If you want to know, you have to ask. And, if you want to know about all things college the best time to ask is when you're taking a campus tour.

Maybe the question burning brightly in your mind is whether or not pizza can be delivered to your dorm room. Maybe you're wondering about student-teacher ratios, or questioning the feasibility of having a car on campus. Perhaps you have questions about student organizations, or want a student's honest point-of-view on shared bathrooms and dining hall food.

There really are no stupid questions and you can bet that college ambassadors have heard them all. But according to Kelley Brooks, an admission counselor and coordinator for campus visits at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, some questions are better than others.

"You can always tell when the student has been on a previous tour," Brooks said. "When parents and students ask a lot of questions, they're comparing colleges."

In other words, they've learned what to ask. With help from Brooks, you too can get ahead of the curve.

Tuition and Fees
Topping the parental question list is, "How much does it cost?"

Most schools post their current tuition and fees online, but as Brooks pointed out, "They may not be accurate." Currently, SIUE's website (siue.com) shows tuition and fees only through Summer 2010. "If you ask me what tuition is I can only quote you the tuition and fees approved and posted online," Brooks explained.

Perhaps some better money questions are:

— What is the anticipated increase in tuition and fees for my student's start date?

— What is included in tuition and fees? Room and board? Books? Activities?

— How many credit hours does the anticipated tuition include?

— What if I take fewer credit hours or more?

— Can we expect tuition to increase every year?

Scholarships and Financial Aid
Colleges and universities often will hand students a long list, even a book, of scholarship and financial aid opportunities, but only a handful may actually be relevant to the student. Questions to ask of a college admission counselor or financial aid advisor, include:

— Are there scholarships related to my major?

— When do you require the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)?

— Should I be aware of any special deadline considerations?

"Deadlines are critical because they can change from scholarship to scholarship and school to school," Brooks said.

— How will I know if I qualify for scholarships and aid?

Housing
For students, the most anticipated part of the college experience is living on campus and having the opportunity to get involved with student organizations, make friends and shed parental supervision.

Students (and parents) may want to ask:
— Are freshmen required to live on campus? Are sophomores?

— What are the rules and restrictions for students and their visitors?

— What security measures are in place to protect my student in the dorm and on campus?

— Can I have a car on campus? Is parking available?

— Are there any special requirements for freshmen?

"For example, at SIUE, we require freshmen who live on campus to purchase a meal plan. The cost of the plan is included in their fees," Brooks said.

— When is the housing application deadline?

— Is a housing deposit required with the application?

"This is huge because a lot of students are looking at multiple colleges," Brooks said, "but waiting to apply until close to or past the first housing deadline can put the student on a waiting list or, at the very least, make it difficult to get their first roommate choice."

Meal Plans
Students may want to know if the food is good, but better questions include:

— Are meal plans required?

— Are they accepted at all eateries and coffee shops on campus?

— How many meals are typically purchased per week?

— What constitutes a meal? Does a full meal count the same as, say, an ice cream cone?

— If all meal credits are not used in a week, do they roll over? Or is the policy "use them or lose them?"

Student Involvement
Making lifelong memories often starts with student activities. From football games to frisbee on the quadrangle, Greek life to academic clubs, you'll want to know what there is to do after class.

Part of being able to participate in after class activities, including holding down a job, may largely depend on ease of transportation.

Here's a tale of two cities. SIUE, located in Edwardsville, Ill. is contained on one main campus. Southeast Missouri State, located in Cape Girardeau, Mo. is not. Shuttles are needed to carry students to and from SEMO's main campus to its new River Campus, roughly 10 minutes away by car.

SIUE is located near rail transportation making it convenient for many students to take the train into St. Louis or possibly home. Students at SEMO most often need a car to get home.

"When choosing a college, students need to think about things like ease of transportation," Brooks said.

Classrooms, Faculty and Staff
Students should ask to see a variety of classrooms, preferably with students in them. If they have a particular interest, such as music, science or art, with specialized classrooms, labs and studios, they should ask to see those spaces, too.

"These things may not be part of the standard campus tour, so students should be sure to set up that part of their visit in advance," Brooks advised. "It's also a good idea to talk to faculty in your intended major."

Students should ask:

— How accessible are the professors?

— Do professors have office hours.

— Are classes taught by graduate students or full-time faculty and staff?

— What is the student-teacher ratio?

Brooks offered these final thoughts on making the most of your campus tour. "The best time to visit is during the week when students are on campus," Brooks said. "That way you can even sit in on a class if you want to."

She also likes Preview Days, which give students the opportunity to talk with representatives from all departments and many campus organizations.

"Students can meet with professors, talk with current students, eat on campus, take a tour and even deal with the business end of things like applications and financial aid," Brooks said.

All in all the campus tour is what you make it. Make it a good one.