If you’re a high school or homeschooled student thinking about college, you are probably wondering where to begin your search. While you have to start with finding a college, the next step, naturally, is visiting it! There are many reasons to do this. I recommend visiting the college at least twice before committing: once during an open house and again when it’s a regular school day for students. There are many reasons to attend an open house, including how you can:
Experience Campus Life
The importance of seeing the campus before committing to a college cannot be overstated. There’s something called campus culture that you can only see and feel when you’re at a school and interacting with the people there. For some colleges, the culture is fun and quirky, for others, rigorous and academic, and for some others, sports are the only thing that matters. Know which is the case, so you can tell if the college will be a good fit for you!
Meet the Faculty, Staff, and Fellow Students
Similar to campus culture, it’s important to find out what kind of people work and go to the school. Most colleges, like SUNY Ulster, have a diverse culture and community. However, if the college has a particular niche (say it is almost entirely filled with athletes or mostly filled with business students), it helps to know beforehand, so you can decide if that niche is right for you. It also helps to meet some people and establish relationships before classes begin. It makes you feel less alone on the first day!
Explore Majors and Careers
Many incoming college freshmen have no idea what they’re interested in studying. That’s fine! Attending an open house offers students the opportunity to see what majors are offered and what they can do for careers with those degrees.
Get Financial Aid and Scholarship Advisement
Possibly the biggest concern about college is how to fund it. Open houses have someone on staff who can help you find out how much college will cost for you, as well as how you can obtain financial aid and scholarships. They can also determine a rough estimate of how much financial aid you’ll receive.
Get Application Assistance
If you’re ready to apply, there are admissions officers on campus during an open house that can help you complete an application! This can be a great help when there are questions on the application that you’re not quite sure how to answer.
Attend Today!
SUNY Ulster is having its own Open House on Saturday, April 27, 2019, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on the Stone Ridge campus, where you can experience all the things mentioned above and more! For more information and to reserve online go to: www.sunyulster.edu/visit.
