By Amanda, IvyWise College Admissions Counselor
You did it! After years of hard work — acing your classes, prepping for standardized tests, crafting unique essays, and curating your extracurriculars — colleges have finally said yes. But now, the tables have turned. It’s no longer about you convincing colleges you belong — it’s about them convincing you.
Welcome to Matriculation Month, the exciting (and sometimes overwhelming) season where admitted students weigh their options and decide which school is truly the best fit.
Colleges pull out all the stops to help you make your choice, hosting admitted student days, overnight programs, and virtual events designed to showcase their best features. But how can you make the most of these opportunities? How do you cut through the polished presentations to get real insights into academics, campus culture, and student life?
We’ll break down how to navigate these events, ask the right questions, and gather the information you need to make an informed, confident decision about where to spend the next four years. After all, you’ve earned this moment — now it’s time to find your best fit.
The best way to truly know a college is to spend time there — but that’s not always easy, especially if it’s far from home. That’s why many schools offer overnight programs for admitted students. Some of these are in the form of admitted student weekends in April. These events include student life panels, academic open houses, and extracurricular fairs, all designed to give you a feel for campus. They can be incredibly informative, but the most valuable insights often come from everyday experiences.
Take advantage of the opportunity to stay in a dorm, eat in the dining halls, and sit in on classes. Pay attention to your surroundings. Do you enjoy the walk between buildings, or does it feel too hectic? Too quiet? Too hilly? Imagine yourself as part of the community.
Mealtimes can also reveal a lot. Beyond the food quality, observe how students interact. Are the conversations engaging? How do students spend their time, and what are their plans for the day?
When sitting in on a class, don’t worry about understanding everything — you’re joining mid-semester. Instead, focus on student engagement, the types of questions asked, and how the professor interacts. These details reveal a lot about the academic experience.
Lastly, don’t forget to pick up a copy of the student newspaper! It’s a great way to find out what students care about.
If you can’t attend an admitted student weekend, don’t worry. Many colleges allow admitted students to schedule an overnight visit on a different day.
Visiting campus is a great way to get a feel for a school, but colleges understand that not every student can make the trip. That’s why many schools offer virtual admitted student events and regional gatherings in or near your hometown. These events allow you to connect with students, professors, alumni, and admission officers, helping you gather the information you need to make your decision.
Beyond the basics of enrollment, majors, and campus life, asking the right questions can give you deeper insight into what it’s like to be a student there. These conversations can help you understand the school’s academic environment, student culture, and whether it’s the right fit for you.
Choosing the right college isn’t just about academics — it’s also about the people. While talking to professors and current students is important, connecting with other admitted students can be just as valuable.
At admitted student weekends, campus tours, or even through social media groups, take the opportunity to meet potential classmates. You might find someone else choosing between the same schools as you, or another admitted student passionate about Brazilian history, physics, or computer animation. These conversations can offer fresh perspectives, new insights, and even connections to campus resources you haven’t discovered yet.
Beyond practical advice, meeting other admitted students helps you get a feel for the community. Are these people you can see yourself spending the next four years with? Many students even find their future roommate this way! Whether you’re discussing academic interests, comparing dorm options, or just bonding over shared excitement, these connections can make your college decision — and transition — much easier.
It may surprise you, but there’s already someone at your admitted college who knows you well — your admission officer! They read your application, advocated for you in the admissions committee, and likely spent months thinking about how you’d fit into their school.
Most colleges assign admission officers to specific geographic regions, and many cover the same areas for years. You may have even met yours if they visited your high school or hosted an event near you. Now that you’re admitted, they’ll be eager to show you why they think you’re such a great fit for their school.
Admission officers don’t just know you — they know their school inside and out. Many are alumni themselves, while others advise student clubs, supervise tour guides, or work directly with professors. If you want to know the best person to talk to about, well, anything, your admission officer will know better than anyone. From recommending a class to sit in on to connecting you to a student in your major to directing you to the best sandwich shop for lunch, your admission officer is a great first stop when planning a visit to campus.
Unlike current students, professors, or alumni, your admission officer has insight into both the school and your unique background. They’ve already imagined how you’d contribute to campus, making them a valuable resource in your decision-making process.
Many officers even send personal letters to admitted students, but if you haven’t received one, don’t hesitate to reach out and introduce yourself!
In April, colleges are excited to welcome admitted students and give them a closer look at what the next four years could be like. Take advantage of as many programs as possible but also come prepared with the questions that matter most to you. Understanding the everyday student experience will help you picture yourself on campus and make the most informed decision about where to enroll.
You’re about to embark on a transformative time of your life. It’s important to have an intentional and joyful college experience. At IvyWise, our expert academic advisors help undergraduates with course selection, identifying internships and research opportunities, and ensuring they graduate on time. Contact us to learn how we can help you achieve your goals in college and beyond.
It’s back-to-school season, and for many first-year college students this is the first time they’ll be living in a dorm and sharing a space with one or more roommates. College move in day can be hectic, but there’s a lot that students can do to ensure they have a smooth transition into college life.
With senior trips, prom, and other year-end festivities on the horizon, a general lackadaisical attitude can spread, lengthening social time and shortening study time. Many know this phenomenon as “senioritis.” Students work less, play more, and — if they’re not careful — can risk their academic futures.
Spring ushers in new beginnings and high school senior rites-of-passage, such as prom and graduation. Fortunately, many colleges and universities also have deeply rooted traditions celebrating the end of winter, the new life of spring, and the campus community.
One of the fun aspects of researching colleges is to learn about their unique traditions, such as the fun ways these five schools celebrate spring.
Seniors are finally graduating, and very soon some will attend colleges with alumni networks that are stronger than those of other schools. Throughout my time in college admissions, though, I’ve noticed a few colleges where graduates really go above and beyond to help one another out — an undoubtedly useful quality when students need help getting a foot in the door. Please note that these institutions are listed alphabetically, rather than by rank:
