[FSUZeta]

i am done with campus visits, but went thru them with 2 children-a daughter and a son. don't know if it is just a guy-girl thing, but my son was much more reserved on his first visit to the school he ultimately decided to attend than his sister was. that was very unusual for him, because he is generally very outgoing and the life of the party. so i guess what i am saying is, even the most outgoing kid can be a little intimidated when it comes to college visits-if it happens to your son, just let it ride. i have observed parents literally pushing their child to the front of the tour group or quietly chastising them for appearing distracted-not a good thing!

dressing nicely for any interviews is great advice. for a campus tour, i would let your son wear more comfortable clothing. there is a nice young man, the same year as my daughter, who is still a legend at school because his mother made him wear a blazer and khakis, during the summer(in alabama), on the campus tour-he will never live that down, and this is at a conservative school. so blazer for interviews, then off with the blazer and on with a sweater for the tour.

try to book an appointment with an admissions counselor and take an official visit. it puts your sons name on the list of interested candidates and the college will begin sending literature to him. they will also include him on lists for special events that the college may hold in the fall and winter.

check out the cafeteria or main dining hall and eat there. if your son feels comfortable to do so, encourage him to introduce himself to some random students and get the real scoop on campus life. try to give him some space so that he can get a feel for the campus and student population, but don't get irritated if he holds back and becomes a little reserved.

if your son has several areas of academic interest, try to get appointments with the dean or an instructor in those departments. the admissions office should be able to set that up for you.

have him prepare some questions that he would like to ask and some answers to obvious questions. it is inevitable that the admission officer will say the standard,"so, aopialumson, tell me a little about yourself", or "why are you interested in our school?" or "what are your interests-academic and personal?"
i think that it shows that the prospective student really is interested in the school if he is prepared. if he has not done so yet, it would be a good idea for your son to go on each of the websites and look around a little.

he also should look the interviewer in the eye and offer his hand when meeting the interviewer and at the conclusion of the interview. your son should intoduce you and mr. aopialum to the interviewer, although sometimes they greet the parents first. thank the interviewer for their time-same for any other college officials(deans, instructors) he meets.

do send a handwritten note to the admissions officer and to any deans, instructors that he meets.

at the least, take a car tour of the area surrounding the campus. how far is it to wal-mart, a drug store, starbucks? does it look like the campus is in a relatively safe part of town, or does the surrounding area look a little sketchy?

immediately after each campus visit, have your son write down his feelings in a notebook. just like during rush, if you don't take notes, the campus memories can start running together.take a camera. no matter where he ends up, it is fun to look back at the campuses and remember the trip. good luck!!