By Marilyn G.S. Emerson, M.S. W., CEP
Marilyn’s tips for parents who are planning college visits:
- Ask your son or daughter if they are comfortable having you ask questions during the visit. If they are not comfortable, respect their feelings and don’t ask questions. You do not want your offspring focusing on his embarrassing parents instead of the colleges you are taking the time to visit.
- Set up appointments for the schools that require them. Some schools allow you to do this online while others require a telephone call. Most tours are 45 minutes to an hour and most information sessions run an hour. Colleges usually schedule tours and information sessions back-to-back.
- Always check to make sure the times listed in the guidebooks or on the websites are correct. You don’t want to arrive on campus and find that they are not offering tours and information sessions because it is a special day on campus.
- The timing of your visit can influence how comfortable your child is on a particular campus. Although it is ideal to visit colleges during the academic year, going in the summer is still valuable. Think about when would be best for your child and your family.
- Arrange your schedule so that you are not rushing from campus to campus. Do not visit more than two schools in one day.
- In addition to the tour and information session, set aside time to have a meal in the dining hall. In addition to checking out the food this will allow your child to eavesdrop on conversations, and if they are comfortable doing so, to talk to other students. If your child is concerned about being seen in the dining hall with his parents, gently remind him that you will not be the only adults there as faculty and staff use the dining hall as well.
- If you will be staying overnight near the campus, check to see if there is a sporting event, a theater production or an a cappella concert taking place on campus. If necessary, get tickets. You might need to, once again, gently remind your child that faculty and staff attend these events as well as parents of the students involved so you will not be the only adults there.
Great tips... I would also add
ReplyDelete1. See if your children want to sit in on a class. Especially if you're visiting private colleges, you can email professors and they will normally be happy to have a student sit in on a class.
2. See if you can talk to students that go to the school. Sometimes tour guides are overly optimistic about their school. You might be able to get a better impression of the school from another student.