100 Questions to Ask on a College Visit

Contents

1. Questions about the college campus
2. Questions about college academics
3. Questions about academic benefits
4. Questions about the graduation rate
5. Questions about academic support
6. Questions about internships, jobs, and graduate school
7. Questions about student life
8. Questions about financial aid & merit awards
9. Questions for current students
10. Questions for recent graduates
11. After the college visits

When you visit a college or university campus, make sure you stay long enough to explore the places you’ll spend time in and ask questions as you go. Don’t rush—take your time to really picture yourself living and studying there.

This list of questions will help guide your visit. Keep in mind, some questions are best answered by admissions or financial aid staff, while others are better suited for current students. Think about who can give you the most accurate and helpful answers.

Questions about the college campus

1. What sets this college or university apart?
2. What’s the school most proud of?
3. How many undergrad students go here?
4. How many grad students are enrolled?
5. How diverse is the campus?
6. How stable is the school financially?
7. What’s the school’s bond rating?

Questions about college academics

8. What’s the average class size for intro courses?
9. What’s the average class size for upper-level courses?
10. How often are teaching assistants used?
11. How hard is it to get into the classes you need?
12. How much do undergrads interact with tenured professors, and is it mostly in lectures?
13. What are typical class sizes for my major?
14. Is my major impacted/oversubscribed?
15. Am I guaranteed my chosen major?
16. Are admission standards higher for certain majors?
17. When do you have to declare a major?
18. How much time do students usually spend on homework?
19. How much writing and reading are expected?
20. Can I double major?
21. Does the school use semesters, trimesters, or quarters?

Questions about academic benefits

22. Is there an honors college?
23. What does the honors college provide?
24. What grades do I need to qualify for honors?
25. Are there learning communities or special freshman programs?
26. Do seniors have to complete a capstone project?
27. How does academic advising work?
28. Can I have a professor as my advisor?
29. What percentage of students study abroad?
30. Do students in my major usually study abroad?
31. What undergrad research opportunities are there?
32. How many students do undergrad research?
33. Which departments offer research opportunities?
34. If I transfer, how do I know which credits will count?

Questions about the graduation rate

35. What’s the four-year graduation rate?
36. What’s the five-year graduation rate?
37. What’s the six-year graduation rate?
38. Why don’t some students graduate on time?
39. What does it take to graduate in four years?
40. Will double majoring take longer?
41. What percentage of freshmen come back for sophomore year?
42. Why do some students leave early?

Questions about academic support

43. How does academic advising work?
44. Is there a writing center?
45. What tutoring services are available?
46. Is there an orientation for freshmen or transfer students?
47. What support is there for learning disabilities?
48. How recent does disability testing need to be for accommodations?

Questions about internships, jobs, and graduate school

49. What does the career services office offer?
50. When can I use career services?
51. How active is the alumni network?
52. Can alumni still use career services?
53. What percentage of students get internships?
54. Is there a co-op program?
55. What’s the job placement rate?
56. How is job placement calculated?
57. Are the numbers self-reported?
58. What percentage of students go to grad or professional school?
59. Which grad schools do students usually go to?

Questions about student life

60. What housing options are there?
61. What percentage of students live on campus?
62. Can you stay in dorms after freshman year?
63. How are roommates picked?
64. What mental health services are available?
65. What meal plan choices are there?
66. What percentage of students join Greek life?
67. How common are drugs and alcohol on campus?
68. Can freshmen bring cars?

Questions about financial aid & merit awards

69. What percentage of financial need does the school usually cover?
70. Does aid decrease after freshman year?
71. How much need is met with grants/scholarships?
72. What’s the average financial aid package?
73. What’s the usual mix of loans vs. grants?
74. What’s the average merit award?
75. What do I need to get a merit scholarship?
76. Do merit scholarships need separate applications?
77. What happens to aid if I take more than four years?
78. What percentage of students get grants/scholarships?
79. What’s the average student loan debt?
80. What’s the average Parent PLUS Loan debt?
81. What work-study options are there?
82. How much has tuition gone up in recent years?
83. Are there extra scholarships for certain majors/talents?
84. Where can I find details on merit scholarships?
85. Is your net price calculator accurate, and when was it last updated?
86. Does the school offer athletic scholarships?
87. What’s the student loan default rate?
88. Does the school teach financial literacy?

Questions for current students

89. Why did you choose this school?
90. What would you change about it?
91. What’s your favorite thing about the school?
92. What’s your least favorite thing?
93. What kind of students do well here?
94. What kind of students struggle to fit in?
95. Who would you recommend this school to?

Questions for recent graduates

96. What was your experience like here?
97. Would you choose this school again?
98. What would you have changed?
99. Did your school prepare you for life after college?
100. Did it prepare you for your career?

After the college visits

Once you’ve gone through these questions on your college tours, compare your notes to decide where to apply. And if you haven’t already, take our college match quiz to make sure the schools on your list are the right fit.