You may not get a ton of time with a college admissions rep, but an inquisitive approach is your best chance to find out if a school’s characteristics will be a good fit for you and your college career.
Below is are a few topics that can get you asking the right questions. Should you need this in question format, we suggest the following lists:
- Twenty Five Questions to Ask College Admissions Representative
- Questions to Ask During a College Visit
About the University
- Unique and distinctive characteristics
- Educational philosophy (and any recent changes)
Regarding Admissions
- Application deadline; acceptance notification date; enrollment deadline
- Acceptance standards
- Successful application characteristics
- Admissions exams and placement exams
- Campus tour availability
Regarding Financial Aid
- Types of financial aid
- How to apply; deadline
- Scholarship availability
- Total cost for desire program
- Percent of graduating students who default on their loans
Regarding University Academics
- Majors and programs offered; most popular majors
- Average length of programs
- Percent of students graduating
- Strengths and weaknesses of advising system
- Advisor availability for scheduling help
- Difficulty of getting needed classes
- Availability of tutoring
- Demand of academics
- Study abroad opportunities
- New programs or curriculum changes that may affect you
- Availability of research opportunities with faculty
- Quality of relationships between students and faculty
Regarding Career Services & Job Placement
- Availability and types of career placement assistance
- Part-time job placement for students
- Availability of internships and where
- Career placement rate
- Types of jobs graduates are getting
Regarding Student Population
- Characteristics of student body
- Diversity of student body
- Political, social and academic issues that concern students
Regarding Life on Campus
- Activities students engage in
- Roles of fraternities and sororities—is it possible to have a satisfactory social life without joining?
- Dominant campus social groups
- Volunteer activities of students
- Method of choosing roommates Team sports on campus
- Minority-related clubs, activities and housing
- Honors housing
- Student government
- Balance of academics, social life, and extracurricular activities
- Social or cultural highlights last year
- Role of the campus newspaper and other campus media
- Drinking and drugs on campus
- Characteristics of activity centers and athletic and recreational facilities
- Availability of medical care on campus
- Sufficiency of special services
- Security concerns on campus
Regarding Tech Access
- Access to computers and campus intranet
- Campus email
- Online class availability
- Students accessing computers during class time
