JLV College CounselingCollege visit: open house or individual visit?
When it comes to the college search, visiting colleges is necessary to get a real feel for the campus. Many students can only visit college campuses once, especially if the campus is far away from their home. This leaves students questioning what option is best for them: open houses for prospective students or individual visits. Open houses are typically big events for prospective students that happen once or twice a year. Individual visits, on the other hand, can happen almost any other time when it is convenient for the student. Each option is a great way to visit a college campus and comes with advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, it is up to the student to determine what is the best option for them when visiting colleges.
Open houses will feel like the college is “rolling out the red carpet” for prospective students. The campus and everyone associated with the college will be at their very best. It is the day for the college to persuade prospective students to choose them. Open houses will look a little different depending on the college, but they typically will include similar features. Prospective students can expect to take a campus tour and have opportunities to hear from professors, staff, and current students. There might also be information sessions about campus resources, student activities, and specific academic programs. Open houses will be a great showcase of the college and students will learn a lot about the institution.
Here are some things to consider when thinking about attending an open house for prospective students on a college campus:
- The campus will be well manicured. The lawn will be freshly mowed and the gardens will look fresh and clean. The physical campus will look amazing.
- Many colleges will make sure prospective students will have a place to park their cars while on campus.
- Most of the people on campus will be very welcoming and available to answer questions. This includes professors and staff who can answer questions from prospective students, such as admissions counselors, financial aid officers, and academic advisors.
- Current students will probably participate in the events. However, the students selected to speak at the event will probably have been hand-selected by the people in charge, and possibly prepped on how to answer certain questions. The students who usually participate in events like these are campus leaders and students who love the college. Current students who are quiet or dislike the college will probably not be involved in the event.
- The food will be great on the day of an open house. The menu for the day will probably be selected to show off the best options or student favorites.
- There will be a lot of prospective students on campus, making it a great opportunity to meet future classmates. This is especially helpful for students considering colleges where they may not know anyone. Connections made at the prospective student events could turn into future friends and roommates.
- A lot of information will be packed into the day. The day was carefully designed, and sometimes scripted, to ensure prospective students learn and see most everything they need to know and want to see.
Individual visits are opportunities for prospective students to visit college campuses on days that are convenient for them. These visits will typically include a brief information session from the Admissions Office and then a campus tour. Many colleges also allow students to add on other features if the student is interested, such as sitting in on a class, meeting with a coach, or spending the night in the residence hall. While the Admissions Office will do their best to show off the best of the college campus, some things will be out of their control during the visits. Here are some things to consider about individual visits:
- College campuses do not close during the year. Therefore, construction, painting or lawn care might be happening while visiting.
- Parking may be an issue. Many colleges have specific parking spots for visitors, but if those are taken, prospective students will have to search for an open spot. On many college campuses, there are more students and staff then there are parking spots. Parking is an issue on many college campuses.
- The professors or people prospective students need to talk to may be unavailable. Visiting on a regular school day means that professors are teaching classes and attending to other duties. Therefore, they may be unavailable to meet with prospective students.
- There will be no special meals for prospective students. If prospective students eat on campus they will get to eat the regular dining hall or food court options.
- Students will be able to sit in on real classes, allowing them to see what the academic atmosphere is like at the college.
- Outside of the information session and the campus tour, the rest of the visit will not be scripted. The student will get to blend in on campus and just be another student.
Open houses and individual visits will have a different feel and offer different things. Open houses will give prospective students all access to everything they want and need while they are on campus. However, it is scripted and designed to show off the best aspects of the campus. Individual visits, on the other hand, give students a real look at the campus. This also means students might see the blemishes on the college campus, as well as not have access to people and places they may want to see. Open houses are large and allow shy students to stay quiet and blend in with the crowd. Individual visits, however, vary in size. Some colleges may see 20 students visiting in a day and other colleges might have one visitor a day. These smaller visits are a great opportunity to get one-on-one time with an admissions officer to discuss admissions questions, but may be uncomfortable for someone who is shy.
College visits are a must when researching colleges. However, how students choose to visit colleges is up to them. Open houses and individual visits have their own advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, students must decide what is the most important to them: an all access showing or a real day as a student on the college campus. Either option is great and will allow the student to get a feel for the campus.
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Share what you do while driving for a chance at a scholarship
Do you do interesting, helpful, strange, or funny things while driving? DefensiveDriving.com, an online defensive driving instruction company, invites students to submit a video showing or explaining these activities. The best video, as judged by the company, will receive a $1,500 scholarship.
Students must meet the following requirements to be eligible for the scholarship contest:
- Must be a high school senior or a current college student. Home-schooled students may apply as long as their course of study is equivalent to a high school senior.
- Must be a legal resident of the United States.
- Must be enrolled in classes at a college, university, or vocational school during the Fall 2015 semester.
For the official rules for the scholarship, please visit the DefensiveDriving.com Scholarship website.
Students have been submitting videos for the scholarship since Jan. 1, 2015. Videos that have been submitted so far include song parodies, helpful hints for safe driving, and fun stories from driving sessions. Some videos were filmed in the convenience of the student’s room, while others have been shot inside a car. Students are asked to be creative with their video and show their personality. Humor, music, and anything else a students wishes to use to convey their message is encouraged. Videos must meet the following requirements to be eligible:
- Student must discuss 2-3 things they do while driving. These things can be interesting, helpful, strange, or funny.
- Video must include the student’s name at the beginning of the video.
- Video should be 20 to 45 seconds in length and can be filmed on a smartphone, digital camera, or webcam.
- Video should be taken in the “landscape” format rather than “portrait” format.
- DefensiveDriving.com encourages students to upload their video to YouTube and include “DefensiveDriving.com Scholarship 2015” in the title.
In addition to the video, students must submit a short online application and like the DefensiveDriving.com’s Facebook page. All entries must be received by Apr. 30, 2015 to be considered for the scholarship. Visit the scholarship website to learn more about the scholarship and to apply.
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13 Ways to Make the Most of Your College Visit
College visits are very important in the college search. Check out these tips I share over at College Raptor for making the most of your college visit.
Source: College Raptor
Scholarship Saturday – Mar. 7, 2015
Current Scholarships Available Here
There are thousands of scholarships out there. Some are large scholarships that are well publicized, while others are lesser known. My goal is to share some lesser-known scholarships with my readers every Saturday.
Don’t wait. Apply for these great scholarships today! And, if you missed the last Scholarship Saturday, check it out. There are scholarships there that are still open! Lastly, check out my lists of scholarships with March and April deadlines. Only brief information about each scholarship is listed. Therefore, you are encouraged to visit the scholarship websites to get further details about eligibility and requirements.
Here are your scholarships for Saturday, March 7, 2015.
Beyond the Boroughs Scholarship
Sponsor: Beyond the Boroughs National Scholarship Fund
Amount: Up to $20,000
Deadline: Mar. 15, 2015
Description: Scholarship is open to graduating high school seniors who have been accepted to an accredited four-year college, university, or equivalent and is from a low-income household.
Tri-Valley Retired Educators’ Scholarship Award
Sponsor: California Retired Teachers Association Tri-Valley Division 85
Amount: $2,000
Deadline: Mar. 21, 2015
Description: Scholarship is open to graduating high school seniors or community college transfer students who live in Livermore, Pleasanton, Dublin, or Sunol (California) with plans of having a career in education.
BCL – CND – Tippi Hedren Nail Scholarship Program
Sponsor: Beauty Changes Lives Foundation and CND
Amount: Up to $5,000
Deadline: Mar. 23, 2015
Description: Scholarship is open to prospective and newer students entering a nail program at a qualifying nail technology school. Applicant must submit a short video or essay on a given topic.
Nicholas A. Virgilio Memorial Haiku Competition
Sponsor: Haiku Society of America
Amount: $50
Deadline: Mar. 25, 2015
Description: Contest is open to students in grades 7 through 12. Student can submit up to three haiku poems.
AABE National Scholarships
Sponsor: American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE)
Amount: Up to $5,000
Deadline: Mar. 27, 2015
Description: Scholarship is open to graduating high school seniors who are members of one of the underrepresented minority groups in the sciences or related areas of technology. Applicant must demonstrate financial need and plan to major in business, engineering, technology, mathematics, or physical science.
Worldstudio AIGA Scholarships
Sponsor: Worldstudio Foundation/American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA)
Amount: Up to $5,000
Deadline: Mar. 27, 2015
Description: Scholarship is open to high school seniors or current undergraduate or graduate students who are or will be pursuing a degree in a design or art discipline.
National Help America Hear Scholarship
Sponsor: Foundation for Sight & Sound
Amount: $500
Deadline: Mar. 29, 2015
Description: Scholarship is open to high school seniors who have a hearing loss which requires the use of hearing aid(s) in their daily life.
National Help America See Low Vision Scholarship
Sponsor: Foundation for Sight & Sound
Amount: $500
Deadline: Mar. 29, 2015
Description: Scholarship is open to high school seniors who are considered legally blind and have low vision or are visually impaired, requiring the use of visual aid(s), other than the use of eyeglasses, in their daily life.
National Help America See Scholarship
Sponsor: Foundation for Sight & Sound
Amount: $500
Deadline: Mar. 29, 2015
Description: Scholarship is open to high school seniors who are considered totally blind.
Bob Gurnsey Scholarship Awards
Sponsor: Paintball Scholarship Fund
Amount: Up to $2,500
Deadline: Mar. 30, 2015
Description: Applicant must be a graduating high school senior who is a current paintball player.
Dave Fulstone II Scholarship Award
Sponsor: Nevada Farm Bureau
Amount: $1,000
Deadline: Mar. 30, 2015
Description: Scholarship is open to students graduating from an accredited Nevada High School in 2015 and furthering their education in a course of study pertaining to agriculture.
HSF General College Scholarships for High School Students
Sponsor: Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF)
Amount: Up to $5,000
Deadline: Mar. 30, 2015
Description: Scholarship is open to students of Hispanic descent who are graduating high school seniors, community colleges students, transfer students, college students, or graduate students.
Incight Scholarship
Sponsor: Incight
Amount: Up to $2,500
Deadline: Mar. 30, 2015
Description: Scholarship is open to students who will be enrolled full-time in post-secondary education for the 2015-2016 academic year. Applicant must be a resident of California, Oregon or Washington and have a documented disability.
Roger K. Summit Scholarship
Sponsor: ProQuest
Amount: $5,000
Deadline: Mar. 30, 2015
Description: Scholarship is open to graduate students studying Library and Information Science.
“Resist the Ist: Defy Stereotypes” Scholarship
Sponsor: Unigo
Amount: $10,000
Deadline: Mar. 31, 2015
Description: Scholarship is open to students who are 14 years of age or older, a legal resident of one of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia, and completes registration with Unigo.com Applicant must be enrolled (or enroll no later than the fall of 2019) in an accredited post-secondary institution of higher learning within the United States.
#RealPrincess Scholarship
Sponsor: Do Something
Amount: $4,000
Deadline: Mar. 31, 2015
Description: Applicant must draw a new princess urging Disney to show strong women on screen. Applicant must take a picture and share it on Instagram with a given caption.
2015 ABA YLD Law Day Art Contest
Sponsor: American Bar Association
Amount: Up to $750
Deadline: Mar. 31, 2015
Description: Contest is open to students, student groups, and classes in grades 9-12 (or the equivalent) in the United States. Contestants must submit an art piece celebrating the 800th anniversary of the sealing of Magna Carta in June 1215.
AHEPA Educational Foundation (AEF) Scholarship
Sponsor: Order of AHEPA
Amount: $2,000
Deadline: Mar. 31, 2015
Description: Applicant must be an active member of the AHEPA Family or of Greek descent, or the child of a member, in good standing, of AHEPA, the Daughters of Penelope, Sons of Pericles or the Maids of Athena.
Barbara Clark Award for Excellence in Writing
Sponsor: California Association for the Gifted
Amount: $100
Deadline: Mar. 31, 2015
Description: Applicant must be a student currently in grades 9-12 in a recognized California educational setting. Applicant must submit an essay on a subject of vital interest to the student that has an impact on society as a whole.
Big Fish 2015 Gaming Scholarship Contest
Sponsor: Big Fish Games
Amount: $5,000
Deadline: Mar. 31, 2015
Description: Contest is open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are preparing to graduate from high school and/or who are currently enrolled in a college program. Contestant must create their own video game concept.
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Create a #RealPrincess for a chance to win a scholarship from Do Something
Merida and her bow by Jennie Park mydisneyadventures licensed under CC BY 2.0
Merida from Disney’s Brave is an example of a strong female character. Do Something is inviting students to create a #RealPrincess for a chance to win a $4,000 scholarship.
According to a New York Film Academy study, only 30.8 percent of the speaking characters in the top 500 movies from 2007 to 2012 were women. Do Something, an organization committed to making “the world suck less,” is inviting young people to create a princess that will urge Disney “to show strong women on screen.” In addition to bringing attention to gender inequity in film, one lucky student who participates in the #RealPrincess campaign will win a $4,000 scholarship.
Instead of depending on a prince, like many of the princesses in Disney films do, Do Something would like students to create a princess is “self-sufficient and complex.” They believe if more Disney princesses are portrayed this way, it can “lead to other similar representations of women in the media.” Do Something provides a template students can use to create their “Real Princess.” In addition to providing a square to draw the princess, they ask participates to finish the following phrases about their newly created character:
- Three traits that describe me.
- My skill/superpower.
- My life goal.
- What’s stopping me.
- How I overcome it.
Do Something provides a few examples of what they are looking for in their entries. Merida from Disney’s Brave serves as one of the example as she is one of the recent examples of a strong female character in a Disney film. The campaign website also includes pictures of real entries that have already been submitted.
Once a drawing (or digital image) is compete and the phrases are complete, students are asked to do a few things to complete their entry into the scholarship competition.
- Take a picture of their #RealPrincess and upload it to the Do Something website.
- Post the princess photo on Instagram with the following caption: “Hey @Disney, I want to see a #RealPrincess like this in a movie. How about it?”
- Encourage friends and followers to like and comment on the post and encourage them to create their own princess.
If students are interested in participating in the campaign and want to learn more, they should visit the #RealPrincess campaign.
Students can submit an unlimited number of princess drawings or images to the campaign. For each princess created and submitted to Do Something, the student will receive one entry into the scholarship drawing. The winner will receive a $4,000 scholarships that can be used toward their education at a two-year or four-year college or university. If the student is currently not in college, the scholarship will be held by Do Something until the student enrolls in college.
There are some eligibility requirements for students to participate in the campaign:
- Entrants must be U.S. citizens or must reside in the 50 United States or the District of Columbia.
- Entrant must be 26 years of age or younger as of the final day of the campaign.
For the full list of rules, students should check out the official rules.
The #RealPrincess campaign will accept entries until Mar. 31, 2015 at 11:59 p.m. EST.
In addition to the #RealPrincess campaign, Do Something runs numerous campaigns throughout the year. The campaigns are fun and bring awareness to social issues in the United States and throughout the world. Check out their list of current campaigns, many of which offer college scholarships.
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