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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 also
need to see their college counselor and get permission in writing for a
college visity. 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.
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