How to Learn About Colleges.

Talking to Friends.

Talking to friends/relatives who now attend or recently attended a school and sharing impressions with friends who have visited a campus you may not have seen can be great. But, here’s the trick. Don’t be satisfied with a simple “I loved it” or “horrible.” Very little predictive value for you in that!

It is like having someone say, “You must see this movie,” when you don’t know his taste; you remain clueless about what the movie is like. Hearing “everyone joins a fraternity or sorority,” “there are an amazing number of student performances (music, theater, dance),” “if you don’t like basketball, don’t bother,” “kids really study here,” or “gorgeous campus, hours from the nearest city,” helps much more to gives much more of a picture of what life is like at a college.

It is fine to listen to your friend’s opinions, but descriptions are more valuable for you. Then you can make your own assessment. You might like what someone else finds unattractive, or what your friend raves about might be what turns you off.

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