It's warm, sunny, students graduated on Monday--it sounds like summer to me! That means it's time to start making summer travel plans! I've been thinking about planning my vacation, and many of you may be thinking about the possibility of visiting colleges over the summer as part of your vacation time. Is it worth visiting Oberlin over the summer? Is it better to visit during the school year? The answer to these questions will depend mostly on personal considerations, such as how visiting colleges fits into your family's schedule and budget. If the times you can visit campus don't match up with the best times to visit Oberlin, don't worry. Any visit will be more informative than no visit. Please also keep in mind that visits during the school year may not be much different from summer visits, if they fall during college break times (fall or spring break, or during Winter Term in January).
That being said, whether or not a summer visit is right for you really depends on what you expect to get out of your visit to Oberlin. If it's most important to you to interact with lots of students, attend classes, see the general vibe of campus life, and stay overnight in a dorm, summer is not the time for you. Oberlin does not have summer classes, and only a bare handful of students stick around for the summer to work on campus (including our Admissions Office tour guides). You may still want to visit campus over the summer, but be prepared to come back for a second visit during the school year to get the full flavor of campus life.
If you're coming to campus with the goal of going on a campus tour, attending an info session, having an interview, and talking to the admissions counselors, summer is a great time to visit. Not only are all of these things available during the summer, but we usually have fewer visitors and other obligations, and can give you our undivided attention. If you're a rising senior, please consider visiting on one of our Summer Interview Days, which occur on Fridays throughout July and August.
When planning your visit to campus, make sure to visit our campus visit website for more detailed information about what's available, and feel free to call our office if you have any additional questions. Keep in mind that our office is closed on weekends during the summer!
To re-cap, here's a short list of what you can and can't do during a visit to Oberlin over the summer:
Can:
--go on a tour
--have an interview
--attend an info session
--talk to admissions counselors
--see what the campus (and town) look like
--meet a student or two
Can't:
--visit a class
--meet lots of students
--stay on campus overnight
--see the general vibe of campus life during the school year
If you're comfortable with the opportunities available to you during a summer visit, then come on down! We'll be happy to have you. If you'd rather wait until the school year to visit, that's okay, too--I'll look forward to seeing you on campus!
