Questions to Ask Faculty During Your Visit

When you are visiting a college, you can make the most out of a conversation with a faculty member by asking meaningful questions. A more typical list might include basic questions such as class size, student-faculty ratio, etc. But what you really want to know is what it feels like to be in the middle of an academic term with that very professor you are just meeting. What will that professor really mean to your college experience and to your future?

That’s why the sample questions below are more valuable. Some may not apply directly to the college you are visiting or the major you have in mind-but if some of these questions make you think “yes, I want to know that,” then use them. Alter the wording to your own conversational style. Add questions more specific to your own goals and wishes. With these questions, you’ll discover much more than a fact sheet can tell you about the character of that professor, major department and college.

One-on-one attention

  • What is your favorite way to work with students one-on-one in your courses or outside of class?
  • In what ways do you work with students to help determine their career path or next step after BVU?

Hands-on learning

  • What types of internships, research, service learning or similar opportunities for hands-on learning are available with your department?
  • Do you use particular projects or assignments in which students directly apply what they’ve learned in course discussions of topics? What are your favorite examples?
  • Do you use a particular assignment that may help your students determine their career path?

Special opportunities

  • Are any of BVU's student clubs and organizations related to your field? Do you students make connections between their academic studies and their activity outside of class? What are some examples?
  • Do students in your department participate in any of BVU’s study abroad programs? What are some examples or locations of these programs?

Location

  • How do students in your department take advantage of internships, community events, and research or study opportunities in Northwest Iowa?
  • Do certain courses in your department use the location and resources of the Storm Lake area as part of the class work? What are some examples of this or of any plans for the future?