by Meggan Mattson & Mike Deutsch
Attending college fairs and visiting college campuses are key components of the college search and selection process. Most students will begin the process with these activities in their sophomore or junior year of high school. A college fair should be more than walking into a school gym and grabbing brochures from every college representative you see. A campus visit should be more than driving through campus with your family and/or buying a t-shirt at the campus bookstore. So, how do you make the most of these activities?
COLLEGE FAIRS: October is a popular month for college fairs across the country. College representatives are traveling state-to-state, telling high school students about all of the opportunities their respective colleges have to offer. Many students do not prepare themselves for those college fairs, though, which can be rather overwhelming. Sometimes upwards of 300 colleges are represented at one fair, a daunting environment to walk into unprepared. However, if you do some basic planning beforehand, it is easy to make the most of your time and gather important information on your journey to find the right fit college.
The first step is understanding the college fair set-up. College representatives stand behind a table answering quick questions as students/families move from table to table. There could be thousands of students and families at a college fair, all seeking information from the representatives. In other words, you will not have time to have a 30-minute conversation at each stop. You should focus on quick questions and ask the same questions of every school, so you have specific pieces to compare and contrast.
Good questions to ask at a college fair could be the following: What are the most-popular majors on campus? Can you tell me something specific about the ________________________ major? How many freshmen live on campus? What were the average GPA & ACT/SAT scores of admitted freshmen last year? What do students do for fun?
COLLEGE VISITS: Visiting college campuses is a key component in determining a good fit for you. Because it is where you will, hopefully, be spending the next four years of your life, it is important to get a feel for the campus and surrounding community. Research indicates that when a student is happy and comfortable with his or her school and surroundings, the potential for academic success, social maturation, and career opportunities exponentially increase.
We think it is vital, then, to make the most of these visits. Here are some suggestions and recommendations about what you can do to make your time on campus informative and enjoyable. Make sure you call the admissions office ahead of time and try to do as much of the following as you can while on your visit: get an official tour of campus, meet with an admissions counselor, sit in on a class, meet with a professor in your intended area of study, eat lunch in the cafeteria, pick up a campus newspaper, and check out the surrounding community outside of campus.
Remember, this is not just where you will be going to school, but where you will be LIVING during your four years of college…make sure it is a good fit!
Meggan Mattson and Mike Deutsch, both former high school counselors, created College Fit Counseling, LLC to help students and families navigate the college search and selection process. They assist with all pieces of the process: from creating a college list of “good fit” schools, through college applications and essays, and into applying for financial aid and scholarships. Visit our website at www.collegefitcounseling.com for more information on services offered. Or, contact us at meggan@collegefitcounseling.com or 773-807-4079 with further questions and to see how we can help you.
Attending college fairs and visiting college campuses are key components of the college search and selection process. Most students will begin the process with these activities in their sophomore or junior year of high school. A college fair should be more than walking into a school gym and grabbing brochures from every college representative you see. A campus visit should be more than driving through campus with your family and/or buying a t-shirt at the campus bookstore. So, how do you make the most of these activities?
COLLEGE FAIRS: October is a popular month for college fairs across the country. College representatives are traveling state-to-state, telling high school students about all of the opportunities their respective colleges have to offer. Many students do not prepare themselves for those college fairs, though, which can be rather overwhelming. Sometimes upwards of 300 colleges are represented at one fair, a daunting environment to walk into unprepared. However, if you do some basic planning beforehand, it is easy to make the most of your time and gather important information on your journey to find the right fit college.
The first step is understanding the college fair set-up. College representatives stand behind a table answering quick questions as students/families move from table to table. There could be thousands of students and families at a college fair, all seeking information from the representatives. In other words, you will not have time to have a 30-minute conversation at each stop. You should focus on quick questions and ask the same questions of every school, so you have specific pieces to compare and contrast.
Good questions to ask at a college fair could be the following: What are the most-popular majors on campus? Can you tell me something specific about the ________________________ major? How many freshmen live on campus? What were the average GPA & ACT/SAT scores of admitted freshmen last year? What do students do for fun?
COLLEGE VISITS: Visiting college campuses is a key component in determining a good fit for you. Because it is where you will, hopefully, be spending the next four years of your life, it is important to get a feel for the campus and surrounding community. Research indicates that when a student is happy and comfortable with his or her school and surroundings, the potential for academic success, social maturation, and career opportunities exponentially increase.
We think it is vital, then, to make the most of these visits. Here are some suggestions and recommendations about what you can do to make your time on campus informative and enjoyable. Make sure you call the admissions office ahead of time and try to do as much of the following as you can while on your visit: get an official tour of campus, meet with an admissions counselor, sit in on a class, meet with a professor in your intended area of study, eat lunch in the cafeteria, pick up a campus newspaper, and check out the surrounding community outside of campus.
Remember, this is not just where you will be going to school, but where you will be LIVING during your four years of college…make sure it is a good fit!
Meggan Mattson and Mike Deutsch, both former high school counselors, created College Fit Counseling, LLC to help students and families navigate the college search and selection process. They assist with all pieces of the process: from creating a college list of “good fit” schools, through college applications and essays, and into applying for financial aid and scholarships. Visit our website at www.collegefitcounseling.com for more information on services offered. Or, contact us at meggan@collegefitcounseling.com or 773-807-4079 with further questions and to see how we can help you.
