Considering visiting dd's dream school and giving a "pitch" to admissions office....

[Jackie in NE]

Have any of you ever done this? What were your results? Dd has been accepted to 4 of the 7 schools to which she has applied. We are waiting to hear from the other 3, one of which is her dream school, Villanova. I have a real sense that she is right on the bubble, as far as being admitted. We have never visited Villanova, as daughter was not really clear that it was important to her. As time passes, however, and the more she looks at her goals, and the schools she has applied to, she is very sure that this is the school that has the ingredients she wants.

Dd is going to email her admissions contact and see if we can have a face to face meeting next week. I was also going to contact the financial aid office, and have a face to face with someone there. The goal? Admission, and a clear understanding of our financial picture.

We will have to fly halfway across the country, at considerable cost (for us). Dh thinks that we need to do all we can. If it works, great; if it doesn't, we'll have no regrets, right? I am willing to go; I just wonder if a visit and a face to face will be worth the effort.

Advice? Comments? I value the collective wisdom of this board!

 

Jackie

[JFSinIL]

Any contact should be done only by your dd, as otherwise the admission and financial folks will think "helicopter parents!" and that might tip the scale against her. BUT - your dd can certainly make a point of offering to ask her parents to also talk to the financial folks - let it sound to the college like it is her idea.

 

Otherwise - go for it. DD can let the school know she is willing to fly out to interview, meet, etc. as V. is her top choice school. She can point out why, too. Stating in a letter that "while schools A, B. and C have accepted me - V is the school that most fits what I wish to learn (etc. etc.) with details of exactly how and why the school is best for her - and she a good choice for the school.

[Myra]

There's so much to consider! First, I'd check to see if the college offers admission interviews as part of the selection process. Some colleges my son applied to expected interviews, other colleges absolutely did not do any interviews at all. It would be a shame to fly all the way out there and not see a person in charge! I would also check into if they have Alumni Interviews. Some colleges have eliminated the "on-site" admission interview and have replaced them with Alumni interview/recommendations with alumni in your area. Another take on the interview option is that some colleges are now doing only "skype" interviews between the admision person and the perspective student.

 

 

As for the financial part of the equation - based only on what I learned from my son's experience last year - the admissions personnel can only talk in "general" terms about costs and pretty much that info is on the college's website already. The real info came after the acceptance letters - with exact loans, scholarships, grants, merit, etc for your student.

 

Good Luck!

 

I have to go through this again next year with my next one!

 

Myra

[Barbara H]

Colleges are ask to list the factors they consider in making admissions decisions and this information is released in the common data set. Factors are listed in four categories: very important, important, considered, not considered. Villanova lists as very important: rigor of secondary school record, class rank, academic GPA, standardized test scores. Important: essay, recommendations, extracurriculars, talent, character, volunteer, work experience.

 

Demonstrated interest (which can be reflected by a visit) is listed as "considered", in other words it is a factor but most often not a very significant one. Interview is listed as "not considered." So, they may not even give interviews. That said there are some colleges that do not consider interviews generally but like to interview homeschoolers.

[JFSinIL]

It can't hurt for the student to let the college know that they are her number one choice, and why. Colleges like being a student's first choice, and not a back-up. If she can truly list how the school is her best fit for her studies/plans it shows them she would be a serious, good student who really wants to be there for the "right" reasons (mention, too, a professor or two who she wants to study with, or whose research she admires, etc.)

. If the school is on the cusp with her admission's packet, it might tip them into accepting her if she makes this last effort. But she certainly should not book a flight unless the school agrees to give her an interview.

[Beth in OH]

The size of Villanova coupled with the Common Data Set responses Barbara H quoted lead me to believe that a visit right now will not affect the undergraduate admissions process at all. What I would consider doing is updating an essay to reflect the evolution of your dd's thinking. Try to get it to an admissions person who will update her file. If your dd is still in "the mix" of those being considered for admission, perhaps it will provide a boost to her application. This is the economical "it couldn't hurt to try", and your dd is strengthening her application rather than spending her parents' money :-).

 

I wouldn't discourage a visit to campus, though. Your dd's view of its fit might change after she actually spends some time there.

 

Beth

[lisabees]

I, too, wouldn't discourage a visit. But...I would first have your dd contact her admissions officer and see if she can set up an interview over the phone, Skype, etc. DS had interviews every which way. She can also ask to talk to a current student over the the phone to ask questions. Most importantly, have your dd establish an email exchange with her rep. Have her ask questions that reflect her interest - deeper questions that may help establish that relationship. All of this will go into your dd's file. If you end up visiting, contact that admission officer to clarify the reason - it's her first choice school. And make sure the interview is with that local rep who will fight for her when the time comes.

 

Villanova is only 40 mins from me. My best friend and her husband went there. :) Best wishes!

[Jackie in NE]

I, too, wouldn't discourage a visit. But...I would first have your dd contact her admissions officer and see if she can set up an interview over the phone, Skype, etc. DS had interviews every which way. She can also ask to talk to a current student over the the phone to ask questions. Most importantly, have your dd establish an email exchange with her rep. Have her ask questions that reflect her interest - deeper questions that may help establish that relationship. All of this will go into your dd's file. If you end up visiting, contact that admission officer to clarify the reason - it's her first choice school. And make sure the interview is with that local rep who will fight for her when the time comes.

 

Villanova is only 40 mins from me. My best friend and her husband went there. :) Best wishes!

 

Thanks Lisabees! After reading the responses here, dd has sent an email to her admissions counselor, telling her that V is her #1 choice, that she would like to possibly meet with a prof. in the classics department, and that she would like to sit in on a class, etc. She has also asked if an interview would be possible. We shall see....

 

Thanks for the great advice, Jackie