Best Questions to Ask Current College Students Before You Choose a College
Campus tours are helpful, but they can only tell you so much.
Admissions staff can explain majors, deadlines, housing options, and scholarship opportunities. But current students can tell you what it actually feels like to go there.
They know what the dining hall is like after the first month. They know whether it’s hard to get into the classes you need. They know what students do on weekends, what people complain about, and what they wish they had known before enrolling.
That’s why talking to current students can be one of the most useful parts of your college search.
Here are smart questions to ask current college students (plus how to use their answers to decide whether a school is really a good fit).
The TL;DR
Current students can tell you what brochures and campus tours usually don’t.
- Ask questions about classes, dorms, food, campus culture, support, jobs, and daily life.
- Focus on questions that help you understand what it’s actually like to live and learn there.
- Pay attention to what students say often, not just one person’s opinion.
- After each visit, write down what surprised you, what felt like a good fit, and what gave you pause.
- Use student answers to compare colleges side by side before making your final list.
Bottom line: The best questions help you figure out whether you can see yourself succeeding and feeling comfortable at that college.
How to use these questions on a campus visit
You don’t need to ask every question on this list. And this list isn't even all inclusive (check out a full rundown of what to ask on a college tour)
Pick the ones that matter most to you based on what you care about in a college. That might be academics, social life, support, cost, safety, career prep, or all of the above.
A few tips:
- Ask more than one student if you can. One person’s experience is helpful, but patterns are more useful.
- Ask follow-up questions. “Why?” and “Can you give me an example?” usually get better answers.
- Pay attention to tone. A student’s hesitation, excitement, or honesty can tell you a lot.
- Write things down soon after. Campuses can blur together fast.
Try to focus on things current students can answer better than admissions staff. That’s where you’ll get the most useful insight.
Questions about classes and getting the courses you need
Academics are one of the biggest reasons you’re choosing a college, but the course catalog doesn’t always tell the whole story.
Ask current students:
Is it easy to get the classes you need?
Do classes fill up quickly?
How hard is it to get into popular majors or required courses?
Are professors easy to reach outside of class?
Do students actually use office hours?
Are most intro classes taught by professors, teaching assistants, or both?
What has been your best class so far, and why?
What class surprised you the most?
How much work do students usually have outside of class?
Are students more collaborative or competitive?
What do students complain about most academically?
If you could change one thing about academics here, what would it be?
Why these questions matter:
A school can have strong programs on paper, but you’ll want to know whether students can access the classes, support, and professors they need.
Questions about dorm life, food, and making friends
Daily life matters more than students sometimes expect. You’re not just choosing where to study, you’re choosing where you’ll live.
Ask current students:
What are the dorms really like?
Do most first-year students live on campus?
How are roommates usually assigned?
Are students happy with the housing options?
Is it hard to get housing after freshman year?
What’s the food like after you’ve been here for a while?
Are there enough dining options for different diets?
Where do students usually hang out?
How did you meet your closest friends?
Is it easy to make friends here?
What do students do on weekends?
Do people stay on campus, or do they leave?
What surprised you about social life here?
Why these questions matter:
Housing, food, and friendships shape your day-to-day experience. If those feel manageable and comfortable, the transition to college can feel a lot easier.
Questions about campus culture and belonging
Every college has a different vibe. Some campuses feel highly social. Others feel more independent. Some are very school-spirited. Others are quieter or more academically intense.
Ask current students:
How would you describe the campus culture?
What kind of student is happiest here?
Who might not like it here?
Do students seem stressed, balanced, or somewhere in between?
Is the campus more social, academic, athletic, artsy, activist, or a mix?
Are students welcoming to new people?
Do you feel like you belong here?
Are there spaces or groups where students can find community?
How diverse does the campus feel in real life?
Are students from different backgrounds supported here?
What is something admissions doesn’t really show on tours?
If you were choosing again, would you still pick this school?
Why these questions matter:
Belonging is hard to measure from a brochure. Current students can help you understand whether the campus environment fits your personality, values, and needs.
Questions about support, stress, and what students wish they knew
College can be exciting, but it can also be a big adjustment. It helps to know what support looks like before you need it.
Ask current students:
What do students do when they feel overwhelmed?
Are academic advisors helpful?
Is tutoring easy to access?
Are mental health or counseling services easy to use?
Do students know where to go for help?
Are professors understanding when students are struggling?
How does the school support first-year students?
What was the hardest part of adjusting here?
What do you wish you had known before enrolling?
What surprised you after you got here?
What advice would you give a new student?
What is something you had to figure out on your own?
Why these questions matter:
Support services only help if students can actually use them. Current students can tell you whether resources feel accessible in real life.
Questions about value, jobs, and daily logistics
Some of the most important questions are also the most practical. Cost, transportation, jobs, and internships can make a big difference.
Ask current students:
Is it easy to get around campus?
Do students need a car?
What is transportation like off campus?
Are there part-time jobs available nearby or on campus
Do students use the career center?
Is it easy to find internships?
Are alumni or employer connections helpful?
Are there extra costs students don’t expect?
Does the school feel worth the cost?
What do students usually spend money on here?
Are students able to balance school, work, and social life?
What is one thing you wish you had budgeted for?
Why these questions matter:
A college might look great academically, but you’ll also want to understand what life there costs, how easy it is to get around, and whether students feel supported after graduation.
Questions to ask when choosing between two colleges
If you’re deciding between two or more schools, ask questions that help you compare them directly.
Try asking:
What made you choose this college over others?
What other schools were you considering?
What made this one stand out?
What almost made you choose somewhere else?
What has confirmed that you made the right choice?
What has made you question your choice?
If you could go back, would you make the same decision?
What type of student would thrive here?
What type of student might be happier somewhere else?
Why these questions matter:
These questions help you move past “I liked the campus” and start thinking about fit in a more specific way.
Questions About Safety and Campus Environment
Safety is one of those things that can be hard to understand from a brochure or tour. Current students can often give you a more realistic sense of what campus feels like day to day — especially at night, on weekends, or when students are moving between classes, dorms, and activities.
Ask current students:
Do students feel safe walking around campus?
Are there areas students avoid at night?
Is campus transportation reliable?
Are there late-night rides, shuttles, or escort services?
How does the school communicate about safety issues?
Do students feel comfortable asking for help?
Are campus security or public safety staff visible and approachable?
Do students feel safe in residence halls?
How quickly does the school respond when something happens?
What do you wish you had known about campus safety before enrolling?
Why these questions matter:
A college can look great during a daytime tour, but students experience campus at all hours. These questions can help you understand whether students feel safe, supported, and informed in real life.
Questions About Accessibility and Accommodations
If you use accommodations — or think you might need support in college — it’s worth asking how accessible those services feel once students are actually enrolled.
The official process matters, but so does the student experience.
Ask current students:
Are accommodations easy to request and use?
Do students feel supported by disability services?
Are campus buildings, dorms, and classrooms accessible?
Do professors respect accommodations?
Is it easy to get help before a problem becomes serious?
How long does it usually take to get accommodations approved?
Are testing accommodations handled smoothly?
Are temporary accommodations available for injuries or short-term needs?
Do students know where to go when they need support?
What has your experience been like working with student support or accessibility services?
Why these questions matter:
Accessibility isn’t just about whether services exist. It’s about whether students can actually use them without unnecessary stress, confusion, or delays. Current students can help you understand how support works in practice.
What to write down after you ask
After a campus visit or student conversation, take five minutes to write down what you heard.
You don’t need a full report. Just capture the things you’ll want to remember later.
Use this quick note format:
If you visit multiple colleges, these notes will help you compare schools more clearly.
How to use student answers to compare colleges
Once you’ve talked to current students at a few schools, look for patterns.
Ask yourself:
- Which school felt easiest to picture myself attending?
- Where did students seem most honest and comfortable?
- Which answers matched what I care about most?
- Which school raised the most concerns?
- Which school had support systems I could actually see myself using?
- Which school felt like the best fit academically, socially, and financially?
The goal isn’t to find a perfect college. The goal is to find a college where you can see yourself learning, growing, and feeling supported.
A few questions you can skip
Some questions are better answered by admissions websites or financial aid pages.
You probably don’t need to ask current students:
- What is the application deadline?
- What majors are offered?
- What is the acceptance rate?
- How much is tuition?
- What are the basic housing requirements?
Those are important questions, but they’re not usually the best use of a current student conversation.
Instead, use your time to ask about what it’s like to actually be there.
Current students can give you a perspective you won’t always get from a tour, brochure, or admissions presentation.
They can tell you what feels easy, what feels frustrating, what surprised them, and what they wish they knew before choosing that college.
Ask questions that connect to your needs. Listen for honest answers. Then use what you learn to compare schools and build a stronger college list.
Ready to compare colleges?
After you visit campuses and talk to students, keep track of what stood out. Then use Appily to save colleges and compare them by academics, cost, location, campus life, support, and the overall vibe.
With Appily, you can search for colleges, compare schools, and build a list based on what matters most to you, from academics and location to cost, campus life, and support.
Create a free Appily profile to save schools, compare your options, and find colleges that feel like the right fit.
FAQ: Questions to ask current college students
What are the best questions to ask current college students?
The best questions are the ones current students can answer from experience. Ask about classes, dorms, food, campus culture, support, social life, jobs, and what they wish they knew before enrolling.
What should I ask students on a college visit?
Ask questions that help you understand daily life, not just admissions details. Good examples include: “Is it easy to get the classes you need?” “What do students complain about most?” and “Would you choose this school again?”
What can current students tell me that admissions staff cannot?
Current students can tell you what the college feels like day to day. They can share honest insight about workload, dorm life, campus culture, stress, support, food, friendships, and what surprised them after enrolling.
How do I compare colleges after talking to students?
Write down what students said after each visit. Compare answers across categories like academics, social life, support, cost, and overall fit. Look for patterns, not just one strong opinion.
What should I ask about campus culture?
Ask how students describe the campus vibe, what kind of student is happiest there, whether students feel supported, and what admissions tours don’t really show.
What should I ask about academics?
Ask whether it’s easy to get required classes, how accessible professors are, how much work students have, and whether the academic environment feels competitive or collaborative.
What should I ask about dorms and food?
Ask what first-year housing is like, whether students like the dining options, how roommates are assigned, and whether students usually stay on campus after freshman year.
What should I ask if I’m choosing between two colleges?
Ask current students why they chose that school, what almost made them choose somewhere else, and whether they would make the same decision again.
Should I ask negative questions?
Yes, as long as you ask respectfully. Questions like “What do students complain about most?” or “What would you change about this school?” can give you helpful, realistic insight.
How many current students should I talk to?
If possible, talk to more than one. Every student has a different experience, so hearing from multiple students can help you spot patterns and make a more informed decision.
