FAQ #1: What do I do if I want to spend the night at a college?

ANSWER: College sleepovers are often arranged with friends or friends of friends at colleges. If you don’t know anyone on campus, then admissions offices often make overnight arrangements.

Spending the night in a college residence hall is a great way of seeing a college, but how and when should be thought through carefully. If, for example, you are visiting just one college, then spending the night is probably a good idea. However, if you are traveling to seven colleges in seven days as a part of a whirlwind tour, then sleepovers at every college are probably a bad idea.

Many high school students don’t know that sleep is a rare commodity in college dorms. Dorm meetings and activities often take place at midnight and later. If you are on a tight schedule and only getting a couple of hours or no sleep at all, you’re going to be too exhausted to take full advantage of your college trip.

8. Read the campus newspaper
One of the best sources of information about any campus is the college newspaper. By reading it, you can get a flavor for who students are, what they are interested in, and what happens on campus. Some colleges have daily newspapers; others have weekly. You can usually get a current copy at the student center, in dorms or on newsstands located throughout the campus. While you may not have time read the paper when you are on campus, be sure to read it later on. It is an invaluable source of information.

9. Walk or drive through the adjacent town or community
When you go away to college for four years, you’re not only moving to a college campus, but also to the town and area surrounding the college. Before you leave for home, take a walk or drive through what is around the college. Look at the stores, cafes, bookstores, retail establishments and entertainment centers.