Lesson 4: Preparation, Dreams & Reality
Shopping for the Right College for You
College Fairs
Most high schools offer college fairs. If your school does not sponsor one (generally held in the fall semester), ask the guidance office where you can go to a college fair. These are great places to gather information on a lot of schools. Most schools send counselors, students, financial aid advisors and teachers to meet with prospective students. Your child will come home weighed down with brochures and goodies from 50 schools. Sometimes, your child will find a school that s/he had not even considered before the college fair. Larger cities offer college fairs at a large site – the community hall, the sports arena or a college campus. Don’t miss this opportunity if it is available to you.
The Campus Tour
As the saying goes, "A picture is worth a thousand words." Don't base all your decisions on glossy photos and energetic writing. Make sure to visit the colleges that have made the final cut in your family.
Most colleges offer a pre-established program: a welcoming ceremony, a tour of the campus, a brief visit to the financial aid office, a tour of the dormitories and an overview of the programs, athletics, clubs and amenities.
Here are some suggestions for questions you might wish to ask, or items to arrange for your tour (some of these will require pre-planning – call and ask the school what is available.
•Can you visit a class in session?
•Can you (or at least your child) stay overnight in a dorm?
•How many freshmen are enrolled? (This is totally different than the teacher to student ratio. While an advanced chemistry class may only have 10 students, a freshman introductory English class may have 200 students in a lecture hall. The number of freshman will give you a better idea of the student ratio)
•What percentage of freshman required courses are taught by Teaching Assistants? (Some students do well with graduate students (TAs), but you don’t want your child’s entire first semester to only include TAs).
•Do they offer tutoring services? Are they free? Who are the tutors?
•Do they have medical services available on campus? Are they free, based on your family’s health insurance or college required health insurance? If not available on campus, where is the nearest walk-in clinic and hospital? How is a medical emergency handled and by whom?
•Do they offer psychological counseling services? Is there a fee?
•Do they have fraternities/sororities? Are there any restrictions?
•What are the security precautions for each dorm?
•Is there an “after-dark” walking service?
•What, if any, public transportation is available on campus?
These are things that you should try to manage on your own, outside of the tour proper:
•Walk the campus at night, after dark
•Visit a dorm and talk to the students and Residence Assistant if possible
•Eat in the cafeteria
•Eat wherever else food service is available – the snack bar, pizza parlor, etc.
•Let your child meet and talk to some students
•Try to meet a teacher from the department your child is interested in
•Travel to the nearest town by foot or public transportation – can your child easily get into town? What stores or services are available?
There are probably 1000 other questions or concerns, this list is just to get you started. Write down your concerns, questions and have your child make his/her own list. Write the lists at home and take them with you – to the college fairs and all campus visits. You might want to carry a small notebook and pen. Questions, concerns, comments will pop into your head during each introductory session. Add them to your list.
Do not ever be surprised by your child’s reaction to a college. You never know what will click with your child or turn him/her off.
(Personal note: I drove 5 hours in a snow storm to another state with my son to visit what he considered his #1 choice. We had to go in the winter due to his sports commitments in fall and spring. We arrived at the mammoth wrought iron gates to view the ivy-covered brick buildings and he told me that he hated the place and could never go to school there. I was shocked and annoyed. Five hours in the snow and he took one look... We took the tour, but his mind was made up at the entrance. What I thought was magnificent, historic architecture reminded him of gothic novels and horror stories. He finally did choose a college, but not his original #1 choice.)
