Admitted Student Days: Get All Your Questions Answered
Admitted Student Days are a wonderful opportunity to return to a campus you liked either the first time you saw it or from researching it online. However, you hit “submit” months earlier and now that you’re approaching your final decision, some of your preferences may have changed. Between applying and getting accepted, you have probably matured a great deal. You have also learned more about areas you are interested in studying, perhaps even choosing a major or a minor. You know a lot more about college than you did at the start of this process. An admitted student day is the ideal time to ask some difficult questions and to examine everything with a critical eye.
Attempting to appeal to many students, Admissions Officers and Tour Guides present a general view of college life. Now is your opportunity to learn about the specific details that matter to you. There are so many questions you can and should ask: find out about housing options or meal plans. Ask about switching majors, adding minors, or dropping classes. Learn about Career Services or Academic Support. With a little advanced planning, you could sit in on a class or learn about clubs and activities. Curious about the quality of food? Eat in a dining hall. Be brave: get the answers you need to make an informed decision.
Another important reason to attend an admitted student day is that you will meet many of your future classmates. Listen to the conversations around you. Do the other students seem like your people?
Pay attention to the administrators running the event. Do they seem warm and welcoming? Does this school prioritize undergraduates?
You are in the strongest position possible so ask straightforward questions about everything that matters to you. Most importantly, pay attention to how you feel. Could this be your home for the next four years?
Stephanie Lapat, Curated U College Consulting, completed the UC-Irvine Independent Education Consulting Certification after two decades of standardized test prep and college essay editing. This degree, combined with her degree in English from Harvard College, her M.Ed. from Harvard University’s School of Education, and her MA from Middlebury’s Bread Loaf School of English, have prepared Stephanie to help students with every aspect of the college application process: from building a balanced list to completing college applications; from finding meaningful volunteer and work experiences to deciding which college to attend. And Stephanie always recommends attending Admitted Student Days.