Is it okay to contact the department of a school

[OnMyOwn]

and ask how competition admission to the department is and what the job outlook is like once the degree is completed?  It looks like it is a very small department. I did find outcome statistics online for that department that looked pretty good, but then I stumbled onto a message board discussing the field this morning where it looks like employment is almost impossible.  So, I wonder if those outcome statistics mean kids got jobs, but not in the field they trained for?

 

Or does my son have to make this call?  He could do it, but I know he's not going to want to.

[Luckymama]

Help him draft the email :) He'll be able to contact other departments/programs by himself if you talk him through the process this time.

[regentrude]

It is OK to contact the department because that is a very reasonable question. But your DS should be the one to ask, not the parent. Whether he "wants" to or not is irrelevant - he needs to learn to handle these things. You can help him by looking over his email before he sends it.

Edited April 25, 2016 by regentrude

[EmilyGF]

You should see how my husband rolls his eyes when parents ask him questions...

 

Emily

[OnMyOwn]

Okay, that is kind of what I thought.  But, I thought there was a possibility I could call in the capacity of guidance counselor since he's in 10th grade.  Sounds like it's not a good idea, though.  Thanks.

 

ETA:  And if it's e-mail, he can definitely handle it.  I had really wanted to call and talk with a live person, but e-mail would be okay.

Edited April 25, 2016 by OnMyOwn

[regentrude]

Okay, that is kind of what I thought.  But, I thought there was a possibility I could call in the capacity of guidance counselor since he's in 10th grade.  Sounds like it's not a good idea, though.  Thanks.

 

ETA:  And if it's e-mail, he can definitely handle it.  I had really wanted to call and talk with a live person, but e-mail would be okay.

 

Oh, he does not have to email - he can also call and talk to the department chair or whoever is in charge of undergraduate advising.

 

[OnMyOwn]

You should see how my husband rolls his eyes when parents ask him questions...

 

Emily

 

May I ask if is this as a college professor or high school?  Or an administrator?

[OnMyOwn]

My son has taken lots of local and online classes and whenever there has been a problem, I have always had him deal with it.  Sometimes I've checked his e-mail after he's written it because he's asked me to. I get that he should be dealing with those types of things. BUT, this seems a bit different to me.  I am calling a college administrator to ask about one of their programs to see if it is a good investment.  I am the one taking on responsibility for paying for this and it may cost about $100,000, so it seems a little nuts that it is taboo for me to ask any questions.  I know I can do what I want, and that people are just giving me their honest opinions. Obviously, I questioned it myself.  But, the only reason I really questioned it is because of all the hype about helicopter parents.

 

If I were a guidance counselor at a school and heard about a program that I thought might interest some of my students, would people still see it as wrong for me to call to get more information about the program?

 

I guess a better question might be, when can parents ask questions?  Is it appropriate to ask them on a college tour?  I am just beginning down this road, so this is all new to me.

[GoodGrief]

The college search and application process has been such a great learning experience for my daughter because she has had to learn how to make these sorts of inquiries. There were definitely some stumbles early on though! Kind of cool that he is only a sophomore; he should be quite competent by senior year.

 

That said, I also function as personal assistant :-), and I will help in drafting e mails (I never make calls). I consider it a sort of mentoring, and she requires little of that at this point.

[regentrude]

 

My son has taken lots of local and online classes and whenever there has been a problem, I have always had him deal with it.  Sometimes I've checked his e-mail after he's written it because he's asked me to. I get that he should be dealing with those types of things. BUT, this seems a bit different to me.  I am calling a college administrator to ask about one of their programs to see if it is a good investment.  I am the one taking on responsibility for paying for this and it may cost about $100,000, so it seems a little nuts that it is taboo for me to ask any questions.  I know I can do what I want, and that people are just giving me their honest opinions. Obviously, I questioned it myself.  But, the only reason I really questioned it is because of all the hype about helicopter parents.

 

If I were a guidance counselor at a school and heard about a program that I thought might interest some of my students, would people still see it as wrong for me to call to get more information about the program?

 

I guess a better question might be, when can parents ask questions?  Is it appropriate to ask them on a college tour?  I am just beginning down this road, so this is all new to me.

 

 

You actually would not be calling an administrator. The person who can answer your question will most likely be the professor who is department chair of the department.  But this aside, I am not quite sure: what about this interaction is not possible for a college bound student?

 

At our school, students do department visits together with their parents, and all can ask questions. But it is different to be in a room together having a group conversation, vs contacting a school with a specific question. Why not guide the student in taking ownership?

 

ETA: I would think about first impressions. Who makes the better impression on the department: a student who is proactive and asks pertinent questions, or a student whose mom calls on his behalf, indicating that he is either unwilling or incapable or that his mom does not trust in his ability? Because that is the impression the department will form.

 

If I were a guidance counselor at a school and heard about a program that I thought might interest some of my students, would people still see it as wrong for me to call to get more information about the program?

 

Do guidance counselors do that, find out minute details for each student? Or would the GC not rather tell the student that there is this program, and that the student should inquire about placement rates?

Curious, since my kids did not attend school. But in a high school with several hundred or thousand students, I can't imagine the GC calling the colleges and talking to people.

Edited April 25, 2016 by regentrude

[Caroline]

No, guidence counselors at a public high school would not do this task for a student. Our counselors have a case load of 400 students. They wouldn't have the time or inclination to do that for a student. They would sit with a student and help him frame his questions or help write the email.

 

I agree with regentrude. This is a job for the student.

 

You actually would not be calling an administrator. The person who can answer your question will most likely be the professor who is department chair of the department. But this aside, I am not quite sure: what about this interaction is not possible for a college bound student?

 

At our school, students do department visits together with their parents, and all can ask questions. But it is different to be in a room together having a group conversation, vs contacting a school with a specific question. Why not guide the student in taking ownership?

 

ETA: I would think about first impressions. Who makes the better impression on the department: a student who is proactive and asks pertinent questions, or a student whose mom calls on his behalf, indicating that he is either unwilling or incapable or that his mom does not trust in his ability? Because that is the impression the department will form.

 

 

Do guidance counselors do that, find out minute details for each student? Or would the GC not rather tell the student that there is this program, and that the student should inquire about placement rates?

Curious, since my kids did not attend school. But in a high school with several hundred or thousand students, I can't imagine the GC calling the colleges and talking to people.

[EmilyGF]

May I ask if is this as a college professor or high school?  Or an administrator?

College professor.

 

The question is, who wants to go to college? Student or parent? When the parents ask all the questions, it looks like the student doesn't want to go or is incapable of going.

 

Student tours are different than interacting with a professor. And numerous visiting students have taken my husband out to lunch or coffee to pick his brain (he's a nice guy; many professors at his institution wouldn't do this).

 

He actually had a potential graduate student's mom ask him questions the other day about the university. He was not amused. Luckily, she wouldn't be in his department...

 

Emily

[Sebastian (a lady)]

College professor.

 

The question is, who wants to go to college? Student or parent? When the parents ask all the questions, it looks like the student doesn't want to go or is incapable of going.

 

Student tours are different than interacting with a professor. And numerous visiting students have taken my husband out to lunch or coffee to pick his brain (he's a nice guy; many professors at his institution wouldn't do this).

 

He actually had a potential graduate student's mom ask him questions the other day about the university. He was not amused. Luckily, she wouldn't be in his department...

 

Emily

 

I mostly agree.  

 

However, we also had the experience this year of the admissions office at one selective school losing ds's College Board scores.  Not just one set, but multiple sets, sent after multiple exams.  The admissions office rep who responded to his attempts to straighten this out gave him very unhelpful advice (including, have the scores sent again (paying for this service), have rush scores sent (which not only cost much more, but haven't been an option for most of the year from College Board), and to send the school the registration number from the test (ie, the number that was on his registration ticket for the exam.  This took 90 min on the phone and then wasn't useful for the school to pull up the record).  

 

I finally intervened after a week of back and forth between my kid and the admissions rep.  I called and identified myself as a homeschool parent acting as a guidance counselor to clear up some paperwork issues.  Once I was forwarded to the right person, it took her FIVE MINUTES to pull up the correct scores, which they had had for months.  

 

So while I understand that students should be doing the bulk of the question asking, and even agree that asking the type of questions mentioned in the OP are probably within a student's ability.  However, the eyerolling does go both ways. 

[katilac]

I personally think it's less of a huge deal than some think for a parent to call for fairly general information early in the game. They don't demand your name, rank, and serial number and then cross-reference it with the applicant list two years later, lol. 

 

Of course, it remains a good idea to transition them into doing it themselves, and email is a good way to do that (and convenient for them, they have time to gather info and reply at their convenience). 

 

My dd didn't have any problems getting her own questions answered, but I did make a few calls when I needed or wanted information quickly. No one ever asked for my name or if I was a potential student or parent. It was usually just, "Hi, do you know where I can find your statistics on thus-and-so?" "Sure, would you like to email you the link?" and that was that. 

 

 

 

 

[OnMyOwn]

No, guidence counselors at a public high school would not do this task for a student. Our counselors have a case load of 400 students. They wouldn't have the time or inclination to do that for a student. They would sit with a student and help him frame his questions or help write the email.

 

I agree with regentrude. This is a job for the student.

 

 

I don't think a guidance counselor would make this call for a specific student.  But, I would think that they would have a wealth of information about all sorts of programs that I don't have.  I am trying to gather information.

[OnMyOwn]

I personally think it's less of a huge deal than some think for a parent to call for fairly general information early in the game. They don't demand your name, rank, and serial number and then cross-reference it with the applicant list two years later, lol. 

 

Of course, it remains a good idea to transition them into doing it themselves, and email is a good way to do that (and convenient for them, they have time to gather info and reply at their convenience). 

 

My dd didn't have any problems getting her own questions answered, but I did make a few calls when I needed or wanted information quickly. No one ever asked for my name or if I was a potential student or parent. It was usually just, "Hi, do you know where I can find your statistics on thus-and-so?" "Sure, would you like to email you the link?" and that was that. 

 

Thanks.  This is kind of what I envisioned, but wasn't sure what to expect.  

[GoodGrief]

The more I think about it, with this kind of general question, I think it would be fine for you to call. I'm not sure why you would even need to give the potential student's name.

 

A sophomore in high school often will not even know the questions to ask. They will figure it out as they go along, but it takes time. I say e mail or make the call yourself if you like.

[OnMyOwn]

Thanks, all.  I work very hard with my son to get him to be an advocate for himself.  Like I said, for the last couple of years, he has taken a number of outsourced classes and he deals with the teachers.  Not me.  But, he has language based lds, and while he is very capable of going to college, he is less capable of getting these kinds of questions answered.  It's not that he can't even call and ask a quick question.  It's more that he won't know when to delve deeper or ask follow up questions. Part of that may be the lds, and part of that I think is just normal 16 year old kid. I was far more worldly at 16 than he is, and I would have found it intimidating to make such a call.

 

Anyway, I spoke with him and he's going to write an e-mail and have me look at it.  That seems the simplest way to handle it.  

[OnMyOwn]

You actually would not be calling an administrator. The person who can answer your question will most likely be the professor who is department chair of the department.  But this aside, I am not quite sure: what about this interaction is not possible for a college bound student?

 

At our school, students do department visits together with their parents, and all can ask questions. But it is different to be in a room together having a group conversation, vs contacting a school with a specific question. Why not guide the student in taking ownership?

 

ETA: I would think about first impressions. Who makes the better impression on the department: a student who is proactive and asks pertinent questions, or a student whose mom calls on his behalf, indicating that he is either unwilling or incapable or that his mom does not trust in his ability? Because that is the impression the department will form.

 

 

Do guidance counselors do that, find out minute details for each student? Or would the GC not rather tell the student that there is this program, and that the student should inquire about placement rates?

Curious, since my kids did not attend school. But in a high school with several hundred or thousand students, I can't imagine the GC calling the colleges and talking to people.

 

Okay, I thought I might get an administrative assistant or college student working for the department or something.  Really, that's why I'm asking.  The world has changed a lot since I was in college or in the work force.  When I was working, every person of any significance had an assistant answering their phones.  

[daijobu]

 

Sometimes I've checked his e-mail after he's written it because he's asked me to. I get that he should be dealing with those types of things. BUT, this seems a bit different to me.  

 

 

Heck, sometimes I have my dd14 read my emails before I send them.  I don't think either of us will send a difficult or tricky email without first running it by whoever happens to be in the family room at the time.

[regentrude]

Okay, I thought I might get an administrative assistant or college student working for the department or something.  Really, that's why I'm asking.  The world has changed a lot since I was in college or in the work force.  When I was working, every person of any significance had an assistant answering their phones.  

 

yes, but the administrative asistant would not be the person who could answer this question; they would put you through to the department head or undergraduyate studies coordinator.

 

[goldberry]

That's what I was wondering... early in the process before a student applies or is accepted, who would know or care if it was the parent or student?  I wouldn't think someone is taking notes to add to a future student's permanent file.

 

Especially say you are calling, "I am a parent of a student interested in such and such...." are they really going to track your last name and match it up with a student later?  I just don't think that is happening.

 

Further along in the process, then of course yes, the student should be handling everything.  And especially applying for a graduate program?  Seriously?  I could see why a parent would get eye rolling.