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Bringing It Home – The Saint Rose Blog

Here’s How To Figure Out Which College Visit Is Right For You

Many colleges offer all kinds of options for visiting. There are campus tours, virtual tours, conference calls, information sessions, and more opportunities for getting to know a college better. So what’s the difference? What should you spend your time on and why? Here’s a very handy F.A.Q. to help you sort it out.

First things first: Do I really have to visit?
Technically, you don’t have to do anything. You could buy a car without driving it first, too, but should you do it? Probably not! You can’t know how a place is going to feel without going to that place. You’re going to want to talk to students, see the residence halls, make sure there are or aren’t trees (depending on your stance on trees) and you’ll have questions that come up that you’d never thought of before. So, no, you don’t have to. But you really should.

OK, so when should I visit then?
As soon as you’ve got a list of schools you think are right for you, it doesn’t hurt to start visiting. The better you really know a place, the more equipped you’ll be to make a decision when the time comes.

All right, so what’s the best way to visit, especially if a school has a whole bunch of options?
Yes, this is definitely tricky. Saint Rose in particular offers a few ways to visit and get to know us. Here’s a breakdown.

Information Sessions and Saint Rose Scoops. These are perfect events if you’re early in the college-selection process. At Scoops, you’ll learn tips for essay-writing, info about financial aid, how the athletics recruitment process works, and get answers to any other questions you have as you begin to look at colleges. If you’re a first-year student, an information session is tailored to you: Learn about scholarships, clubs, and other campus activities, plus ask all the questions you want.

Open House. Like most colleges, we offer an Open House. This is for you if you’ve narrowed down your list of schools, but you’re still not sure yet which one is your fave. At Open House, come see a presentation about the College, ask questions about what you’re interested in studying, and take a tour of the campus with other students like you. We have one coming up on July 13, 2018. Mark your calendar.

Be a Knight for a Day. Saint Rose students are known as Golden Knights – that’s because we’re on a quest for excellence. So come check that out for yourself: Shadow a Knight as they go through a typical day. Go to class. Visit the residence halls. Eat at the dining hall. Walk around, ask questions, meet other students. This is a fully immersive experience and especially great if you’re seriously considering the College.

Accepted Student Day. There is nothing truer than this: When you’re accepted — to any college! — go back. Once you’ve been accepted, everything on campus will look different to you. You’ll be more critical (as you should be), and you’ll have new questions you’ll want answers to before you make your final decision. Accepted Student Day is a great opportunity to meet your potential future classmates,

Personal Visit. Meet with an admissions counselor one on one. Ask anything you want and need to, talk about the things that you’re anxious or curious about, and get a personal sense for what life is like at Saint Rose.

So if I just go to one of these, I’ll be covered, right?
Actually, a good rule of thumb is to visit a college at least twice before deciding to attend. Most people visit the campus before applying and then again after they’ve been accepted. Accepted Student Days are the obvious choice for a second visit if you’ve been offered a spot, but if you want to see the school a different way, hey, we won’t say no. We like visitors.

But I already went! Why should I go to Accepted Student Day?
When you’re accepted to a college, the campus is going to look different to you. Knowing you’ll be spending the next few years in a place will make you see it a whole new light. With that light will come new and unexpected questions, feelings, and ideas. Plus, you’ll meet your future classmates and professors, which will help you feel more prepared when you get here in the fall.

Have any questions about visiting Saint Rose? Send us a message! We’ll work something out that’s perfect for you.

What do you think?

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