Sophomores are in a weird middle of their high school experience. Nothing all that big is happening yet towards college outcomes. It’s not time for most students to take the SAT or ACT. You aren’t in a leadership role yet for most of your activities, as that will come junior or senior year. Your grades are great, but you also haven’t been pushed to your limit yet with the most advanced courses on offer at your high school. At the same time, everything is building towards junior year and senior fall. Nothing that a sophomore does is inconsequential. Instead, it is a building block — and that includes college visits.
The ‘normal’ way of doing things with college admissions is to wait to tour schools until junior or senior year. Some students don’t even visit until they know if they have gotten in. In this post, we’re going to break down the four things that we coach our sophomores to implement during college visits. We work with our students every year to push towards exceptional outcomes, and this is a key piece of the puzzle to identifying — and getting into — a dream school.
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As a sophomore, you should be visiting colleges whenever you can. This doesn’t mean making it the center of your world, but if you drive by a sign for a college why not stop by? Even simply walking through campus can be a great first step in getting to know a school, and it also helps you make sense of the big picture. We often find that sophomores have some hard and fast rules for what they think they want in a college, but this is your chance to challenge those. Question what you are looking for and, more importantly, why. As you get to know what you like in reality, not simply conceptually or through the suggestions of others, you’ll find your perfect fit.
FOCUS IN
If you have walked around a few college campuses already, which you should have, you are starting to get a sense of what you like. You are also becoming more confident in your academic interests, and can use this as a filter for what type of school may be the strongest fit. If cooking is a passion, suite-style living after your first year would be a great option for you. If you prefer to study outside of your bedroom, prioritize a library that feels like the perfect study zone. And, of course, look for an academic fit.
If you want to be a doctor, you need a school with a strong track record of medical school placement. But don’t be too granular. This part of the process is all about focusing in while giving yourself room to develop and grow. For example, a passion today for Asian history is awesome, but it’s more important to look for a strong history program than it is to count how many Japanese history courses are on offer. So, focus in and let passion be your guide, but don’t lock yourself in so firmly that you close doors that don’t need to be shut yet.
HAVE CONVERSATIONS
The next thing you need to do is to prioritize having conversations. Try to talk to someone who currently attends, or recently graduated from, each school that you visit before going. Look into your network to find these resources. Do you know anyone at the school, or know anyone who knows someone? The child of a family friend, even if the person isn’t your friend, can be an amazing resource. Grab coffee when they are home for winter break, or meet up when you get to campus to experience their favorite dining option or study spot on campus.
Don’t just have conversations with current or former students, though. When you are visiting, ask a librarian what their favorite thing is about students on campus, and ask a dining hall worker what the favorite dish is. It’s easy to learn about academic programs online. You can look up the course offerings, and research professors. It’s harder, though, to capture the intangible things — or the vibe. Colleges tend to all say just about the same things about their on-campus experience. It’s fun, tight knit, supportive, challenging, etc. to be part of their community; websites blur into each other into one mass of ‘college fun’ marketing. But if every school is saying the same thing, where do you find the truth? It’s about talking to people and having conversations.
TAKE NOTES
When you are visiting, even small details can feel momentous and like you will remember them forever. We see so many students, though, who a week later can only remember what their ‘vibe’ was on a school, unable to remember the precise details that made a difference — good or bad. Don’t fall into that trip.
Do not expect yourself to remember everything, even if in the moment a particular thing feels huge. In fact, if it feels huge that is a massive signal that you should write it down. Carry around a small notebook that can fit in your jacket pocket, and take quick notes during your visit. Write longer entries later to ensure nothing gets missed. The good, the bad, the simply fun and the things that you think may be red flags all really matter.
KEEP IT LIGHT & SEND THANK YOUS
You are a sophomore. You have time. Don’t get so wrapped up in moments that feel big that you forget to have fun. But you should still take them seriously. It’s totally okay to visit a campus in an informal way, and some colleges will not let you sign up for official tours yet, but if you have a meaningful conversation with anyone in admissions or a faculty member you do need to send a thank you note. Getting into the habit of sending thank you notes is crucial to an exceptional college application experience, and while we love a handwritten note even a formally-written email will do. So, don’t take yourself too seriously, you are a sophomore, but do take building relationships seriously. Even schools that don’t track demonstrated interest do have admissions offices full of real humans. Connect with them, and it can make a huge difference.
As a sophomore, you are in a powerful moment. You have time to explore and to consider schools that you may not be sure about at first. We work with our students to make the most of this opportunity, leading to outstanding outcomes.
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