In part two of our series on college visits, we discuss how to decide which schools to visit and when to schedule tours.
It’s time to face facts. You can’t put it off any longer. The little boy who held your hand while walking into kindergarten and the sweet little girl who used to wear pigtails are in the final stages of determining where to go to college. Yes, college.
You’re ready now. You can do this. It’s time to start the college tours. While it might be easy for you as a parent to just handle it and schedule a few visits, it’s important your student is involved in the process. Before you begin booking flights or packing up the car, have your student do a little legwork.
From pre-school to college – where has the time gone?
PARAMETERS
Have a discussion with your child. Talk about parameters. Do they want to go to a school in a big city or something more suburban or rural? Does the size of the campus matter? Consider categories –SEC versus Big Ten, small private school versus big state school, religious versus secular. Does your daughter want to go out of state? Talk about regions of the country. Does your son want to be on the west coast or the east coast, south or north? Does your student have a specific major in mind? Do they want to play sports or have a particular talent – theater, dance, music?
If you’re lucky, you might get something more than, “I don’t know.” My friend’s daughter has grown up in a very urban environment. She’s decided she wants to experience a more rural campus. We live in the Midwest. My son’s one major requirement is to be someplace warm! Keep asking questions to narrow down the list.
Have your child review college guidebooks and online sources like Fiske, Princeton Review, Barron’s, or U.S. News and World Report.
It’s also a good idea to talk to your child’s high school counselor before you visit schools. This person should know something about your student and could offer suggestions about which schools to consider. The counselor may also personally know college admission representatives or put you in touch with recent high school alums at different universities.
“The College Board has a Campus Visit Guide that can assist families in starting the process of determining schools to visit,” says Debi Kammerer, associate director recruitment & yield, UC San Diego Office of Admissions & Relations with Schools. “It includes information on things to consider before you visit, ways to learn about schools online, a checklist for campus visits, and testimonials from students on how campus visits assisted in their college selection process.”
Another resource that may appeal to your savvy social media student is to have them check out Facebook pages, Twitter accounts or other forms of social media used by the universities that interest them.
As your child begins his research, encourage him or her to highlight 10-20 schools. Some kids may choose more, others far less. It’s just to get them thinking about where they want to go and to take ownership of their future. Once they have their picks, ask them why the schools are on the list. Be prepared for some lame answers, but keep digging. Maybe it’s the location. Maybe it’s the courses they offer. Maybe it’s because the football team won the national championship. Or, possibly, it’s because it’s the furthest school from you and all these questions!
“We told our kids to look through the lists and pick 20 schools that interest them,” says Terri Stuckey, a mother of two college students and a college graduate. “Then, we went over the list and asked them why they found those schools interesting. I was into it more than my kids. The parents have to get it started though.”
“I was against visiting any schools until I had narrowed down my college options to two,” says Ellie McKnight, a junior at Brandeis University. “My mom insisted we go on a college tour. Although I think you can learn most things about the school online, the visit on campus allowed the great opportunity to talk to faculty.”
McKnight says visiting the schools solidified her interest in William & Mary in Virginia, and Dartmouth in New Hampshire. It also sparked an interest in Emory University in Georgia.
STAY IN CONTACT
If your child is like mine and doesn’t often check his e-mail, have him use your address or a new account to sign up for ACT, SAT, and college information. Once my son completed the personal information sections for ACT and SAT, we started getting e-mails from universities all over the place. Some sites will also ask for a parent e-mail address, so you can keep on top of the information as well. It can be overwhelming. Stuckey says she created a college folder and moved e-mails into it every day and then reviewed them weekly. “I deleted some and responded to some, mostly asking for more information. I did the same with the paper mail too.”
LOGISTICS
Once her kids narrowed down the list, Stuckey then looked at universities located in cities allowing flexible travel arrangements. They looked at cities with major airports, non-stop flights, or areas where they could visit more than one college in one trip. Also, if they had to fly, they committed to visiting at least two schools to make the trip more cost-effective. “We tried to travel when the kids were off school and took advantage of times when other high school students were in school,” she adds. Being from New Orleans, Stuckey used the Mardi Gras break to visit schools.
Jane Berry, a recent Brandeis University graduate, says her mom made a planner for their visits together. “She mapped out our road trip with cool places to stay and facts about the school. This made a huge difference for me and made me really consider some Midwest schools.”
While it may be convenient to schedule tours during holiday and summer breaks, it doesn’t always give you a true picture of the campus. “It is also nice to visit the college or university during the academic year, when school is in session, to get a true sense of the campus atmosphere,” recommends Kammerer.
Stuckey agrees. “The best time to do a tour is when school is in session. Summer is okay if classes are in session or if there’s a new student orientation going on.”
Another option to maximize time and minimize out-of-town expense is to wait for acceptance letters to help determine which schools to visit. “We visited schools that we didn’t get a chance to see initially and also did some second visits to help make decisions,” says Stuckey.
“UC San Diego hosts a day just for admitted students and their families called Triton Day,” says Kammerer. “It’s a great opportunity for admitted students to explore the campus and the variety of opportunities available.”
SCHEDULING
“Planning a visit may vary from institution to institution, but many universities including UC San Diego offer an online registration site that allows visitors to schedule their campus tour,” adds Kammerer.
Stuckey says almost all schools have a “Plan Your Visit” section on their websites with information about flights, travel agencies, car rentals, and lodging. Always ask if they offer discounts for college visits.
In terms of travel and accommodations, it is best to plan ahead. Many institutions host links to area visitor offices and hotel sites on their tour page.
— Debi Kammerer, Associate Director Recruitment & Yield, UC San Diego Office of Admissions & Relations with Schools
Many schools have open house events with tours, presentations, etc. You can check each school’s website in their admission section for dates and information about attending those events or to schedule individual tours. Tours are offered throughout the week and sometimes on Saturdays. Depending on the university, you may be able to sit in on a class, visit professors, meet coaches, or visit with students.
“At Emory, my tour allowed me to get in contact with the dean of admissions, which definitely impacted how I viewed the school,” says McKnight.
“The availability of group and individual tours and spending the night on a campus will vary across universities,” advises Kammerer. “In terms of travel and accommodations, it is best to plan ahead. Many institutions host links to area visitor offices and hotel sites on their tour page.”
“Most times when a student is closer to making up their mind about attending a particular school, it is recommended that the student revisit if possible and perhaps stay overnight to get a more robust experience,” says Charles Basden, Jr., coordinator, special projects, for The George Washington University.
Basden also suggests inquiring about potential special situation funds universities may have to help assist families with their effort to visit campus.
Stuckey advises staying as close to campus as possible. It’s a great way to learn more about the community. When I visited LSU with my son, we stayed at a hotel right on campus. We could walk through the university grounds, meet and speak with students along the way and we were able to get a feel for campus life.
Also, when making travel arrangements, consider arriving on campus early or staying a few hours after the tour. There’s nothing worse than missing a casual opportunity to visit with students, professors, financial aid representatives, or admission counselors because you have to rush off to catch a flight. Remember, if it’s a group tour, there will be other parents who want to meet with university staff also. Be prepared to wait.
Spending time on and nearby campus can make a big impact on your student’s decision. “Kids get a strong feeling about the campus and the people they meet there,” says Stuckey. Have a cup of coffee at the local café or the bookstore. Grab lunch in the dining hall or dinner at a favorite university hangout. Walk around campus on your own. It’s a great opportunity to speak with students, ask them questions about school, and most importantly, it’s a wonderful time to share with your son or daughter!
If your student is civic-minded, you can also have them check out volunteer opportunities near their possibly soon-to-be college campus. NobleHour can help.
Next time – Part III – Going on Tour – The College Visit: 15 Questions to Ask
Since 2007, NobleHour has proven to be the volunteer management solution for organizations across the nation. With its robust online platform, NobleHour enhances community engagement with a variety of innovative and transformative tools for finding, tracking, and measuring volunteer, service‐learning, and community service initiatives. With offices in Lakeland, FL, and Portland, OR, the NobleHour team is dedicated to empowering good in communities across the country.
By NobleHour Special Contributor:
Dolly Duplantier
Consultant, NobleHour
Contributing Writer / Blogger
Public Relations and Communications
Greater Chicago Area
Dolly Duplantier is a freelance writer, editor, and social media specialist. She is the mother of three children, one college graduate, one in college, and one in high school. Writing about people and organizations making a difference is one of the best aspects of her job!
