August 24, 2023 - Peter Bergen on Access in College College Visits and Finding Your Space

College applications are, without a doubt, one of the most stressful parts of education at any level. And having to deal with them at 17 years old? That’s tough. At least for me, it has been. One of the most challenging aspects of the entire process is for sure touring schools. I was lucky enough to get my tours out of the way before the start of summer, so I could focus on my essays, supplementals, summer activities, and internships. But while this is seemingly the best course of action, it’s definitely not the most realistic for a lot of students. So, how can kids get a feel for the schools they like and dislike without traveling for hours?

    The answer is simple. Looking at pictures is obvious, but looking at stats is more important. And while making sure the school can teach you what you want to be taught is important, that’s kind of ground zero. A lot of kids forget to look past that. Look for information about demographics, class size, Greek life, and what percentage of students are athletes (in smaller schools it can often be up to ⅓ of the student body!). Look for information about dorms - how do they match you up with roommates? If you want to live alone, is that an option? Many kids, including me up until a couple months ago, think “I’ll just go to the best school I can get into and I’ll make it work from there.”

Trust me, don’t underestimate the environment of a school. There are some places I loved on paper, but once I visited them, I couldn’t imagine myself there. Some of the most prestigious schools I visited had dreary college towns, sterile libraries, and (for me, personally) too much Greek life. Maybe these things aren’t important to you right now, but once you start attending a school, they will be.

Visiting schools is important, but if accessing them in person isn’t possible, you can still do it through a screen.