College visit advice?

[Belacqua]

So next week begins Part I of Epic College Road Trip (and Part II: The Colleging is soon to follow). I'm in search of advice, suggestions, and good-grief-whatever-you-do-don't-do-THAT admonitions.

 

The kid is a junior, so he won't be interviewing, unless he gets pulled into an impromptu conversation that sort of turns into an interview. So just tours and info sessions.

 

How should we dress?

 

Just how much should the husband and I shut up?

 

What questions should we ask? Not ask (I know to avoid anything easily found on the website so we don't sound like gits, but other touchy subjects?)?

 

How do I keep from rolling my eyes out of my head when the mom next to me asks something like, "So would registering a patent in the eighth grade be a helpful thing to include on the application?"

 

What about a campus should we be sure to check out that might not be included on a tour?

 

Thanks to all college trip veterans for any advice you have for this noob.

[Running the race]

:lurk5:

[In The Great White North]

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=344627&highlight=college+interview

[Gwen in VA]

Do poke around the campus. My kids found the posters and bulletin boards at the student center, the dorms, and the departments to be quite illuminating! (Not always in a positive way...)

 

If possible, eat lunch or dinner at the dining hall. Talk to any students you can corner.

 

The good news is that in our experience on a tour some other parent will ask the touchy questions, saving you the trouble and embarrassment.

 

Do attend any and all information sessions and tours you can. To some extent they are nothing but advertising, but they are packed with information.

 

Do find time to poke around NOT on the tour. Example: My younger dd and I toured one university where my older dd is a grad student. My older dd was very amused at our tour -- which featured the ONE AND ONLY classroom that was completely modern and wired on the entire campus! All the other classrooms looks like they are from the 1980's -- which is fine but definitely not the impression given on the tour!

 

Both you and your child should be prepared with questions if your child has an interview. At every interview where I stayed in the admissions waiting room, I was asked back and ended up having a "discussion" with the ad con after the student interview.

 

if your child is particularly interested in a particular field, he can call a prof and try to meet with him or her. This sounds kind of awkward, but my kids have met many students who have done this while visiting, so it isn't that unusual.

 

Some colleges will let prospectives stay overnight with a freshman on campus.

 

Do call up the faculty advisor or the student in charge (depending on the type of group) of any extra-curricular activities your student is particularly interested in. Try to arrange a meeting. Occasionally groups exist on the college webpage but don't "really" exist -- they are dying or dead or comatose. (My son discovered at one college that a debate club that looked great online had died only the year before due to a schism.)

 

I look forward to hearing from others on this -- we're about to start the campus visit routine again.....

[Belacqua]

 

The good news is that in our experience on a tour some other parent will ask the touchy questions, saving you the trouble and embarrassment.

 

 

Oh, excellent! I really don't want to be That Mom, but I will have some questions.

 

Is taking notes totally uncool? Or is it expected? I don't want the poor tourguide to feel scrutinized.

[Kareni]

Some ideas I sent a friend traveling 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 bookstore (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).

 

Also, this thread might give you some more ideas: How do you find out the atmosphere of a school?

 

Regards,

Kareni

[regentrude]

read the graffiti in the bathroomsi

 

LOL. My students just told me yesterday that there are frequently math problems scribbled on the walls of the men's room - and some hours later somebody else has written the solution on the wall. Nothing says "Nerds" quite like this.

[Belacqua]

LOL. My students just told me yesterday that there are frequently math problems scribbled on the walls of the men's room - and some hours later somebody else has written the solution on the wall. Nothing says "Nerds" quite like this.

 

Ok. Note to self: Do not let son use men's room, as he'll get engrossed in a problem and not emerge for several hours.

[Starr]

Yes you can talk and ask questions. In the general information sessions mostly adults seem to do the talking. I found many of the students to be kind of quiet and taking it all in. At this point they will cater to the parents, once enrolled not so much.

[Hoggirl]

If you chat with students ask this question: If you were president of this school, what is the one thing you would change?

 

Attend a class if at all possible.

[Kareni]

If you chat with students ask this question: If you were president of this school, what is the one thing you would change?

 

Attend a class if at all possible.

 

That's a great question! And a very valuable suggestion.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[creekland]

Like the others we like to talk with students - you can often find them in the dining hall while you are checking that out. If not there, look for a student center. We also like to look at the library, pick up any publications, check out bulletin boards, and check out restrooms (single sex? co-ed?) - hadn't thought about the graffiti part... don't recall seeing any in the woman's rooms.

 

We just pay attention as we walk around both on the tour and off it. What do they focus on? Athletics? Extra curriculars? Academics? Some schools are great with sales pitches, others not so much, but like anything else, don't "buy" based upon a pitch. Look for what really matters to you. Honestly, does a top 10 sports team mean their science research is top too? I don't think so. (Many around me feel a school is only as good as their sports teams...) Does the fact that they roll out the red carpet for a tour mean their profs are teaching classes?

 

We limited our questions with admissions reps and asked them of students and profs. My questions for the admissions reps were often homeschool related (what do they want to see?) and asked privately rather than in the group. In group settings I had my middle son ask about the new MCAT prep in pre-med settings (a group it applied to), but otherwise, I don't recall asking much.

 

The school middle son picked had students he could see himself with. He enjoyed conversations with them - they focused on books they had read and academics/research they were doing, which rooms in the library were best for studying - stories about studying and helping each other. Places that turned him off had students who focused on how nice the "living" was there - their time at the new gym, watching sports, dorm rooms, things they did in town/city, etc. He picked what matched him. So did oldest (somewhat different criteria in that he wanted a Christian atmosphere too).

 

The visit can let you know plenty, but don't be fooled by sales pitches. Look for matches to your student.

[JennW in SoCal]

The school middle son picked had students he could see himself with. He enjoyed conversations with them - they focused on books they had read and academics/research they were doing, which rooms in the library were best for studying - stories about studying and helping each other. Places that turned him off had students who focused on how nice the "living" was there - their time at the new gym, watching sports, dorm rooms, things they did in town/city, etc. He picked what matched him. So did oldest (somewhat different criteria in that he wanted a Christian atmosphere too).

 

The visit can let you know plenty, but don't be fooled by sales pitches. Look for matches to your student.

 

:iagree: This sums up our experience, too.

 

I want to add that we also made a point of exploring the surrounding community, sometimes eating at little coffee shops near campus, sometimes just driving around. It was fascinating to see what appealed to my suburban Southern California kid, and I think even he was surprised at how charmed he was by small midwestern towns. That's where he wound up, too, and he is happy as can be.

[FaithManor]

You asked about what to wear.

 

At ds's recent visit, dh and all of our sons wore nice khaki's, button down shirts, nice coats - not hoodies, windbreakers, etc. - dress shoes, and dh wore a tie. I wore black pants, black and charcoal grey suit coat, nice blouse, not much jewelry. Ds had a fresh haircut.

 

We were the stand outs and I mean that in a good way. Only one other student looked like he/she hadn't just fallen out of bed that morning. Their jeans were ragged, holey, frayed, etc. Hair was mussed up, uncombed, eyes blurry, raggedy hoodies, etc. Two of the girls must not have washed their faces because mascara and eyeliner was smeared and they looked like racoons. Some of them had parents that sported neat and clean appearances, other parents also looked like they were getting ready to do yardwork.

 

Ds ended up with a LOT of attention. In retrospect, I do feel somewhat odd about that because he is a sophomore. There was a boy in the group, a senior, who really has some serious programming talent. Dh spent a lot of time talking to him and was able to finally get underneath his very silent exterior to find out just how much this kid has been up to and he's BRILLIANT! However, he did not project this one.little.bit. and his whole appearance was very poor - he just vibed - I didn't care enough to comb my hair or clean up today. However, I think he'd be a great student.

 

Unfortunately for this young man, the reality is that right around 300 companies contract with MTU for student research, projects, and internships. While I'm certain their reps on campus do not expect "suit and tie" looks and are used to jeans, the reality is that since this school has student interacting with industry experts from the first semester of school, there is something to be said for cleaning up and the ones that look like they've made an effort, will be the ones that companies look at. Dh, looking like Mr. Spiffy, ended up with a number of professors and industry reps coming to him to talk which I'm sure reflected well on ds though we were careful to let ds speak for himself.

 

Our student led tour guides were in jeans, MTU hoodies (it was COOOOOLD that day), etc. However, if you sized them up, the male student had on a clearly very well kept hoodie, his jeans were in impeccable condition, his shoes had been cleaned, his hair was nice, everything about him as well kept. Ditto the young lady who had taken the time to french braid her hair so it wasn't blowing in the wind, donned nice khaki pants, a very clean and neat MTU t-shirt, and had on a clearly regularly washed winter coat and clean shoes. They knew they representing their school and they had taken care with their appearance.

 

So, whatever you choose for clothing for that day, think about the details and spiff it up...neat, good condition, accessorized nicely, shoes cleaned, coat thrown in the washer the day before, fresh haircut or trim, maybe a little mousse or hair gel to keep it in place if it's going to be windy, etc. The neat appearance gives a good first impression.

 

I think that it's nice for the student to know some facts about the school. Ds looked up the history so he could drop some points into conversations. He knew it was previously known as the Michigan School of Mines, has a HUGE winter carnival, is a tier 1 university, that the school had recently beat MIT and 20 other tier 1 uni's out of a bid for an aerospace engineering project and that a mini-mission control is being built on campus from which students and faculty will monitor the satellite that the student engineering team built, etc. things like that.

 

We also thought long and hard about what we, as well as ds, are looking for in a college and then had him make up notecards with questions pertaining to those concerns. We had him go through the notecards several times on the trip up and that helped him come out of his shell and have something to say or ask even though he was feeling nervous.

 

We asked typical, homeschool parent stuff. Transcript, AP credit, ideal candidate qualities, average merit aid award for in-state freshman, average other financial award, average student debt for gradutes, latest ACT date deadline for them, early admission deadlines, etc. all of that good stuff. We ended up with many parents taking notes. One mom leaned over and said, "I'm so glad your family is in our group. I never would have known to ask that!" While that might seem strange, you have to remember the microcosm that is called Michigan. Many of the kids my son will go to college with will be first generation college students. Michigan was so steeped for so long, in good, high paying, manufacturing jobs and secondary related industry jobs...most of which at the time did not require college training to get...that a huge number of people...far more so than east or west coast and even other areas of the midwest can imagine, never attended college. Their kids are going because all of those good jobs are gone, but at a time when college admission is more difficult to navigate than ever. It's hard for them because they have no experience to fall back on and this is an intimidating process to go through which is made worse by the fact that many school guidance counselors are clueless and not helping.

 

Love this forum! We have the chance to bounce all of this off one another and get our ducks in a row when it counts and that is a real blessing.

 

Now all of that to say, these colleges view this student tour/first visit situation as a larger deal than you might think. While the actual tour, lunch on campus, etc. may seem casual and laid back, there are observers who are taking notes and watching your kids. Our tour leaders had to meet back at the admin office to write down their impressions of the group they lead. So, when some college sophomore says, "I really appreciated your comments today and your questions. Let me make sure I have this right, your name is ____________", you need to note that something is going into a file about your kid. Hopefully, your child puts his best foot forward and those notes are good. Being memorable for positive reasons pays off in the future. Have your child treat it like a serious job interview.

 

Also, follow up is important. They will be keeping track of who and who did not contact the school post-tour. Ds has already received hand written notes from the two MTU student guides, and I've made sure he contacted the admin department by email and let them know that he was impressed with the school, interested in more information, and very happy with the quality of the tour, putting in a good word for those two students so they can get some positive feedback from their employer. I'd almost guarantee you that they are keeping track of correspondence and which prospective students took the time to follow up.

 

Faith

[Belacqua]

 

 

 

 

Now all of that to say, these colleges view this student tour/first visit situation as a larger deal than you might think. While the actual tour, lunch on campus, etc. may seem casual and laid back, there are observers who are taking notes and watching your kids. Our tour leaders had to meet back at the admin office to write down their impressions of the group they lead. So, when some college sophomore says, "I really appreciated your comments today and your questions. Let me make sure I have this right, your name is ____________", you need to note that something is going into a file about your kid. Hopefully, your child puts his best foot forward and those notes are good. Being memorable for positive reasons pays off in the future. Have your child treat it like a serious job interview.

 

Also, follow up is important. They will be keeping track of who and who did not contact the school post-tour. Ds has already received hand written notes from the two MTU student guides, and I've made sure he contacted the admin department by email and let them know that he was impressed with the school, interested in more information, and very happy with the quality of the tour, putting in a good word for those two students so they can get some positive feedback from their employer. I'd almost guarantee you that they are keeping track of correspondence and which prospective students took the time to follow up.

 

Faith

 

That's really good to know (if not a little scary!). I suppose I knew students, and even parents, are being evaluated, but it's something we do need to keep in mind while we're on campus.

 

Who do you recommend contacting after the visit? Since the kid won't be interviewing (one school doesn't interview at all, others wait until later in the year for juniors), would he specifically thank the person who runs the tour? And the info session? Presumably anybody who takes time to talk to us and show us around would be acknowledged, but am I forgetting anybody?

[creekland]

 

Now all of that to say, these colleges view this student tour/first visit situation as a larger deal than you might think. While the actual tour, lunch on campus, etc. may seem casual and laid back, there are observers who are taking notes and watching your kids. Our tour leaders had to meet back at the admin office to write down their impressions of the group they lead. So, when some college sophomore says, "I really appreciated your comments today and your questions. Let me make sure I have this right, your name is ____________", you need to note that something is going into a file about your kid. Hopefully, your child puts his best foot forward and those notes are good. Being memorable for positive reasons pays off in the future. Have your child treat it like a serious job interview.

 

Faith

 

Just want to mention... this is definitely not true of all schools. I led many tours in my day and was never once asked about any of the participants. We have students who go on to colleges who also end up as tour guides. They've never been asked about participants either... When they give info to our juniors/seniors about visits, they tell them to just be comfortable as no one is evaluating/looking at them at that point. It's when they interview or meet with profs that things change.

 

I know many colleges do keep track of who visits (in general) as it's part of the "show me the love" some schools want to see, but... middle son ended up visiting URoc (a supposedly "show me the love school") AFTER having been accepted and got good merit aid anyway. The merit aid info was in the mail before we went there.

 

College acceptances and scholarships, etc, can be a puzzle. I've no doubt that MTU marches to their own drummer and Faith's advice is good for that school, but I don't think it's the norm for most places for just a normal "checking out the school" visit/tour.

 

As one admissions rep told our group... "The visits are our turn to sell you the school. We are trying to look good. When application/interview time comes, that's your turn to try to sell us on you."

 

ps We pretty much always wore nice casual dress and never felt out of place. I wore many of the same outfits I'd wear to school or our casual church (including good walking shoes). My boys and hubby wore khakis and polos or similar. No ties.

[Brenda in MA]

In addition to the other suggests (which were excellent, by the way), my son asked the campus tour guide (and another student or two if he had the chance) which other schools they considered and why they chose that particular school.

 

The answers have been enlightening and have provided a little more insight into the vibe at that particular school.

 

Happy travels!

Brenda

[creekland]

In addition to the other suggests (which were excellent, by the way), my son asked the campus tour guide (and another student or two if he had the chance) which other schools they considered and why they chose that particular school.

 

The answers have been enlightening and have provided a little more insight into the vibe at that particular school.

 

Happy travels!

Brenda

 

Good point! My guys asked those too. I had completely forgotten. It helped point them to other schools they might like - and point them away from a couple that didn't fit.

[Barbara H]

What to wear? The most important thing is to choose something seasonally appropriate with comfortable walking shoes. I suggest students dress in a clean, but typical version of what typical students wear on the campus. There are some regional variations but at most schools for guys that's jeans or khakis, button downs, polos or tshirts. They really don't need to be super dressed up for a regular tour and going over the top like wearing a tie may be an advertisement that homeschoolers are different but not in a good way. Of course avoid overly tight, revealing, controversial slogans, ripped, etc.

 

Oh, and leave the sweatshirt for another college home too - you might be surprised how often students are sporting gear for another school!

[Kathy in Richmond]

In addition to the other suggests (which were excellent, by the way), my son asked the campus tour guide (and another student or two if he had the chance) which other schools they considered and why they chose that particular school.

 

:iagree: This was one of our favorite questions on tours. I still remember the tour guide at Swarthmore explaining why he chose it over U Penn. We also asked the student guides what they liked least about their school. And I'll agree with the ideas others already suggested, especially eating lunch in a student cafeteria & grabbing a copy of the student newspaper to read (some of the editorials surprised us, often in a good way).

 

What to wear? The most important thing is to choose something seasonally appropriate with comfortable walking shoes. I suggest students dress in a clean, but typical version of what typical students wear on the campus. There are some regional variations but at most schools for guys that's jeans or khakis, button downs, polos or tshirts

 

Yes, this is what we did. Comfortable walking shoes are a must!!

[Belacqua]

What to wear? The most important thing is to choose something seasonally appropriate with comfortable walking shoes. I suggest students dress in a clean, but typical version of what typical students wear on the campus. There are some regional variations but at most schools for guys that's jeans or khakis, button downs, polos or tshirts. They really don't need to be super dressed up for a regular tour and going over the top like wearing a tie may be an advertisement that homeschoolers are different but not in a good way. Of course avoid overly tight, revealing, controversial slogans, ripped, etc.

 

Oh, and leave the sweatshirt for another college home too - you might be surprised how often students are sporting gear for another school!

 

So khakis and a t-shirt (the weather will be warm) would be ok? Most of my kid's t-shirts are from various camps and competitions, so they do have writing on them. Is that too casual? I could buy a few plain ones.

[Barbara H]

So khakis and a t-shirt (the weather will be warm) would be ok? Most of my kid's t-shirts are from various camps and competitions, so they do have writing on them. Is that too casual? I could buy a few plain ones.

 

That's exactly what kids on tours at most campuses will be wearing. Jeans, khakis, tees, sweatshirts, etc. Camp shirts are totally fine. At some very conservative religious colleges or preppy Southern colleges you might see more polos, but really tshirts are fine.

[creekland]

So khakis and a t-shirt (the weather will be warm) would be ok? Most of my kid's t-shirts are from various camps and competitions, so they do have writing on them. Is that too casual? I could buy a few plain ones.

 

Kids literally wear anything casual. I can only think of two I saw in ties and dressier-wear out of all the colleges we visited. They didn't look happy being overdressed. Mine didn't wear t-shirts with writing on them. We were more the polo variety and mine never felt out of place, but several do wear t-shirts or sweatshirts.

 

As long as you're not doing an interview or anything formal, casual is usually in. If you are doing an interview or, especially, a scholarship competition, then yes, you do want to dress up and will likely be out of place if you aren't. For interviews, colleges differ. Some want them casual and some don't state anything. We've chosen dressier when they don't say anything - and we've been "right" with our guesses so far. For scholarship competitions, ties are in for the formal parts. Casual dress (no t-shirts) for other parts.

[MBM]

I haven't read all of the replies, but one question I like to ask is if students eat with or get to know professors outside of class. Some schools like Harvey Mudd encourage this and (I think) even pay for the meals.

 

Find out about area crime. Around U of Chicago it's high and some of it goes unreported (we used to live there), but they do have security that will drive alongside students who are walking home. Still, it's not the sort of campus where a student can meander about completely lost in thought. For some students, that could be a deal-breaker.

[Janice in NJ]

While I agree with many of the suggestions, you can gather most of the stats about the school before you visit.

 

The College Board site is a good starting point. (Take the time to use the financial planning tools. The financial aid presentation will mean more if you know more about your family's situation.)

http://www.collegeboard.org

 

This site also offers some interesting stats for each school:

http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges

 

See the links below for more info about specific schools.

 

========================

Every school boasts about professor accessibility. Office hours abound. But what is the environment like? Do kids visit the profs? Do the profs engage personally with the undergrads?

 

The other thing I am interested in is graduation rates. Very often there are more kids than seats in required courses. Check out 4-year graduation rates of various colleges here. (These extended-stay college experiences are due to a host of factors - not just course accessibility. I just want to make sure that my kid is going to be able to graduate on time if she/he is diligent.)

 

http://www.collegeresults.org/search_group.aspx

or here

http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/

 

Most folks are surprised to discover that most schools rate themselves using a “6-years for a Bachelor’s degree†benchmark. Parents are encouraged to think about college in terms of a four-year commitment/payment problem. For most kids that is not the norm.

 

Most schools offer a “student panel†as part of the open house program. This panel is selected because these kids are the best and the brightest students. The most engaged. After the kids discuss what it’s like to attend Uni ABC (these all start to sound the same after a while), they usually ask if there are questions. I use this opportunity to gather info to address these two questions (student/teacher interaction and scheduling).

 

This is what I ask the panelists:

 

I have three questions and I would prefer that each of you would answer each question.

 

1. How many times did you personally meet with a professor during his/her office hours last semester?

 

2. How many papers did you write last semester? Were your papers graded by a TA or by the professor? On average, how many personalized comments did you receive on each of your papers? (This question helps you get a feel for the kind of personalized feedback your kid is going to get in his coursework.)

 

3. Try to think back to Freshman year. When it came time to register for your spring courses on your own, out of the five classes you ended up with, how many were your first choice for course, professor, and section?

 

The great thing about these three questions? You can tell how much the panel has been prepped. :001_smile: I have been at schools where these questions cause the students to CLAM UP and grow visibly nervous. They start looking nervously at each other. You can tell they are thinking, "Oh no! What are we supposed to say? This isn't going to look good." Or they look at the admissions officer with a glance that says, "Help! We don't know what to say." And I have been at sessions where the students take these questions in stride. They are eager to talk about the good (and maybe willing to admit the not-so-good) stories of their experiences. The students' reaction to the questions is very telling. The answers to the questions reveal a lot as well.

===============================

Things to do (re-visit) after the tour on your own:

 

Tour the library in the afternoon. Visit all of the floors. What is it like? Is the library full or empty? Is it noisy or quiet? Are kids studying – peek at their screens? Does the library have study rooms available for groups of students? If so, are kids using those rooms?

 

Visit the student center next. Are there more kids in the student center than the library? Are they connecting with each other or are they each sitting alone, connecting with their electronic devices?

 

Visit the dining hall while students are present. How social/collegial is the environment?

 

Find the tutoring center. How many kids are there? What is the environment like?

=================

Just a starting point.....

Dig!

College can be one of the most expensive/important decisions your family can make. Don't be overly impressed by the shiny exterior/interior of the car. Open the hood. Under there - where it tends to be a bit greasy - under there lies the thing that makes the car GO! Crawl under the car with a flashlight if you can. The suspension, the frame, the brakes - that's what support/control forward motion. The kickin' stereo is nice, but we're not in the market for a stereo. We need a CAR! ;)

 

Peace,

Janice

 

Enjoy your little people

Enjoy your journey

[Hoggirl]

What a wonderfully informative and insightful post! Thank you!

[MomsintheGarden]

Thanks, Janice! I love your three questions!

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Janice,

These are great comments and questions. They remind me of some of the observations in Debt Free U. The author is not a fan of college visits, but especially warns not to be seduced by lovely dorm rooms and shiny fitness centers. (IMO, functional but spartan is just fine.)

[Jane in NC]

Everyone has done a good job covering most things for you, but there is one issue that was of importance for us: Town and Gown.

 

Most colleges have some town and gown issues, yet some schools go out of their way to develop strong ties and good relationships with non-campus community members. On campus tours, I would usually ask the student guide a question about what he or she did in town. One guide at a well known school expressed such disdain for the "townies" that my son immediately scratched the school from his list. It may have been unfair but the snobbery that was exhibited turned him off. Later I asked a more blatant town and gown question to the chair of the archaeology department with whom we met. He confirmed our suspicions--it was not good.

 

This may not matter to some families or it may be completely irrelevant on an urban campus. But when a school is situated in a small town or clearly defined college neighborhood, I think students need to learn to be respectful of the place they will call home for four years. The college can certainly help set the tone by having students help in community projects or schools. Or invite the community on campus. Last month, for example, my son spent a Saturday volunteering at his college's Archaeology Day which is offered for families in the community--lots of hand on activities.

 

My son does not attend Dickinson College but this school had been his favorite early on. When we visited Carlisle, I went into the shops in town and asked proprietors about the students. We heard nothing but good things. That helped keep Dickinson in the running from my perspective. Ultimately that quirky school at the bottom of the list made its way to the top. Go figure. ;)

[Angie in VA]

My dd is a senior and we're doing the college thing. (Kareni, thank you SO MUCH for your help w/ transcripts and course descriptions!!! We have all her apps and supplements in for her top choices of colleges. Now we wait. And we wait longer b/c she won't audition for the schools of music till Feb!)

 

We're doing things a bit backwards* re: college, and it was not by design. I had a chance encounter w/ a professor at a university that was not on our radar. It's in state, but not close to my home. I mentioned my dd plays violin (ds does too, but he was 11 at the time) and he offered to help my dd in any way he could. I took him up on his offer!

 

That turned into a meeting w/ him at his school and his arranging a sample lesson w/ another professor. THAT turned into the private instructor's keeping in touch w/ dd and inviting her to masterclasses at the school and she even arranged for dd to shadow a music ed major for the day and told dd to bring her violin to play along w/ the ensemble at rehearsal that night. She also set up an appt. w/ the school of music's admissions counselor. (DD must be accepted to BOTH the university AND the school of music.) Talk about getting a feel for the school! Dd will probably visit again and sit in on even more classes, since she's already been invited to do so. I told dd, "Just go there, since, you know, you kind of already DO!"

 

*We have yet to take the campus tour! Dd really wants to see the dorms. I think I'll have DH take her up there for the tour. He has yet to spend time there, and I've spent a lot of time there. The day she shadowed the music ed major, I met w/ an admissions counselor (the "regular" admissions, not the SoM) and got my questions about transcripts and course descriptions answered and just hung out in and in front of the student center and got a real feel for the place.

 

So, all that rambling is to say, spend as much time at the school as possible, attending classes he needs for his major if possible, and if you're blessed like my dd was, shadowing a student w/ that major for a day. We are also blessed b/c we know two boys who are freshmen at the college now and they're both majoring in music (but not music ed, still a lot of the classes are the same freshman year) and we hear nothing but good about it.

 

DD is blessed to have this in, but she'll try for the sample private lesson and sitting in on a rehearsal (even if she can't play along) at every school she's considering. And if she can arrange it, she'll sit in on music classes too. I think this strategy can be applied to any major.

 

Good luck.

[Jane in NC]

 

So, all that rambling is to say, spend as much time at the school as possible, attending classes he needs for his major if possible, and if you're blessed like my dd was, shadowing a student w/ that major for a day. We are also blessed b/c we know two boys who are freshmen at the college now and they're both majoring in music (but not music ed, still a lot of the classes are the same freshman year) and we hear nothing but good about it.

 

 

Colleges often invite admitted students to spend the night on campus and have a day of shadowing a student or attending classes (usually from a list--they want to make sure that visitors do not sit in classes in which tests are scheduled). My son applied to several colleges that he had not visited until later. In the case of one, he attended a Friday/Saturday session for scholarship applicants held in January. In the case of another, the admitted student days just did not work for him so he made plans to visit another time in the spring and spent the night in the dorm with a guest host.

 

I want to wish Angie's daughter the best of luck but also assure parents and students who have not had time to visit every college that things do work themselves out.

[Angie in VA]

 

I want to wish Angie's daughter the best of luck but also assure parents and students who have not had time to visit every college that things do work themselves out.

 

True! I can't get over the difference in this one school (described in my post above) and her 2nd choice. She's had a lot of interaction w/ folks at the school of music at her 2nd choice too, but the gatekeeper in the (regular) admissions office is so rude and twice has given me wrong info, that it makes her top choice shine even brighter. Some schools, even good schools, just make it harder. Dd will also be applying to at least one other that we won't be able to visit till spring.

 

Thanks for your kind words, Jane. Getting her records in order may have been the hardest thing I've done as a homeschooler! My fear was dd is smart enough to get into college but I would mess it up for her on my end!

[Jane in NC]

True! I can't get over the difference in this one school (described in my post above) and her 2nd choice. She's had a lot of interaction w/ folks at the school of music at her 2nd choice too, but the gatekeeper in the (regular) admissions office is so rude and twice has given me wrong info, that it makes her top choice shine even brighter. Some schools, even good schools, just make it harder. Dd will also be applying to at least one other that we won't be able to visit till spring.

 

Thanks for your kind words, Jane. Getting her records in order may have been the hardest thing I've done as a homeschooler! My fear was dd is smart enough to get into college but I would mess it up for her on my end!

 

Oh Angie, the restless nights many of us had during our kiddo's senior year! You will do fine on the paperwork, especially with Kareni holding your hand. She is wonderful!

 

You bring up a good point about admissions offices, especially with respect to homeschooling. Some just "get it" but others do not--shocking, I think, given the number of homeschoolers out there. I found that schools looking for cookie cutter students had a harder time with those of us who do not fit the mold. But did my son want to attend those schools? Nope.

[Nan in Mass]

Wow! Good for him!

[Lyn]

Other posters have given lots of good advice, but here are a few other things to consider:

 

Ask about their alumni network. A strong alumni network can mean a great deal when looking for a job after graduation.

 

Ask if they include nonpaid internships in their employment numbers. One school that does this is Hillsdale College. Obviously it pumps up their after graduation employment numbers.

 

Find out about their placement department. Get detailed info about services it offers current students, what services they offer before and after graduation (for ex. will they work with your freshman on their resume and give practice interviews to help with seeking summer jobs or internships), How has their placement dept. been rank by Princeton review.

 

What jobs are available on and off campus for students. Are on campus jobs only offered to students with financial need.

 

Inquire about organized activities on campus. If your student is not real outgoing, being involved in organized activities on campus will help them meet others and give them a sense of belonging.

 

Look up the names of faculty, preferably in the area your student is interested in majoring in. See how the profs. rank on some online professor ranking services and read student comments.

 

Visit the cafeteria and meet with the chef or dining manager. To know what questions to ask, visit the website for Bon Appetit http://bamco.com/about-us/clients (if the school you are looking at is on their client list you can be assured that the food served there is very healthy). If not familiarize yourself with what Bon Appetit offers in its cafeterias and see how the school you are looking at measures up. Don't underestimate the importance of healthy food. Students' immune systems are put to the test on campus...close living, stress and late nights. Being served healthy food on a daily basis can make a difference.

 

Visit the Charity Navigator website and see how the school ranks. Ask about anything they have been marked down on.