The Great College Visit Scavenger Hunt
If you’re fortunate enough to be able to visit a college, you want to make sure you get the most out of it. Doing a college visitation the right way will help you write the “Why This College?” essay and show Demonstrated Interest. We write at length about Supplemental Essays and Demonstrated Interest in our book Stairway to College Heaven, but basically visiting a college is one way to show the school that you love it. Granted your child might also end up hating the college in which case you can cross it off your list. But assuming your child ends up applying to the school you’re visiting, it will show that your child has taken the time to see if the school is a good fit for him or her, and it will show he or she is actively engaged in that process. Too often students just passively walk around the campus or even worse get dragged around by their parents. This can result in liking or disliking a school for the wrong or superficial reasons.
I put together this part-scavenger hunt-part-challenge to give you some tangible goals for your next college visit. Just attempting it will ensure you’re not a passive visitor, and if you complete most of the tasks, you’ll have plenty of fodder for a “Why This College?” essay. By participating in this challenge, your child will actively interact with the college in a meaningful way and maybe even develop some enthusiasm for the college application process. Don’t forget to take some notes of your visit so you don’t forget your thoughts!
Take pics of the following:
The campus bookstore
The library
The school mascot
A freshman dorm
The admissions office
Dorm food / cafeteria
Your college tour group
A student wearing a college sweatshirt or shirt
Yourself on campus (tag the college, and post on your favorite social media app)
A shrine to a famous alum or founder
A wall of fliers for various student activities
The Oval (or whatever the large grassy area where students hang out is called)
The tallest building on campus (bonus: take the photo from the top)
Artwork created by a student
An acapella performance
Grab the following:
A campus map
A college brochure
A branded knick knack
A copy of the school paper
While you’re exploring the campus don’t forget to interact with the community. Stop a few students and ask them what they’re studying and what they like and dislike about the school. Go to a sports game and cheer for the school team. Sit in on a lecture. Hang out at the cafe all the students go to. And don’t forget to register for a campus tour. Visiting colleges might actually be the most enjoyable part of the application process so have fun!