A campus visit can tell you much more than a brochure...

Visiting a college campus is very important. A visit can tell you a lot about the people, the location and the overall environment. Whether you are a high school sophomore, junior or senior, a campus visit will play a big role in your college selection. Yes, while the beautiful pictures on the websites and shiny brochures are attractive, they don't tell you everything you need to know about a college or university. Flashy statistics, high rankings, famous alumni, and the other information in resources such as US News & World Report can be impressive, but other parts such as the location, the classes, the professors, the students are really what make the community at each college/university. Don't go by word of mouth, reputation or the name of the school alone.

Sophomores: It's never too early to start visiting campus. If you are unsure of what you'd like to major in or where you even want to go to school, a campus visit can help you discover what types of schools you like and don't like and the qualities you are looking for in a college.

Juniors: This is a great year to visit campuses. This will help you figure out which schools you really want to apply to your senior year and not feel overwhelmed by your senior schedule and the whole application process.

Seniors: If you haven't already visited the schools you've been admitted to, you will want to do so soon. May 1st is just around the corner and you will want to make an educated decision you are comfortable with. If you've already visited, but maybe you're between 2-3 schools still, sometimes a second or third campus visit will help make that final decision. Often times seniors will come back to campus for a second or third visit to stay overnight. This allows you to experience what it's like to be a real Valpo student or X, Y or Z University student. Attend a class, speak with a professor or meet with a coach - get all your questions answered and experience that college/university beyond an open house visit day, college fair meeting, and the many fancy brochures out there.

So, step away from the computer and get your nose out of all those college brochures/magazines and step foot onto campus - explore the many college opportunities out there.