Campus tour and meeting with advisor tomorrow--advice?

[Harriet Vane]

We are visiting a campus and getting the whole shebang--tour, classes, lunch, and chats with a professor and an admissions counselor.

 

We've never done this before.

 

Advice?

 

What should we ask?

 

Should we bring anything?

[Brenda in MA]

I would suggest having your dd read up on the professor she will meet with if she knows who it is. Look into what kind of research this person does, what classes he/she teaches, etc. so that dd can ask informed questions. If she doesn't know the specific professor, then she should look up the department and try to gleen some general information on what their area(s) of specialty are. She might want to inquire about the possibilities of working with a professor and/or what kind of summer jobs might be available. She might also ask where their graduates typically go -- grad school, favorite employers, etc.

 

As far as tour/lunch -- she should think about some questions she might ask the student. Here are a few possibilities that come to mind:

1. What do students typically do on the weekends?

2. If the school is near a city, is public transportation available, and do the students use it?

3. What is the social life like -- does it revolve around sports, frats/sororities, clubs, etc.

4. What are the dorms like, and does the guide have a recommended favorite for freshman?

5. What is the food like at the other eateries on campus (other than the one they are eating at tomorrow)?

 

On the tours/visits we went on, the student met with the admissions counselor first, then they called in the parent. Your dd should have some questions ready for this person as well. You might also have some questions about the form/format of required documentation from homeschoolers. We were also interested in knowing their policy about transferring AP credits and credits earned at the local CC. Another good thing to ask the AdComm is about the availability of scholarships and whether a separate application is required.

 

So that's a start! I hope you and dd have a great experience!

Brenda

[Sunshine State Sue]

Ds really had no idea what he was going to major in.  I always asked what resources they had to help a student decide on their major.

[Harriet Vane]

Thanks!

 

Any other thoughts?

[Kareni]

Some ideas I sent a friend travelling with her child on some college tours:

 

to eat in the cafeteria and chat with nearby students,

 

read bulletin boards you pass in classroom buildings and other settings (you'll learn a lot by what you see),

 

read the graffiti in the bathrooms,

 

pick up any school newspapers or publications you wander past,

 

check out the book store (both textbooks and the more general areas; look to see what books are used in a general composition class that all students might take) and the library,

 

and look at the students (my daughter was surprised at how uniform some of the students looked at one of the colleges she visited).

 

Regards, 

Kareni

[creekland]

We liked talking with students, checking out the newspaper & bulletin boards, and generally looking around campus to see what was going on.

 

When meeting with professors, my guys would ask any questions they had about what was going on in the dept and ask for any suggestions/guidance from them toward pursuing their goals.

 

When meeting with admissions, I'd ask to make sure I knew all of what was required for admission.  When my guys met with them alone (interviews or whatever) they were often asked about their lives - homeschooling, books they've read, interests they have, and what drew them to that particular college.

 

Afterward, be sure to sift the "sales" from "reality."  Some schools have really good sales pitches - pretty much rolling out the red carpet to all students/parents coming.  Others have more of a "this is us - take it or leave it" approach.  Neither correlates with how "good" a school is for one's major to be honest.  Be sure to look at a bit from other sources (classes offered, what recent grads have done, reputation among folks who hire, etc) to gauge this.  Kids at school (and their parents) are too often swayed by sales pitches IME.  Who doesn't buy a car from the best salesman?  But it's not always the best car for us.

 

The visit should give you a vibe for the school - can the student live (or study) here?  Are they likely to find their niche?

 

We've visited schools my guys have liked and can recommend - for others - but the paper bit showed they weren't the best school for them.  We've also visited schools my guys have looked at and went UGH!  On paper they could be decent, but the fit just wasn't "them."  There's no reason to spend 4 years at a place they can't stand when there are so many other options IMO.

 

Hope your visit goes well!