College Visits
Juniors and Seniors had the opportunity to visit several local colleges that they had expressed an interest in. This was a great opportunity to get a glance into college and open up the conversation about differences between colleges. I like to visit during lunch time so the students can see what college lunch looks like (and because who doesn't like good food??) I think the kids learned a lot about college, but I also learned a lot about taking them on college visits! Such as...
1. Don't schedule more than two college visits in one day! Even if it CAN fit into the schedule, the students will get more out of a college visit by being able to linger on a campus a while longer. Or stopping by the local coffee shop on campus.
2. Whenever possible, opt for a guided tour, NOT a self-guided tour. However, if you're good at multitasking and navigating a map while keeping up with information on each building on campus, be my guest! We got so much more out of the guided tours, plus students could ask questions and get an immediate answer from the tour guide.
3. Have students research the college and come up with some questions to ask BEFORE going. In the future, I'll have them complete a college visit sheet (see below) and turn it in with their permission slips as a requirement to visit the college. Bonus points for completing a post-visit survey!
4. Book tours early. Don't wait until spring because the tour slots will fill up quickly! Next time, I plan to visit several colleges before Christmas break, and a few early spring. Watch the early application deadlines and try to get a tour before that date.
College Fact Finding Sheet (link coming soon!)
College Visit Sheet (link coming soon!)
1. Don't schedule more than two college visits in one day! Even if it CAN fit into the schedule, the students will get more out of a college visit by being able to linger on a campus a while longer. Or stopping by the local coffee shop on campus.
2. Whenever possible, opt for a guided tour, NOT a self-guided tour. However, if you're good at multitasking and navigating a map while keeping up with information on each building on campus, be my guest! We got so much more out of the guided tours, plus students could ask questions and get an immediate answer from the tour guide.
3. Have students research the college and come up with some questions to ask BEFORE going. In the future, I'll have them complete a college visit sheet (see below) and turn it in with their permission slips as a requirement to visit the college. Bonus points for completing a post-visit survey!
4. Book tours early. Don't wait until spring because the tour slots will fill up quickly! Next time, I plan to visit several colleges before Christmas break, and a few early spring. Watch the early application deadlines and try to get a tour before that date.
College Fact Finding Sheet (link coming soon!)
College Visit Sheet (link coming soon!)