JLV College CounselingAttending the Admitted Student Event
Congratulations on being admitted to college! The dreadful wait for decision letters to come in the mail is over. Now, the ball is in your court and you get to decide what college you will attend from the list of colleges that accepted you.
One of the ways that colleges will try to get you to choose them is by putting on an impressive admitted student event. The whole reason the event exists is to impress you in the hope you’ll choose them. So, be prepared to see the college at its best. There will be fun events, great speakers and the food will probably be amazing! The college will not always look like this, but it still gives you great insight into what it will be like if you were a student there.
If the admitted student event is the first time stepping on the campus, take a campus tour. The Admissions Office will offer campus tours guided by current students.
Once you’ve toured the campus, take advantage of everything the event offers.
- Information Sessions – departments on campus, such as career services, housing, health services, etc. will share what they have to offer students. If you plan on taking advantages of any of these things, go to the sessions.
- Learn about Academic Departments – Many professors will be available to discuss the departments and your questions. You’ll probably also have the opportunity to talk to current students in the departments. Talk to the students to find out how they like the classes and professors and learn about the opportunities they have received by studying the major at the university.
- Club Fair – getting involved outside of the classroom is part of the college experience. The club fair is the perfect opportunity to start connecting with current students before you start school in the fall.
- Meet with Departments – if you have questions about financial aid, paying for what financial aid does not cover, student employment, the offices will be open to answer your questions. Because many students will have questions, make an appointment when you arrive on campus, or before you arrive on campus, to ensure you get face time with the departments you need to talk to.
- Have fun – besides all of the official business, there will be fun events such as scavenger hunts, concerts, comedy shows, and/or talent shows. Have fun; you deserve it! These events will also help you connect with other students that are trying to decide if they will be attending in the fall.
Mostly importantly, talk to the current and incoming students. They are your future classmates. You might even meet your future roommate. Meeting students and making a connection at the admitted student event will make attending the school in the fall so much easier. Instead of arriving on campus in the fall and not knowing anyone, you’ll already have friends! Stay in touch after the admitted student event – exchange phone numbers, emails, add each other on social media.
Lastly, have fun on campus! And, pay attention to your feelings while you are on campus. Listen to your gut and the way you feel. If you have a good feeling about the school, then it might just be the place for you. But, if something is not feeling right, that’s okay! You only want to commit to a college you will feel good attending.
College Visit Tips
The spring is the perfect time to visit college campuses.
- You probably have time off from school anyway for spring break! Schools across the country have different schedules. Some of the colleges you want to visit will probably be in session. If possible, visit while school is in session to get the full experience on campus.
- If you just found out you’re accepted, visit to make sure it is the right place for you.
I always advise students to visit the colleges they are considering before making their final decision. From my own experience working in admissions offices, I know that colleges and universities spend thousands of dollars on the marketing materials that you pick up at college fairs or are sent to your home. The whole idea behind these materials is to make you interested in attending. Good photography and copy writing can make anything look and sound amazing! But, do they really show you what the college is all about? Sure, they show the things that they are proud of, but are there things left unsaid? Absolutely.
Here are my tips for visiting campus:
- Always plan your visit through the Admissions Office. The Admissions Office can set up almost anything for you during your visit to campus. Whatever is important to you in a college is something you should check out while you’re there. Please give the Admissions Office a few weeks notice before your visit to make sure they can meet all of your requests.
- Spend the night on campus. Spending the night in a residence hall will show you what it will really be like when you become a student. The Admissions Office will set you up with a student that lives in the dorms. This is your opportunity to ask real students questions about attending the college.
- Eat in the cafeteria. When you’re in college, you won’t have mom’s home cooked food any more. Check out all of the food options on campus and ask yourself, “Can I live with this food for nine months out of the year?”
- Take the Admissions Campus Tour. Most campus tours are lead by current students. They have a lot of knowledge about the campus and will show you all of the things that make the campus cool and unique. They will probably also share personal stories about their time at the college. This is another place you can ask questions.
- Sit in on a class or two. If possible, sit in on a class in the major you are considering. The professor teaching the class you sit in on will probably be someone you will encounter on a regular basis while at the college. If you’re not sure what major you’re considering, sit in on a major you’re curious about or a general education class such as English, History or a Social Science. If the professor has time before or after class and you have time, introduce yourself and ask some questions.
- Learn about your extracurricular interests. If the extracurricular interests are important to you and you plan on participating in college, check them out.
- Meet with a coach. Talk about the possibility of competing on the team, and if possible, workout with the team.
- Watch a theatrical production or talk with the director of student actor.
- Meet a student leader. If there is a particular club you want to participate in at the college, meet with a member or leader of the organization.
- Check out the campus facilities. Visit the library, fitness center, tutoring center, computer labs, etc. Any place you think you will be using, check it out.
- Read the student newspaper and/or look at the bulletin boards. This will show you some of the things that are important to students on campus.
- Visit the outside community. Although a lot of your time will be spent on campus, you’ll want to go to town for shopping, occasional eating out and entertainment.
- Take photos and notes during your visit. You’re going to see and hear so much during your visit. And, when you start visiting multiple campuses, the information and sights will start blending together. Notes and pictures will help you to remember each campus.
- Questions, questions, questions. Ask all of the questions you have. No question is stupid. Remember, a college education is an expensive investment and will be at least four years of your life. The campus visit if your opportunity to “test drive” the school.
Lastly, I recommend that you follow your gut feeling about the campus. Some of the visits are going to surprise you. There might have been a college you thought you would have loved for whatever reason (reputation, beautiful pictures in brochures, your friends go there, etc.), but when you were on campus, it didn’t feel right. Then, there might be colleges that you visited when you weren’t really interested (parents encouraged the visit, it was close to another school you were visiting, etc.), but you felt right being there. Listen to the gut feelings – they probably won’t change over time, no matter what you do. Remember, whatever college you attend, you’ll be there for four years and you want to be a place you feel comfortable and happy.
Having fun visiting colleges!
Why I’m Becoming an Educational Consultant
I have worked in college admissions on the college side since 2006. I started as an Admission Counselor at the University of La Verne in Southern California and worked my way up to Assistant Director of Admission. When my husband accepted a job in the Seattle area, we moved and I landed the job as Director of Admissions at Northwest University in Kirkland, Washington. I have always loved sitting down with students and their parents discussing their college options.
As someone working in admissions, it was kind of like working in sales. My job was to sell students on the idea of enrolling at the institution where I was employed. Don’t’ get me wrong – I think all of the institutions I have worked for are amazing and have wonderful things to offer students. But, I know that they were not the right colleges for everyone and I was always very honest about that with the student and their parents.
While working on a college campus, I always felt like something was missing. My job was selling one college. When I was finally able to meet with the students, they had already done a lot of the research themselves, or were guided to my institution with the help of a college counselor. It was my job to sell them on my institution and try to do it better than the other colleges they were looking at.
So, when my husband was offered a job in the San Francisco area, we moved again. I decided it was time to follow my true passion of helping students through the college admissions process from the beginning. Being an independent college counselor (not associated with any college or university) will allow me to really help students through college admissions process.
I am slowing starting the process. First, I’ve launched my twitter account (following me at @admissions411). Now, I’ve launched my blog where I will continually share helpful information about the college admission process. Soon there will be a Facebook page, Pinterest page, and other social media pages. And, lastly, I will be launching my website and offering services to students in my area and online.
I look forward to helping you or your student through the college admissions process!
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