I know, you are all probably thinking, how many visits is she going to go on?! I hope to say this was my final visit. Of course, each of my visits have been so unique I’m glad I’ve had the opportunity to travel and visit so many schools! This visit to University of Tulsa, was much different from any of my visits so far!

The University of Tulsa is a private university with an undergrad population of about 3,000 students.

My best friend and I went to Tulsa Sunday February 15- Monday February 16 to attend what they call Tulsa Time. Tulsa Time was two days filled with a variety of sessions, class experience opportunities and almost anything else you can think of. We toured the sororities, sat in on an Anatomy and Physiology class, and learned about the Pre-Med program. What made this visit so much different from the other visits was that we got to spend the night on campus with an actual TU student!

We got matched with our host before dinner and went to the dorms. We then had dinner with the parents and hosts and after that the parents left, leaving us with just our hosts! During this time we were allowed to do whatever we wanted with our hosts on campus. We met another student who was hosting a few students and had some great discussions not only about Tulsa, but just college in general. We even asked about things you will need in a dorm, but might overlook. Things such as scissors and a bathrobe. So being with a student over night really gave you a good feel of what the campus was like and what the dorms are like and other things you wouldn’t normally experience when just touring and interviewing.

So if you ever get the chance, I would advise doing an overnight college visit! It can really give you a good idea of whether or not the college is right for you!

One of the essentials when deciding on a college is visiting the campus. Visiting a campus can ultimately help you make the decision on whether or not you want to go to a particular college.

One factor that can really be decided upon when visiting a campus is whether or not you want a small, medium, or large school. Try to plan your visit during the school year when there are students on campus, so you can get a true feel for what life is like on a typical day. You can get a feel for the layout of the campus, how far classes are from dorms, and just how crazy the campus can be! A great option for when you narrow your schools down is to do an overnight visit where you can stay with a student and get a feel for the other activities on campus besides just the classes!

I just recently went on a family vacation and visited Trinity down in San Antonio, Texas, one of the colleges to which I plan on applying. The visit consisted of a campus tour that lasted approximately an hour with a student who stayed for part of the summer to give tours; and then we got to meet with an admissions counselor.

With the counselor, me and another girl on the tour sat down and got to have a very relaxed question and answer session that helped us understand more about Trinity, their application process, and how exactly our school year (particularly focusing on the freshman year) would look. This visit not only sold me on Trinity, but also the fact that I wanted to attend a smaller school because of their personal attention it appeared I would receive.

So if you are having a hard decision deciding on particular colleges, or better yet the size of the college you wish to attend, then pay some campuses a visit! By visiting, can you really begin to decide which schools are right for you!

Official campus tours are terrific—but they shouldn’t be your only source of information about what life is like on a college campus. Remember, the tour is designed to make the school look as positive as possible. To find out if a college is a good fit for you, and to get a good feel for what everyday life is really like for students, here are ten places to check out on campus.

1. Classrooms– in session. Sit in on at least one class while you’re on campus. Professors usually don’t mind as long as you ask. Try sitting in on both a bigger class and a smaller one.
2. Dorms. See if you can get into a dorm and walk around. This is a great way to see where students live– and to ask them questions about what they think of the dorms and the school in general.
3. The dining hall. See what the food is like, and what the atmosphere is like in a place where students spend oodles of time. If you can, chat with some of the students. Some smaller colleges arrange for a “lunch with students” part of the official tour.
4. The bulletin boards. You can get a good feel for the politics of a campus– and the involvement level of students–be seeing what’s posted on public bulletin boards.
5. The advising office. Great advising is very important, especially if you’re on a larger campus where students can feel like numbers. Make an appointment with an academic advisor and discuss what services are available to students. Find out what a typical advising appointment is like.
6. The student center. What’s going on there? Is it pretty quiet? Are there lots of activities and student interactions going on? You can often get a good feel for the college community by checking out this space.
7. The lawns, and other common areas. Are students lounging around, chatting and doing their homework? Or does everyone go home or to their dorms after class? This is another good way to gauge community.
8. The library. Wander in and find out what services are available. If the library doesn’t have a big collection, find out how interlibrary loan works.
9. Parties. If you’re there on the weekend and staying with a friend, by all means go to a party of two. This is more than just fun—it’s a great way to see an important part of campus life.
10. The town. Don’t forget to spend some time checking out the area around campus as well.