Ask yourself if the campus is a place you would like to spend the next four years of your life. Before you plan a campus visit, set up an interview with an admissions officer. Never just show up. If you are serious about a school, you should go on an interview even if it is not required. You want an admissions officer to have a mental picture of you to go along with the name on the application and you want to find out as much as you can about your future home.
Interviews are the only personal interaction in an otherwise paper-driven process.
Also set up interviews with a financial aid officer, a professor or other representative from the academic department you are interested in, as well as any athletics coach, if applicable. The essay Many admissions officers believe that the factor most likely to tip an admissions committee toward a student is the ability to write, as demonstrated in the college essay. A well-written essay will make you stand out and provide insight into your unique personality, values and goals. The application should be thoughtful and highly personal. It should demonstrate careful and well-constructed writing with no typos or grammatical errors.