When visiting a college it’s also a good idea to explore is the surrounding town and what it offers to students. For example is the campus located in the country or a city? Is there a local public transportation system or do many students bring cars? Are there movie theaters, museums, restaurants, and sports arenas close by or is it mostly bars and bowling alleys and which would your teen prefer?
When it comes time for break how close is the university close to a bus or train station or an airport? For events like Parent’s Weekend or special performances are there hotels or other accommodations nearby for families to stay in?
Don’t be afraid to ask college staff or tour guides how they’d classify the relationship is between “town and gown”. For example do the college students volunteer in the local community organizations or is there a tension between the locals and the fraternity members over underage drinking parties?
Hopefully my three posts will give you and your prospective freshmen some good ideas. Please feel free to comment if you notice anything I've forgotten or find one of the tips especially helpful.
And remember, above all:
Keep a Positive Attitude!
Don’t stress out over the logistics of college visits or the thought of your “baby” leaving home. It’s not a disaster if everything doesn’t go exactly as planned, its life, and soon your teen will be experiencing that on their own, without you by their side. Traveling to different campuses together offers you a wonderful opportunity to get to know your teen better as a person and to share some of your own college memories with them.
Along the way you’ll discover that high school students are more than ready to enter this next stage of their life and, trust me, by the time you drop them off at their new dorm room you will be too!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL COLLEGE VISIT-THE CAMPUS
Following a few tips that have helped make our numerous college visits positive and successful:
Let Your Teen set the Pace
Once you get to campus, take a back seat. Under no circumstances should you act like the infamous helicopter parent! The experts say, and I wholeheartedly agree, that the best way you can help your teen is by staying quiet and taking notes. The exception to this is if you hear about or see something that your child may not have noticed that you feel would really enhance their visit, like the opportunity to sit in on an academic class or watch an Aeronautics Club fly their model plane. That’s your chance to speak up!
Be Prepared
Paying attention to little details like getting accurate directions and finding out where to park ahead of time make a big difference.
Dress in layers with the weather in mind. Wear comfortable walking shoes and don’t forget an umbrella or sun hat, depending on the time of year.
My boys and I like to carry a backpack with water bottles, a few healthy snacks, a little cash and a credit card, pens, and a notebook in it. This also gives you a place to store the information folders and handouts you pick up along the way.
Look at Everything
Taking a guided tour will give you the opportunity to learn a lot about the campus. However if your prospective freshman has a specific interest (like my music major did) than it’s important to see if there are facilities like a music library and what the performance hall and practice rooms look like. You’ll also want to use the bathrooms, eat the food, check out the laundry facilities, and look at the student lounges, all important places that may not be included on a regular tour.
Picking up both a campus and a local newspaper to read along with any free publications that are available will give you all a good feel for the area culture and how your son or daughter might fit in there. I also take a few minutes to read the fliers on the bulletin boards as we walk around campus to see what kind of club, activities, and special events are available for students.
Ask Questions
Most colleges are very welcoming to their high school visitors and parents. No question is too “silly”; admissions staff and tour guides have heard it all! If your teen thinks of something after they return home, encourage them to follow up by emailing or phoning the school .
Last stop-check out the surrounding community.
Let Your Teen set the Pace
Once you get to campus, take a back seat. Under no circumstances should you act like the infamous helicopter parent! The experts say, and I wholeheartedly agree, that the best way you can help your teen is by staying quiet and taking notes. The exception to this is if you hear about or see something that your child may not have noticed that you feel would really enhance their visit, like the opportunity to sit in on an academic class or watch an Aeronautics Club fly their model plane. That’s your chance to speak up!
Be Prepared
Paying attention to little details like getting accurate directions and finding out where to park ahead of time make a big difference.
Dress in layers with the weather in mind. Wear comfortable walking shoes and don’t forget an umbrella or sun hat, depending on the time of year.
My boys and I like to carry a backpack with water bottles, a few healthy snacks, a little cash and a credit card, pens, and a notebook in it. This also gives you a place to store the information folders and handouts you pick up along the way.
Look at Everything
Taking a guided tour will give you the opportunity to learn a lot about the campus. However if your prospective freshman has a specific interest (like my music major did) than it’s important to see if there are facilities like a music library and what the performance hall and practice rooms look like. You’ll also want to use the bathrooms, eat the food, check out the laundry facilities, and look at the student lounges, all important places that may not be included on a regular tour.
Picking up both a campus and a local newspaper to read along with any free publications that are available will give you all a good feel for the area culture and how your son or daughter might fit in there. I also take a few minutes to read the fliers on the bulletin boards as we walk around campus to see what kind of club, activities, and special events are available for students.
Ask Questions
Most colleges are very welcoming to their high school visitors and parents. No question is too “silly”; admissions staff and tour guides have heard it all! If your teen thinks of something after they return home, encourage them to follow up by emailing or phoning the school .
Last stop-check out the surrounding community.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL COLLEGE VISIT-PART I
After three years of exploring numerous college and universities with my two teenage sons, I’ve gradually developed a formula for getting the most out of our time on campus. Here are some of the tips that have helped to make our visits less of a chore and more of an adventure:
Plan Ahead
Based on conversations with the experts, including high school guidance counselors, college admissions staff, student tour guides, and college admissions consultants, the ideal time to begin visiting campuses is in the sophomore and junior years of high school. Freshman year most kids aren’t ready developmentally and senior year is cutting it a little close for both parents and teens.
There are two ways to experience a college visit, either at an Open House, an all-day event where everything is planned for you, or a more informal visit where you take part in a scheduled admissions meeting and campus tour but you’re on your own for the rest of the day. We’ve done it both ways and each has its own merits.
It’s also important to plan your visit when “real” students are on campus going about their normal routines. Visiting during summer vacation or exam time isn’t likely to give you a realistic look at the school. Our family has found Columbus Day weekend, February break, and the April vacation week to be the best times to plan our trips.
If you’re able to coordinate visits to several colleges and universities in the same geographical area you can save both time and money. A word of warning though, more than one or two visits a day will send you all into information overload and make everyone cranky so don’t over schedule yourselves.
Let Your Teen Lead
Have your son or daughter research the college ahead of time to see what the school offers visitors, including any special opportunities in their intended major. They can also be in charge of registering or signing you all up for the Open House or tours.
Once this is done, something I found helpful was to sit down with my sons a day or two ahead of the visit and make a tentative outline for the day that includes time for both scheduled and unscheduled activities (like meals).
Next up-What to do once you arrive on campus!
Plan Ahead
Based on conversations with the experts, including high school guidance counselors, college admissions staff, student tour guides, and college admissions consultants, the ideal time to begin visiting campuses is in the sophomore and junior years of high school. Freshman year most kids aren’t ready developmentally and senior year is cutting it a little close for both parents and teens.
There are two ways to experience a college visit, either at an Open House, an all-day event where everything is planned for you, or a more informal visit where you take part in a scheduled admissions meeting and campus tour but you’re on your own for the rest of the day. We’ve done it both ways and each has its own merits.
It’s also important to plan your visit when “real” students are on campus going about their normal routines. Visiting during summer vacation or exam time isn’t likely to give you a realistic look at the school. Our family has found Columbus Day weekend, February break, and the April vacation week to be the best times to plan our trips.
If you’re able to coordinate visits to several colleges and universities in the same geographical area you can save both time and money. A word of warning though, more than one or two visits a day will send you all into information overload and make everyone cranky so don’t over schedule yourselves.
Let Your Teen Lead
Have your son or daughter research the college ahead of time to see what the school offers visitors, including any special opportunities in their intended major. They can also be in charge of registering or signing you all up for the Open House or tours.
Once this is done, something I found helpful was to sit down with my sons a day or two ahead of the visit and make a tentative outline for the day that includes time for both scheduled and unscheduled activities (like meals).
Next up-What to do once you arrive on campus!
Friday, January 14, 2011
Recovery from Common Application Mistakes
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The world is far from perfect and this extends to the college admissions process. A major mistake is not the end of the world. In order to move forward, it is best not to obsess over the mistake. Responding depends upon the nature of the mistake.
Top 5 Application Mistakes and what to do about them.
1) Late application submission- If you submit your Common Application after the deadline, you may be out of luck at very selective colleges. Still, it is worth a call to admissions to see if you have a chance. You may need to apply to some additional colleges so that you have options at the end of the process.
2) Late fee submission- This is less serious than late application submission but it still may knock you out of contention at the most selective colleges. Submit the money as soon as possible and write a note of apology.
3) Mixing up the name of the college you are applying to- Some college names are just similar enough to be confusing. In fact, I didn't have Dickinson, Davidson, and Denison straight in my mind until I visited all three liberal arts colleges in person. This mistake can really hurt you because colleges do have pride in their name. This mistake is most common in college supplements because they often ask you , "What attracted you to apply to this college?" You need to answer this with specific names and programs which can easily be confused. You may discover this type of mistake if you re-read your application after submission. You should consider applying to a few more colleges.
4) Incomplete application- You will only discover this mistake if you check with each college to make sure they have everything. Don't expect them to contact you. You should send an e-mail ASAP to every college admissions office on your list to make sure they have received your test scores, recommendations etc....
5) Failure to Visit- If you have not visited a selective college that is less than two hours from your home, you are putting yourself at risk for rejection. Why? Because many admission offices figure that you do not really want to attend if you don't visit and are only applying because the common application makes it so easy. The remedy for this is to visit right away before your application is considered. Even if you have to take a bus to get there, it is important to make the effort if you want your application to be taken seriously.
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