By Regine Labossiere
Seattle Times staff reporter
 

BARRY WONG / THE SEATTLE TIMES
On the steps outside Suzzallo Library at the University of Washington, a group of new students gets an orientation tour describing the computer facilities on campus.

Visiting a college you're considering has been likened to test-driving a car: an indispensable way to gauge whether you're making the right choice.

"The visit is the deal-maker or the deal-breaker," says Doug Scrima, director of admissions at The Evergreen State College. "It's a lot like buying a car — you have to test-drive it. Is it going to feel comfortable to you or not?"

Listen to Kyle Navis, a 16-year-old from Lynden, Whatcom County, who was taking the University of Washington tour — his sixth college tour since beginning his search.

If he hadn't come to the UW, he says, he wouldn't have known how much a part of Seattle the university is. "It's much more downtown than I thought." And he concluded he doesn't want to attend a college in a large city.

"My last visit was to (the University of North Carolina) Chapel Hill. I really liked the green and openness of it."

Conversely, for fifth-year engineering student Josh McCammon, 22, who hadn't originally wanted to attend the UW, touring the campus changed his mind in its favor. "The campus looked nice and it was big. It made me a lot more comfortable about coming here."

A limited budget may make it difficult to visit many or any schools — though careful planning can help cut costs (see sidebar). But the effort may save you money in the long run.

As Evergreen's Scrima says, especially in the case of going to school out-of-state, "I can't say enough how much they should visit because if they go and don't like it, then it is going to be a far more expensive investment."

Here are experts' suggestions on how to make the most out of your campus tours:

What to do

• Call ahead: Tours are usually year-round and don't always need reservations, but it's best to call ahead, especially if you seek interviews. Try, too, to arrange to spend the night in a dorm, and sit in on a class or two.

• When to come: October is ideal; classes are in full swing and current college students are most likely not yet worried about exams and have more time to talk with prospective students. Avoid mid- to late August, when admissions officers are overworked due to freshman orientations.

• Seek out students: Ask what they like most and least about the school, what they'd change, what campus is like on weekends, which professors are best. Best spots to chat: the student center, dining halls, athletic fields, the lobby of a dormitory.

• Seek out staff: In addition to talking to people in the admissions department about campus life, try to speak with a department head or faculty member if you have a particular interest in a subject, or with a particular coach if you are interested in that sport.

• Check bulletin boards. "If the bulletin boards are empty, that's an indication that things are dead (on campus)," says Michael McKeon, Seattle University's dean of admissions. "(Postings on the boards) may give you a sense of the diversity of the institution, of the political opinions, of the different groups."

Pick up a copy of the campus newspaper for much the same reason.

• Hang out: Eat in the cafeteria, buy a cup of coffee on campus — and see how students interact. Watch how students use the library.

• Visit the financial-aid office: Ask questions about financial support. Parents may wish to do this while students are on tours or interviews.

• Get off campus: As senior Brie Wentzel, a tour guide at Western Washington University, said: "You're not going to spend all your time on campus, so you should go visit the town, too."

• Send a thank-you note: After visiting a college, send thank-you notes to everyone you met. It's courteous and will also leave a good impression.

What to ask

Aside from asking the most common questions — such as class size, whether classes are mostly taught by professors or teaching assistants, and the most popular majors — counselors suggest students might ask tour guides, admissions officers and others about:

• The interaction between students and faculty and opportunities for remedial help, such as study sessions;

• The retention rate; do students not return because they're bored or because they can't keep up with their schoolwork?

• What dorm life is like (are there party dorms, international dorms, quiet dorms?) Do many students live off campus? If so, why?

• Do students work primarily for grades? What are their attitudes toward learning?

• What are the greatest shortcomings of this college? What do students complain about the most?

• What's the biggest issue in local campus politics?

Sources: University Preparatory Academy; wiredscholar.com; Lisa Laughter, admissions counselor, Washington State University; Bishop Blanchet High School counselor Mary Pat Ankerson; Paul Seegert, University of Washington's assistant director of admissions; Doug Scrima, director of admissions, The Evergreen State College; Michael McKeon, dean of admissions at Seattle University.

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