5. Talk with current students
One of the best ways of really “getting” what a college is all about is to talk with current students. Chat with students you already know at the college. Also, get names of current students at a college from teachers, counselors, friends and family.

Admissions offices are good sources for names of students who are willing to speak with prospective students. Of course, you can always strike up a conversation with random students as you walk around campus.

Questions
Here are a few questions you might ask:

• What do you like best (least) about this college?

• How is the social life? What do students do during the week and weekends? How do they have fun?

• Where do students live? What are those places like? Which are the best living arrangements?

• How are the support services on campus (academic advising, internship or career counseling, health and psych services)?

• How accessible are instructors to undergraduate students?

• What are some of the best and worst classes and who are some of the best and worst professors?

• What kind of students are most compatible with this college’s academic and social environment?

• Why did you decide to attend this college?

• If you had to do it all over again, would you choose this college? If no, where would you go?