RESTON, Va., April 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Whether it's the annual trek to
Aunt Martha's or a vacation in a more exotic locale, the summer months
provide an excellent opportunity for families with college-bound children
to incorporate a preliminary visit to a college or university into their
travel plans.
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"Nothing equals the experience of visiting a college in person," says
Martha Holler, spokesperson for Sallie Mae, the nation's leading saving-
and paying-for-college company. "The summer months are a perfect time to
accomplish this. Visitors will likely find more one-on-one attention from
campus representatives, as well as be able to explore what the school has
to offer at their leisure."
Even though many college campuses are not bustling with activity during
the summer, you can still get a "feel" of college life. Before the actual
visit, contact the school's admissions office and request an interview with
a school representative. Decide beforehand what you want to learn about the
school, putting together a list of key questions. Use a similar list for
every school you eventually visit so you can make comparisons.
Each campus has its own personality so, if time allows, families should
try to explore both a large and small school or go to one urban and one
small-town campus.
To make the most of a summer visit to a college or university, Sallie
Mae offers the following pointers:
-- Ask questions. No one can tell you more about a school than the
students currently attending. If a particular campus you visit has
ongoing summer sessions, ask students you encounter about the campus,
what they like about the school, what dorm life is like, what campus
activities are offered, etc. Your campus tour guide also can be a great
source of candid information.
-- Visit a class in session. If possible, find out if you can sit in on a
summer class. Better yet, meet with a professor who teaches in your
area of interest.
-- Trust your instincts. Pay attention to first impressions. Ask yourself
if this is where you want to live and go to school for the next four
years? Drive through surrounding neighborhoods and get a feel for the
community. Make notes to jog your memory when decision time comes and
when something catches your interest follow up with a phone call or e-
mail.
-- Send a thank-you note. After visiting a college, remember to send
thank-you notes to everyone you met with on campus. It is a courtesy
that will help get you noticed later on.
Campus visits can be exciting and informative. To help students and
their families plan a successful visit this summer, Sallie Mae's College
Answer Web site (http://www.CollegeAnswer.com) offers a number of resources
and checklists.
SLM Corporation, commonly known as Sallie Mae, is the nation's leading
provider of saving- and paying-for-college programs. The company manages
$150 billion in education loans and serves nearly 10 million student and
parent customers. Through its Upromise affiliates, the company also manages
$17 billion in 529 college-savings plans, and over 7.5 million members have
joined Upromise to help save for college with rewards on purchases at
nearly 70,000 places. Sallie Mae and its subsidiaries offer debt management
services as well as business and technical products to a range of business
clients, including higher education institutions, student loan guarantors
and state and federal agencies. More information is available at
http://www.salliemae.com. SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries are not
sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America.
SOURCE Sallie Mae
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