New Orleans Guide to High School and Beyond 2018

ADDITIONAL APPICATION
RECOMMENDATIONS
SCHOOL VISITS
When considering schools, one of the most helpful factors is to visit the
school. Sometimes you may find out information you did not know
about the school that may affect your decision greatly. One person’s
perception of a particular school can be very different than another’s,
and just because you have been to the school 100 times for activities
does not mean that you will have the same feeling once you sit in the
classroom. Try to visit each school you are applying to at least once.
Schools usually offer potential students three ways of viewing the
school:
Open House – Provides potential students the opportunity to visit
the school and interact with staff. Schools typically hold large group
tours of their facility, have a group question and answer session, and
highlight their clubs or student run activities.
Shadowing & Spend A Day – Provides the potential student with
the opportunity to experience firsthand what attending the school will
actually feel like. Schools typically pair potential students with current
students in the same grade level that the potential student would be
entering. Usually students are allowed to spend an entire day at the
school and some schools even allow potential students to take part in
clubs or teams that they are interested in.
Personal Tours – Provides a one-on-one tour of their facility and
answers any questions you have about the school. These are usually
held by appointment only.
Type of Visit Pro Con
Open House
Spend A Day
Personal Tours
Great experience; schools usually put a lot of effort
into their open houses because they know most of their
potential students attend.
Allows students to get a feel of what being a student at the
school will be like; students are allowed to sit in classes
and meet future teachers. Prospective students can have
a real discussion with current students about the school.
Students have direct contact with school officials and
are able to ask as many questions as they like because
there are no time constraints or distractions. Students
may be able to briefly visit a class to get a sense of
teaching methods.
Not very personal; does not give a true sense of what attending
the school will be like. Usually held after school hours, and not
much activity is taking place.
May be difficult for students to miss a day at their current school to
spend a day at their prospective school. Staff and students modify
their behavior when guests arrive.
May miss touring the school with others who may provide a
different point of view of the school and have specific questions
answered. Staff and students modify their behavior when guests
arrive.
**Remember, if you are not able to visit the school in person, try to gather as much information about the school on your own and create a list of questions
(prioritize your questions just in case you run out of time), then make a phone appointment to speak with the admissions director.**
SCHOOL VISIT OBSERVATION CHART
Keeping notes about your experiences will assist you in making your final decision.
School Type of Visit Date Observations
26