Hi Teresa,
It's so great that you're already thinking about college! It's never too early to start researching for your future.
A good time to start getting really serious about the process would be your junior year in high school. However, now is a good time to start researching different types of colleges (big, small, close to home, far from home, etc.) and programs that can start giving you ideas about what would be best for you.
A school's website is a great place to start getting information. Many of the websites also have “virtual tours” of their campus. Go to the university’s website and check under their “Admissions” section to see if they have any videos. You can also go to this website, which shows videos from a number of different colleges: [www.youniversitytv.com]. When you do decide to visit a school in person, you will not have to pay for the visit; however, if you plan on visiting a college that is out of your city, then you will need to cover your traveling costs (transportation, food, housing, etc.). Here is a link from Collegeboard.com that goes into more details on college visits: [www.collegeboard.com].
Most colleges and universities have special visit days throughout the year. These days are often on weekends and are a very in-depth look at a school. Usually they have student and/or professor panels, a tour of campus (which often includes the dorms), and sometimes even a meal in the dining hall. Sometimes the visit days are tailored to certain groups as well (accepted students, middle-school students, minority groups, etc.)
If you are unable to visit a school due to distance, you may want to contact their recruitment/admissions office to see what your other options are. For example, many schools have student volunteers who you can correspond with via phone or email and they can answer your questions and give you a student’s perspective. Additionally, the school may be participating in a college fair near your home that you can attend.
I hope this information is helpful! Please let us know if you have other questions. Best of luck!
-Amber George
