College logistics
Prepare questions for a college visit
Write down what matters most to you about daily life at the school, then check which of those points the school already answers publicly. Keep only the open questions, and match each to someone who would know, such as a student, adviser or staff member.
A text to start with
I am visiting [school] on [date] and care most about [three personal priorities]. The tour schedule says I will meet [people or offices]. Here is what I have already read on the school's website and brochures: [pasted notes]. Suggest questions about daily details that these materials leave open, and name who on my schedule is best placed to answer each.
Example request. Change the details to fit your situation.Visit question sheet
School and visit date: [ ] My top priority and why it matters to me: [ ] Question: [ ] Checked on the school's site? [yes / no] Page address: [ ] What the school already says: [ ] Still open because: [ ] Person or session to ask: [ ] Answer received: [ ] Who gave it: [ ] Follow-up needed: [ ] Overall impression of daily life, in my words: [ ]
Questions to cut or sharpen
Remove any question the school's current pages already answer, unless you need to ask how a stated policy works in practice. Cut questions so broad that any answer would sound pleasant, such as whether students are happy, and ask for specifics, such as how a typical week is arranged. A question aimed at the wrong person wastes the moment: a tour guide may not know how course waitlists work. Treat one student's answer as one view, and note who said what.
Ask another agent to check the result
Compare each question on this list with the school pages I pasted. Mark any question that current official information already answers, and keep it only if I need to know how the answer works in practice. Flag vague questions and suggest a more specific version of each.
Set up the visit notes
Rank your questions so the top ones fit the time you have. Put each beside the person or session where you will ask it, and leave space for the answer. After the visit, note which answers matched the school's published information and which differed. Email the admissions office about the unresolved ones while the visit is fresh.