How To: Visit Overnight

How To: Visit Overnight

While selecting schools many students elect to go for an overnight visit. These visits let you get a real look at what life at the college is like. You get to see a real dorm room, bathroom, eat the food, and see the nightlife (sort of, more on that later).

Some schools have formal overnight visits where they stay with a student guide and attend programs designed for visiting students, and others just crash on a friend or acquaintance’s dorm room floor.

So today I’m going to break down the advantages and disadvantages of both types of overnights, and what you should look out for while attending one.

The Formal Overnight

This is an overnight that is designed by the school to show you how great student life is. You’ll stay with a student guide who is there to show you around and, quite honestly, sell the school to you.

Some benefits

1.     There’s set activities that will show off the school

2.     Your guide is prescreened

3.     You get to meet other prospective students

Some disadvantages

1.     You won’t get an honest look at the nightlife

2.     You may not get to meet as many varieties of students

3.     It might be a little bit lame and dry

The Friend Overnight

Your friend, or a friend of a friend who already attends the school has invited to you spend the night when you visit. They’re going to show you around and take you with them on whatever their weekend activities are.

Some benefits

1.     You’re going to get a real look at the school because, as much as they’re showing it in a positive light, it’s still not put together by admissions. So you might see the worst dorm on campus or eat in the crappy cafeteria.

2.     You’re going to get to hang out with a lot of actual students, and they’ll all probably try to convince you to come.

3.     You’ll probably have a pretty fun night, and your guide will tailor the experience to you (if you want to party, they’ll bring you to a party, if you want to hang out and go to a movie they’ll do that).

Some Disadvantages

1.     You’re going to see the real nightlife. So, yes, you may run into some vomit or dirty fraternity floors. You might be a little intimidated by the parties you attend.

2.     Your view is going to be limited to what you friend can show you. For example, if they’re super into a fellowship group that doesn’t drink or party, even if you’re at a party school you won’t get a real glimpse at the overall experience.

3.     You might run into some awkward situations or lags in time because there’s no set schedule.

Some things to try to do if you’re visiting, either way:

1.     Go to a class

2.     Eat in a dining hall (not a “banquet” that the admissions sends out, I promise the real food is not nearly as good)

3.     Talk to your guide about their experience at the school, and what is special about the school.

So two hypotheticals, one for each of the situations.

An organized visit:

            You have been invited to attend your school of choice’s overnight weekend. You arrive at the school Friday afternoon and are introduced to your guide, a junior in your potential major who is on student government. They take you to their dorm room, which has a little sign on the door welcoming you, and you notice how ridiculously neat everything is. Your guide takes you to the admissions office, where you attend a welcome session and a tour of the school. Then you have a “banquet” where the food is excellent, and you mingle with the other prospective students. Then you attend a school-run social event, where there’s a DJ, some dancing, and a room off to the side with pool tables and arcade games. You have a fun time, but it’s a little dry, and you’re wondering what the real parties are like. You then go off to your guide’s room and meet some of her friends, all student government people. They talk to you about how much they love the school, but everything feels a bit scripted. When you ask about nightlife they answer your questions for the most part, but imply that they’re not really allowed to take you to any parties with alcohol.  In the morning it’s back to admissions where they bring out an acapella group to entertain you during the complimentary breakfast. There’s another info session, this time with students, and then you’re off on the road.

Overall, you had a good time but you feel the experienced was sanitized. You learned a lot about the school, but everything was staged.

A friend visit:

You were admitted into a school that one of your friends from high school attends. They insist you go to admitted students day, and spend the night before in her room. You arrive Friday night, and sit outside of their dorm until they come running to find you. You go to their room. Their side is neat, but their roommate’s side looks like they just made the bed and piled stuff on their desk. You are told that you’re going to meet said roommate later, because they’re still in class. You attend a club meeting with your friend, where everyone is really nice to you and excited to meet you, and then you go out to dinner with everyone from the club. The cafeteria is crowded and the options are limited. Your friend tells you what to avoid, and you end up with a meat and starch dinner that’s basically edible.

After dinner it’s back to the room, where you walk in on your friend’s roommate getting changed. She’s going to a date-party, and there’s a bottle of liquor on her desk. You’re a little shocked at how blatant she’s being (because they’re both freshman) but you get over it quickly. The roommate is a little tipsy, but pretty friendly overall. She remarks that “she’s coming back early tonight,” and walks out. Your friend then helps you get changed into some “going out clothes” and tells you you’re going to a pre-pregame at a friend’s dorm, a pregame at an off campus house, and a dance party at a fraternity. They pull out a bottle of wine and offer you some, but you don’t drink so you abstain. After you’re changed you go to another dorm where people are taking shots and taking pictures. Then you go to an off campus house where there’s more drinking and picture taking. Everyone you meet offers you liquor, and tells you how much they love their school and how you should definitely come there. You’re not uncomfortable, but you’re a little intimidated. Finally, at around midnight, you head to the party. It’s crowded and gross, people are just grinding up on whomever, and everyone’s just a little too blatant about everything.

At around 2, after a pretty fun night of dancing, your friend’s friends remark that they’re going to the bars. Your friend tells them you don’t have a fake ID, so you head back to their room. Their roommate is sitting at her desk, drinking a bottle of wine and writing a paper.

You sleep in your friend’s bed while they take the floor. You wake up at 8 to go to admitted student’s day, take a shower in the hall bathroom (which is co-ed and just a bit frightening), and head out.

You had fun, but you wish you got to see more of the school and not just how much alcohol they had.

Overall, take everything you see with a grain of salt. Everyone is trying to impress you in one-way or another. But getting to see the facilities and meet students is an opportunity you’re not going to want to miss.