she will be in touch shortly to find a time that works for you! Thank you!

  19. My daughter, Stacey Gajewski, would like to tour the campus. Is there possibly a tour available on Wednesday, August 26th @ 10:30am? We will be coming from Athens (Wausau area)

    Thank you

    Annette Gajewski

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