How to Choose Your Top Colleges Without Hitting the Road

You've been receiving college information for several months. Once you narrow down the pile of colorful brochures and letters from admissions officers, you think you have a good idea of what schools are your top choices.

Let's say you have five top choices and you are going to visit three of them. As much as you'd like to see the other two, there is some circumstance preventing you from getting there. Now what? How will you know if this school is right for you if you won't see the campus until freshman orientation?

Fortunately, there are ways to go about this. Whether it's getting in touch with students or faculty or going back through those brochures once more, you can be selective without ever going to campus. Here's how:

Some colleges will have a place on their website where you can e-mail a current student. You won't know which student you'll be talking to, but rest assure that your response will be received, read, answered.

This is the time to ask anything you want, whether you want to know about the overall look of campus, if a lot of students go home on the weekends, or what there is to do in the surrounding community. Students will be very up front in their answers; after all, they really know what's what. You don't have to worry about them being yet another promotional plug for the college.

Go online and check out the virtual tour if the school website has one. You can still see the campus and the interior of some of the buildings. If it helps, picture yourself walking around the campus or sitting in a certain area to study. It sounds silly, but if you can see yourself being comfortable here, you may want to put that school in your top choice list.

E-mail the chairperson or other faculty members of your intended major. They will be able to talk to you about core requirements for your program as well as electives and academic advising. Use this to decide if the curriculum will help you in achieving your educational and career goals.

Continue to pursue the college website. Read their press releases, which can sometimes indicate upcoming events or any changes to the academic curriculum. Even if you can't visit during the week, look for more information on open house programs which are usually held on Saturdays. Check out the extracurricular activities, housing options, and athletic department, just to name a few.

If you can feel at home just through any additional college research, it may not be necessary for you to visit a campus. Visits are always recommended but many students still do fine at college without seeing campus until orientation. So don't worry if you can't visit, just make sure to read between the lines of admissions materials.