| A visit to a college campus is first and foremost an opportunity for you to explore how comfortable the college’s academic, social, residential, and environmental fit is for you. While visiting a bookstore, seeing a dorm room, and finding the library are important aspects of a trip, it is more important to soak in the intellectual and cultural atmosphere of the campus. Consider how the campus’ opportunities, programs, and people will help you reach your full potential. Approach the campus as a thoughtful and engaged explorer eager to discover and learn as much as possible during your short stay.
It will also be helpful to set aside any preconceived positive and negative notions of a school before visiting. Allow yourself to develop a personal impression. Remember that the best campus for you is not necessarily the best campus for your friends or relatives. Also keep in mind that college guidebooks are only guides, not absolute authorities on what is “good” or “bad” at a particular school; what an editor dislikes could be what you become most passionate about. And most important, remember that a college can be on the top of your list of favorites even if it is not at the top of any local or nationally published ranking.
Push the tour guides, admission officers, and faculty members you might meet to explain in depth the stories behind the numbers they share with you. Do not end a conversation about class size, for example, when you are told the student:faculty ratio – ask how hard it is to get into classes that you want, ask if small seminars are offered in addition to independent study, ask if those small courses will be taught by faculty members or graduate students. Ask specific questions at every chance you have about programs or opportunities that interest you.
In short, the college visit is more about intellectual and personal discovery than sight-seeing. We hope the following information will help you prepare a visit to discover Stanford.
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