Planning a College Visit? Readers Suggest Questions to Ask We recently listed questions that prospective college students should avoid on a campus visit if they're trying to find a good fit. The "do not ask" list was based on questions that L. Randolph Lowry III, the president of Lipscomb University, said he hears all too often when students come to visit. Mr. Lowry also offered a list of questions that more students should ask when visiting college campuses. The list sparked a discussion among readers who offered additional questions that students should consider. We thought their suggestions should be shared. So instead of asking "Do you have my major?" - which Mr. Lowry hopes visitors avoid - prospective students should consider the following recommendations from our readers: What It's Like to Study Your Major at the College This is a variation of the "Do you have my major?" question, but it is likely to yield a more instructive answer. "A couple of years ago," one reader writes, "while touring colleges with my son, a chemistry professor at a liberal arts college encouraged us to compare the list of equipment found on the website of her college to that of a large research university nearby. The university's list, she said, would be much longer and more impressive. The difference was that at her college my son would actually use all of the equipment, while at a large university, he'd be lucky to even see the door of the room where the grad students and professors do the "real" scientific work. She looked my son in the eye and said, "The U might have the latest gizmos, but as an undergrad, you'll never touch them." My son is working in her lab this summer.  The Learning Experience for Freshmen Does the school have a "freshman experience," a seminar that everyone takes, or an intensive first-year advising program? - L What percent of faculty teach freshmen? - Grant Wiggins What percent of classes are taught by a teaching assistant? - Grant Wiggins What is the average size of freshman classes? - Grant Wiggins What percentage of freshmen get the courses they want the most? - Grant Wiggins Are freshmen required to take a writing course? - L The Learning Experience for All Students Could we see a classroom? - Neal "I had to ask this on every tour," Neal writes. I wanted to see how the classrooms were maintained and what equipment was in the rooms. How easy is it to change your major? How easy is it to transfer to a different college within the university? - College Kid, a self-described campus tour guide Are classes more lecture based or discussion based? - College Kid What percentage of students transfer in and out? - Grant Wiggins Does the university offer free tutoring and labs to students? - College Kid Are seniors required to write a thesis? - L Does each major have a capstone experience? - Neal Required Courses and Transfer Credits Is there a core curriculum or set of distribution requirements? What are they? How much freedom is there in choosing courses? - L Do you take transfer credit from incoming freshmen? - Neal Who does the academic advising? How are freshman advisers assigned? How many students does a typical adviser have? - L Learning Opportunities Outside of the Classroom How many students typically study abroad? Does the school have its own programs? - L "If money is a concern but you want an international experience, this is vital," the reader notes. You can't use institutional aid for study abroad programs unless they are operated by your university. Studying abroad through your school shouldn't cost substantially more than a typical resident semester. Where have students interned in the past few years? Does the career center have any special relationships or formal programs? How easy is it to intern during the school year? - L What are some opportunities for supported research in the summer? - Neal Specific Questions About Residential Life Some readers took issue with the idea that dorms should not be a deal-breaker for prospective students. "Cramped living circumstances increase the risk of unnecessary friction, undermining the academic side of things as well as the community," one parent writes. Asking about the size of rooms along with how many students are assigned to each, how the college manages housing and residential life, the extent to which housing is guaranteed to students, whether the residential college provides assistance to students living off campus, etc., are all reasonable questions and we can imagine answers to those questions which would be deal killers for us. Here are some related questions that readers recommended: How many triple rooms are there? What are the odds of being in one? - Grant Wiggins What are the hours of on-campus food? - College Kid Where do upperclassmen typically live? Do they tend to stay on campus or move into apartments and townhouses? - L What percent of students leave campus for the weekend? - Grant Wiggins "What do students do on weekends is great," a campus tour guide writes, "but the best one is, "What did YOU do last weekend?"" Find Out If It's a Party School, Without Asking Directly Here are some recommended questions from Shelley, who calls herself "one of those cranky parents" who doesn't want her teenager going to a party school: How much money was spent on dorm damages last year? How are parties managed? How are underage students monitored? Does the school require students to participate in drug and alcohol and safety training? How many visits to the emergency room were there last year? How many of those were drinking related? What are some popular extracurricular activities? - College Kid Here are more related questions from Midwesterner: How many fraternities and sororities are there on campus? What percent of the students belong to one? We'd like to continue this discussion with you. Please suggest your questions in the comment box below.