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Click here to view Guidelines for Submitting College Applications (PDF)
Campus visits are strongly encouraged because they provide additional information and clarification of the catalog image. In order to get the most out of a visit students should include the appointments and activities listed below. Remember that all five can be arranged through one phone call to the college admissions office. Phone numbers are listed in Barron's Profiles and other reference books in the guidance library as well as the college web site.
APPOINTMENTS TO MAKE:
1. Admissions - a preliminary, getting acquainted, information gathering session with an admissions
counselor is helpful. 20-30 minutes should be sufficient in most cases. NOTE: This is not a formal admissions interview which is sometimes part of the application process. Individual college catalogs (and often the application) will indicate whether or not a formal interview is required; if it is required, the interview usually takes place in the fall of the student's senior year. Students considering the very competitive colleges can also expect to have a formal interview with the local alumni. Be sure to specify your purpose when making your appointment.
2. Financial Aid - Any student interested in scholarships, grants, loans, or workstudy programs should
meet with a financial aid counselor. Most financial aid counselors will give an estimate of aid available to an individual and most are happy to assist with long and short-term college financial planning. Remember that scholarships may be academically based, need based, or both. Because college scholarship policies vary and often change each year, it is necessary to ask at each college what scholarships are available and how to apply for them. Admissions counselors automatically consider students for scholarships in some cases, but not always. Also, scholarships are sometimes controlled by admissions, sometimes by the financial aid office and sometimes by both.
3. Sit in on a Class - This should be a class in the student's intended major. If undecided, the student should choose a possible area of interest. In either case the student should sit in on the same type of class at each college so that a consistent comparison can be made.
4. Talk with an instructor - This usually precedes or follows the classroom visit. Again, it should be with a department chairperson or instructor in the student's field of interest.
5. Official Tour - If time permits, students should also look around on their own for comparison
purposes.
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
1. Many colleges have special visitation days and programs which may interest you. Ask about them
when you phone for an appointment.
2. Possible question areas for students to pursue:
a. general information about the student's intended programs of study
b. information about extracurricular activities, especially if there is a particular interest such as a sport, sororities, newspaper, etc.
c. general entrance requirements such as cumulative grade average, high school curriculum requirements, SAT/ACT scores
d. specific entrance requirements for a specialized area such as engineering, business, etc.
e. information about special library facilities for the student's possible major
f. information about lab facilities for the student's probable major
g. information about academic counseling and the assignment of faculty advisors
h. information about placement services or assistance in job placement or graduate school admissions
i. percentage of graduates in the student's field who go on to graduate school and examples of graduate schools where they are accepted
j. examples of companies/agencies who often hire graduates from this field of study and typical starting salaries
3. Possible questions from admissions counselors to students (some admissions personnel will take the
opportunity to do a little informal interviewing):
a. Tell me about yourself.
b. Tell me about your career interests/goals. (Where do you see yourself 5 years after college graduation? 20 years?)
c. Why are you interested in this college? (What thing are you looking for in a college? What do you already know about this college?)
d. What do you like to do outside of school?
e. What kinds of jobs have you held? (What have you learned from them?)
f. Tell me about your grade average, test scores (PSAT, SAT, ACT), rank and class size, curriculum difficulty.
4. Dress appropriately. You must be comfortable for your tour but not so casual as to suggest low
interest.
5. Spend a night on campus if possible. Many colleges offer dorm facilities to students and visitor suites
to parents. It is important for students to see the social life as well as the academic life since a comfortable atmosphere impacts significantly on a student's success.
REMINDER - Students will be permitted a total of four days of excused absence for college visits during 2nd semester of their junior year and all of their senior year. These days may not be taken the days before or after Christmas recess, spring recess, or Easter recess. One week prior to such visits, parents need to confirm this in writing to the Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Student Development. Students are required to notify their teachers one week prior to such visits; students must be prepared to complete make-up work and/or tests prior to such trips. College visits will not be permitted after May 1.
Each student must obtain an admissions visit form from Mrs. Bender for each college to be visited and have it stamped by the admissions office.
The College Admissions Selector from Barron's Profiles of American Colleges loosely categorizes college and university admissions difficulty based on a combination of minimum grade point average and class rank along with median test(ACT and SAT)scores. All other admission factors must be determined and assessed before final choices can be made; this guide is intended for initial screening only. The listings below have been adapted for UA students and d o not always match Barron's lists. For example, state universities' standards are for state residents; standards for admitting out-of-state students are usually higher, and the listings below include that factor
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The spiritual environment at Ursuline was an important part of my journey to becoming an Ursuline and gave birth to and nurtured my commitment to serving God's people in social justice ministry.
Evelyn '64, Alumna |
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