Tips for Conquering Your High School Visit Day

Admissions season is upon us for eighth-grade students looking to choose your future high school home. It is natural to be excited (and maybe a little nervous!!) when venturing off to meet new people, explore new spaces and learn new concepts. Here at Oak Knoll, we’ve gathered a few tips and tricks to prepare for your upcoming visit day!

Confirm Your Visit

The phrase “better safe than sorry” applies to confirming your visit day. There is nothing more embarrassing than showing up to a potential school at the wrong time - or worse, the wrong date! If you haven’t received a confirmation reminder email about your visit a day or two before visiting, don’t be shy to call the admissions office to confirm your visit.

Dress to Impress

Most schools will let you know the attire that is most appropriate for your visit in their confirmation email. If the school does not mention attire, you should certainly ask to clarify. For our students, since our young women wear uniforms, we encourage visitors to wear a skirt or dress pants (no jeans). However, if you already have a school uniform, that is certainly fine to come in as well! Whatever you feel most comfortable in that meets the requirements of your visiting school as well. 😊

Get Ready Academically

Thriving academically is the cornerstone to success, so it’s important to prepare ahead of time when missing a day of school for a visit.

Some things to ask yourself when preparing for your upcoming absence:

• Have I asked a friend to share class notes with me?
• Do I need to let my teachers know that I will not be in class?
• Do I need a permission note from my visiting school for missing a day of school?

It’s important to be mindful of where you are with your class work when choosing a visit day. Making sure you can get copies of missed notes, knowing that you will not need to reschedule a test, and bringing an excused absence note to school can help you get ready for your visit.

Prepare Your List of Questions

Before venturing to your potential school, it’s important to check out the website and write down some questions you may have about their academic programs, transportation and just the overall campus culture. Your student tour guide for the day will be a wonderful resource for you, especially when you’re trying to get the "deets."

Questions to consider asking:

Student Tour Guide

• What do people do here for fun?
• How do you think the food is?
• What’s your favorite memory since starting at the school yourself?
• Do you think the teachers are supportive?

Faculty

• How do you support students when they fall behind?
• How much homework should I expect to receive?

Admissions Office

• What do I still need to complete in order to be considered as an applicant?
• When do you need to receive my standardized test scores?

Bring What You Need!

It’s important to be cool, calm and collected during your visit day, so prepare yourself with the tools you need to feel comfortable and confident. For our visitors, we always encourage them to bring a snack and a reusable water bottle. Since the timing of your visiting school’s lunch may not align with your own, it’s best to prevent the "hangry" and bring a granola bar to nibble on. With accessible water fountains throughout most campuses, it’s a great idea to bring one!

You’ve Got This!