Gray skies ahead: college winter visit bit too realistic

Lila Englander|February 13, 2014

Wintertime college visits to the Ohio State University (OSU) provide a dreary view of the school. When visiting a college it is easy to forget that the version of campus life often presented is idealized. However, there is more to consider than the university’s climate. Photo courtesy of Lila Englander.

A college visit could dissuade a student from applying to their dream school. Or a college visit could seal the deal for a student that was only mildly interested beforehand.

The great significance of these few days raises a pertinent question, how representative and realistic are college visits? While the answer ranges, spending a few days recently at the Ohio State University (OSU) has convinced me that a June visit could be quite unrealistic.

My visit to OSU was both brutally cold and gray. As one professor told me, “it’s a gray city, but that just makes us appreciate the sun more.”

Although the weather was certainly a turn-off, sitting in on classes improved my opinion. I was also able to sit in on a meeting between my brother, an OSU student, and his research adviser.

Shadowing a current OSU student gave me some insight into one possible type of daily life on campus.

For more information on preparing for college visit the College Board website.