Over the summer, there are a lot of high school juniors and seniors hit the road with their parents to visit colleges. Here are a few tips to help make the most of those visits.
- Make sure you do some research first. Have your teen do a ‘virtual’ tour of the colleges she is interested in possibly attending. Checking out the website can be a great starting point and will help your student decide if the college is worth seeing or not. Some of the websites even offer blogs by students that offer an insider view. Some of the criteria to consider is how competitive the school is, academic programs offered, location, distance from home, religious affiliation, all male or female school and the number of students.
- When the list of propsective schools has been narrowed down, you can then find out the policy of each one regarding information sessions and campus tours as well as what days and times they are offered. Some of the schools will require advance registration either by email or phone. Let your teenager make the appointments so that they take ownership of the process. If they do schedule interviews, your student can also schedule those remembering to bring the proper attire for that situation.
- Organize the itinerary. Limit yourselves to visiting no more than two colleges on the same day–otherwise, it can get overwhelming. Don’t forget to visit the surrounding areas around the school as that will also be part of your student’s experience should he/she decide to attend school there.
- Don’t take the other sibling with you on the trip unless they are interested also in someday attending that school. Making other arrangements for younger children would be a smart thing since they can become fidgety and tired and not be able to keep up with the tours offered.
- Parents should try to keep a low profile. While you are still at home, you can discuss with your teenager different questions that he/she might have about the school but you will want to keep a low profile once you arrive on campus. Let your child be the one to check in with the receptionist at the Admissions Office and be in control. Make sure they he/she knows that it is perfectly acceptable to ask any questions after the information session as well as the tour guide as you are walking around the campus.
- Don’t be afraid to wander around. Feel free to explore the campus more after the tour is over making sure to check out the student union and the cafeteria. Check out the ball fields or stadium and stop by the academic department that interests you. Ask students that you meet on campus about the social life, whether they live on or off campus and what they might suggest as far as housing, etc.
Have fun with your teenager. This road trip is a good time to bond and have fun with your teen as he/she faces important decisions about her future!