(February 20, 2002) — You walk through the parking lot onto the campus and look around, taking everything into consideration. Your mental question is simple, yet difficult. Is this the college for me? Senior counselor Rebecca Angulo says students should search for possible colleges in their freshman or sophomore year. But those like junior Amy Stenhouse, the college process is “corny and hard because there’s so much to do, so little time to do it and too many standards and expectations.” “One effective way to get accepted is for a student to participate in the various open houses colleges provide,” says Angulo. Many seniors have already visited different schools. “You need to see the college before you decide to go there. You need to like your learning environment because we don’t choose it in high school and we need to have that choice [in college],” says senior Sara Laue. According to Angulo, a college campus visit is a good way to screen your choices. “It’s a good way to learn about campus ‘life’ to see if it’s good to their style of learning and basic enjoyment of life,” she says. Students can also take virtual tours of distant colleges via the college’s web site. Many seniors agree that visiting a college is important before deciding to attend that school. “It’s not about what the tour guide says, but more about how you feel,” says senior Matt Hahn who has visited Pepperdine, USC and UCLA. Visiting a college allows students to see the neighborhood and rental units beforehand and decide if that school is something they want to be a part of, says scholarship and ROP technician Judy Pfau. Hahn adds that students should also check the college’s majors and extracurricular activities to see if they’re compatible with them.