Need help navigating college tours and other "college-prep" questions

[clh2]

DD is a junior.

DD has always wanted to go to UW-Madison, probably since she was about 3 or 4. (I am a proud alum, so she has been there lots.)

Several years ago, DD was adament that she did not need ot visit colleges, since she was going to Madison. And I informed her at that time she would need to visit a variety of colleges (some private, some public, just a variety of them.) DD pressed me for a umber, and I said 5 college tours. No rhyme or reason to the number - it was what came out of my mouth on that day.

So, interestly enough, DH took her to a medium Wisconsin state school this week, and then they headed up to the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities. DD got to spend time with her favorite cousin, and even stayed overnight in the dorm. My niece is a freshman this year.

DD LOVEd the U of M campus. It probably didn't help that my niece took DD to the Mall of America on the light rail train, either.

Anywho...my question is - how many colleges did you take your kids to? And, when did your kids "know" it was the right one, or how long did it take for them to figure out it wasn't the right one?

Fall semester of Jr. year is a little early, however, Wisconsin public schools had off for 2 daysl, so she didn't miss any school.

 

[Cinderella94]

I'm a senior in HS who's going to fill out the last of her college applications today .

Over the summer I visited 3 schools (my top 3 choices) and am applying to a total of 7. The 3 I chose to visit were just the most convenient for us location-wise; I was going to apply to them whether or not we visited. As for which one being "the one"--I'll let you know once I get acceptance & rejection letters! . I know which one my first choice is, though. I just got "that feeling" on the campus.

 

[clh2]

I'm a senior in HS who's going to fill out the last of her college applications today .

Over the summer I visited 3 schools (my top 3 choices) and am applying to a total of 7. The 3 I chose to visit were just the most convenient for us location-wise; I was going to apply to them whether or not we visited. As for which one being "the one"--I'll let you know once I get acceptance & rejection letters! . I know which one my first choice is, though. I just got "that feeling" on the campus.

Good Luck to you! I hope you can squeeze something fun in tonight after you are done! Maybe a movie - just something to relax a little bit???
What a stressful process, even from the beginning of the ACT's.

 

[Green Tea]

I think my first went to 13 or 14. He knew before he visited "the one" that it was the first choice; but wanted to confirm by a visit. He was right. We usually start in junior year fall. Try to finish up by the summer between junior and senior years. Then fall is application time.

 

[golfgal]

I think your story is pretty common-until they visit several different campuses they don't really know what is out there. One of DD's good friends was dead set on going to a school in Iowa, wasn't even going to apply elsewhere until she went to band camp on another campus. Then she thought she should start looking around, discovered several campuses she liked better and that Iowa school isn't even on her list. It sounds like she is leaning toward UW-EC now (lovely school and campus).

We only did one "official" campus tour with DS18 but he had been on the campus of 5 or 6 other schools for camps, etc. so he had a pretty good idea what he liked and didn't like. He ended up applying, got accepted and is now attending the school we toured.

I think 5 or so is a good number to start with but I would make sure you go to campuses of different sizes so they get a feel for what the various sizes have to offer. We knew DS18 would NEVER survive at the U of M or Madison. We were on vacation in DC and were on the Georgetown campus and he HATED that so we didn't bother touring the U of M even though it was on his list as possible places.

We are starting some tours for DS/DD15 this summer-they are sophomores--mainly because we only have about 3 weeks each summer that we CAN go anywhere. These will be more of "do you like this type of campus type tour" and then next year do more visits of places they might want to attend.

 

[MrsPete]

DD is a junior.

My daughter's a junior too. I had assumed she'd attend one certain school -- a big school, very prestigious, and I'd have been happy for her to choose it. Her uncle engendered an interest in it years ago, and she's had a great love for it ever since -- but when we sat down and made a list of the things that matter to her, the things that matter to me, and our financial boundaries . . . we agreed that school wouldn't make the cut.

She and I together made a list of six schools that meet her needs, and we're visiting them now. I feel absolutely certain she'll be admitted to five of the six. Perhaps she'll find "the one" and suddenly know it, but it hasn't happened yet.

I told her I'll take her to all six this year while she's a junior, and then she can re-visit her top choices on her own (or with friends) next year when she's a senior.

She's very organized and detail-minded, so she made a list of things to learn at each visit. She is embarassed to take photographs, but I'm not. I know she's embarassed to ask some questions, so I ask them for her and let her roll her eyes as if to say, "Mothers. Whatcha gonna do?", but then when we get back into the car, she says, "I'm so glad you asked that! I had no idea . . ."

I'm very glad that she's becoming more discerning as we visit more schools. She's getting a more firm picture of what college is going to be like, and she's forming an image of what she wants out of school.

She's changed her opinion on a couple things; for example, after she saw that one school has free shuttles that run all over town (out to restaurants, grocery stores, etc.) AND she saw that freshmen must pay $$$ to park literally miles from campus, she softened her position on "I've gotta take a car to school freshman year". She learned that one school on her list rents textbooks, while another doesn't charge for laundry. She's not sure whether she likes the meal plans that provide all-you-can-eat 10 times a week, or the meal plans that sell each item a la carte. She's keeping records of all these things -- big things and little things -- that she's learning as she visits.

At this point, we're investigating six schools . . . but she and I are in agreement that two of them stand out from the rest as "most likely" candidates -- I don't think they're necessarily better than the others academically; rather, I think they're just better fits for her personality. If I had to make a guess right now, I'd say that she'll probably be offered something along the line of "it'll pay 50%" scholarships from a couple schools. That money will influence our decision heavily.

 

[geffric]

For my second son we went to U of Iowa, U of Indiana, Perdue, The Ohio State, Miami of Ohio and U of Ill.. he applied to Ill, Ind and Iowa.. been accepted at Indiana and Iowa.. will hear from Ill in Dec..

First one , we went to small different type of schools... we went to Roanoke college, Beloit, Cornell College, Earlham, and Bradley...applied to Roanoke, Beloit and cornell, went to cornell college..it was his first choice.. he loves it..

 

[golfgal]

My daughter's a junior too. I had assumed she'd attend one certain school -- a big school, very prestigious, and I'd have been happy for her to choose it. Her uncle engendered an interest in it years ago, and she's had a great love for it ever since -- but when we sat down and made a list of the things that matter to her, the things that matter to me, and our financial boundaries . . . we agreed that school wouldn't make the cut.

She and I together made a list of six schools that meet her needs, and we're visiting them now. I feel absolutely certain she'll be admitted to five of the six. Perhaps she'll find "the one" and suddenly know it, but it hasn't happened yet.

I told her I'll take her to all six this year while she's a junior, and then she can re-visit her top choices on her own (or with friends) next year when she's a senior.

She's very organized and detail-minded, so she made a list of things to learn at each visit. She is embarassed to take photographs, but I'm not. I know she's embarassed to ask some questions, so I ask them for her and let her roll her eyes as if to say, "Mothers. Whatcha gonna do?", but then when we get back into the car, she says, "I'm so glad you asked that! I had no idea . . ."

I'm very glad that she's becoming more discerning as we visit more schools. She's getting a more firm picture of what college is going to be like, and she's forming an image of what she wants out of school.

She's changed her opinion on a couple things; for example, after she saw that one school has free shuttles that run all over town (out to restaurants, grocery stores, etc.) AND she saw that freshmen must pay $$$ to park literally miles from campus, she softened her position on "I've gotta take a car to school freshman year". She learned that one school on her list rents textbooks, while another doesn't charge for laundry. She's not sure whether she likes the meal plans that provide all-you-can-eat 10 times a week, or the meal plans that sell each item a la carte. She's keeping records of all these things -- big things and little things -- that she's learning as she visits.

At this point, we're investigating six schools . . . but she and I are in agreement that two of them stand out from the rest as "most likely" candidates -- I don't think they're necessarily better than the others academically; rather, I think they're just better fits for her personality. If I had to make a guess right now, I'd say that she'll probably be offered something along the line of "it'll pay 50%" scholarships from a couple schools. That money will influence our decision heavily.

DS's school has free bus service all over town and he thinks it is silly to pay $350+ to park your car on campus when you have free bus service . I agreed. THeir meal plan has a combination of all you can eat and a la carte so it is nice to have a choice. Tell her that laundry really isn't "free" you just pay for it in advance (but I agree-that would be SO nice). Most schools now have a swipe card vs coins so you just preload the card with money (we put $40 on DS's card) and swipe the card as needed. It's a lot easier then trying to round up quarters.

 

[Boston Tea Party]

I'm in the same boat with my junior. My concern is that we live in Texas and that she wants to visit colleges such as USC and Cornell. I told her, "Get accepted and we'll visit those. Until then, get out a map."

What types of questions are you asking?

Looks like we may have just started the "Is your child going to college in 2012?" thread...

 

[golfgal]

I think lifestyle questions are pretty important if your child is living on campus-what is there to do on campus, do most kids stay on the weekends or go home, what is the set up in the dorms for RA's, staff residents, etc.

The more 'technical' questions about classes, class sizes, programs, etc. can all be found on their websites.

 

[clh2]

I think your story is pretty common-until they visit several different campuses they don't really know what is out there. One of DD's good friends was dead set on going to a school in Iowa, wasn't even going to apply elsewhere until she went to band camp on another campus. Then she thought she should start looking around, discovered several campuses she liked better and that Iowa school isn't even on her list. It sounds like she is leaning toward UW-EC now (lovely school and campus).

We only did one "official" campus tour with DS18 but he had been on the campus of 5 or 6 other schools for camps, etc. so he had a pretty good idea what he liked and didn't like. He ended up applying, got accepted and is now attending the school we toured.

I think 5 or so is a good number to start with but I would make sure you go to campuses of different sizes so they get a feel for what the various sizes have to offer. We knew DS18 would NEVER survive at the U of M or Madison. We were on vacation in DC and were on the Georgetown campus and he HATED that so we didn't bother touring the U of M even though it was on his list as possible places.

We are starting some tours for DS/DD15 this summer-they are sophomores--mainly because we only have about 3 weeks each summer that we CAN go anywhere. These will be more of "do you like this type of campus type tour" and then next year do more visits of places they might want to attend.

UW-EC was the other school that DD and DH visted. DH went there. THey had a nice visit, and she got to spend time with a college sophomore that was on a team that I coached when she was still in high school. As much as this school was perfect for my DH, as well as the college sophomore, in a million years, I just do not see my DD going to a school that isn't a big school. However, I am not trying imprint my specific opinions on my DD.

 

[golfgal]

UW-EC was the other school that DD and DH visted. DH went there. THey had a nice visit, and she got to spend time with a college sophomore that was on a team that I coached when she was still in high school. As much as this school was perfect for my DH, as well as the college sophomore, in a million years, I just do not see my DD going to a school that isn't a big school. However, I am not trying imprint my specific opinions on my DD.

You know your DD and if she will do better on a big campus, then visit big campuses-she has been on a smaller one so that is fine. It took DS18 about 20 seconds on the Georgetown campus to know that wasn't for him (which I knew too). Our twins will do fine at any type of campus but DD15 will probably gravitate toward smaller campuses because she will like the close knit community you find on those campuses. DS15 will do fine on any campus that is named Notre Dame . It has been his DREAM to go there since he was little. His room is all decked out in ND stuff even. We are planning on visiting there this summer. We will see if he actually likes it there or not but my guess is that he will. The sports atmosphere there is a huge draw for him but he also likes to be in classes with kids that will challenge him-he requests the hardest teachers at school, etc. because he does NOT like to be bored in school.

 

[Ceila]

I strongly suggest trying to arrange an overnight with a current student if the college offers that. It was how I found "the" college for me. It gives students a much better understanding of what that campus is like, and it's nice when they go there that they actually know someone already (this really only works out for small schools, though - you might never see your host again if you end up at a large university, lol!).

 

[golfgal]

I strongly suggest trying to arrange an overnight with a current student if the college offers that. It was how I found "the" college for me. It gives students a much better understanding of what that campus is like, and it's nice when they go there that they actually know someone already (this really only works out for small schools, though - you might never see your host again if you end up at a large university, lol!).

This is a really good idea too. Most of the schools around here have these weekends during teacher convention weekend (kids have Thurs/Friday off) but you can go any time. I know my school had a list of people that were willing to host a prospective student any time.

 

[disykat]

We visited 5 schools during his junior year that were close enough for convenient driving - within a six hour drive. Like you, we did a mix of large, small, public, private that offered exactly what he wants. (a four year engineering program with music and Spanish opportunitites) He's a senior now and has applied to 7 schools, including all of those we visited. He pretty much liked everything and doesn't have any one that stands out. The two we haven't visited are further away, so we will only visit if he is accepted and considering them seriously. (If something had REALLY stood out, we would have made more of an effort, but he isn't really passionate about them.)

I think for my son, it will probably come down to what kind of merit package they offer up. Right now we're just waiting to see who accepts him, what they offer, and if any one starts to jump out at him.

 

[bballmom56]

About 9 years ago, my DD officially visited 5 schools and applied to 3. She had been on other college campuses though, so she was familiar with different types. She did overnights at the 3 she applied to. It kept her first choice firmly cemented there and flipped her second and third choices.

4 years ago DS officially visited about 8 schools, and applied to 3. Again, he had been on several campuses as well prior to that.

It is definitely NOT too early to be visiting college campuses. Kids need time to fit in the visits, maintain their normal school schedule and workload, and process all the information about the college search process. So you are wise to start now.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

The visit is only one aspect of the decision. Part if it now will be curriculum, cost and any merit aid/scholarships.

My suggest is to get a course catalog from every place she goes and then look over the prereq's and majors. Huge difference with colleges. For example, it may list in the the score you need on the ACT/SAT in order to skip over that class and move onto the next tier. It will give you an upper hand with decision making about the school.

The visit I think is more about ruling out places that you would hate.

My older dd DID NOT put much effort into her decision and she ended up transferring schools, which stunk because she lost credits that way.

Younger dd in 8th grade is already interested in visiting. Let's just say she is the polar opposite of her sister.

 

[Abbie]

We've come to the conclusion in our family that you can get a decent undergraduate degree just about anywhere, so the focus needs to be on a school that fits the personality, where you can see yourself living for four years. For all three of my kids that translated to small private colleges within 45 minutes from home.

Oldest DD applied to ONE school, although she visited several. Ironically it is the one that is closest to home, about 15 minutes away, and she was adamant she would "never" go there....until we did an Open House in her junior year and she never looked back. It was a perfect fit for her and we are thrilled with the education she got.

Middle DD liked that school but wanted something other than what her sister did. She picked a similarly sized school about 45 minutes away and is now wrapping up her senior year. She has also gotten a wonderful education, now just keeping our fingers crossed she will get a job upon grad!

DS is applying now. He was the one I thought would do well with a larger campus but he also is set on a smaller school. We visited 5, he's applied to 2 and will possibly apply to a third. I think he'll end up where middle DD is. I've got my fingers crossed his merit scholarship will be at least what hers is because dang, college is $$$! And our kids are four years apart so by the time he's finished it will be 12 straight years!

 

[kacaju]

Can I ask a question here? Do you need to push your Junior HS kids to look at colleges, or do they ask you to take them? DD 17 is a Junior and says she wants to go to college says she wants to be a nurse. Has taken the PSAT is signed up for the SAT's and that is it. I have told her to start looking into colleges, her school has colleges coming all the time and she has not shown any interest at all.
How much do I push her?
I have told her that either dh and I will take her to go look, but I do feel she needs to start this process. I do not want to sit at the computer looking up all the college open house info (which we have a website from school to make it easy)
I feel she should be doing it. DD is our oldest...are we doing something wrong?

 

[Buckalew11]

I think it takes visiting a few places and I also think kids can *just know*. My nephew wanted to go to big state school. Adament. Then he did an overnight visit at a smaller, private college and fell in love. He graduated from there in June.

My niece is at Gettysburg and she visited about 5 or 6 colleges. There were a few she liked right away and one she wouldn't even get out of the car for when they drove around the campus. She knew it wasn't for her. (Her dad and brother got out and looked around.) The brother is a freshman this year at a smaller college in SC. It was a "just know" thing for him too. He had looked at Elon pretty seriously (NC) but Furman stole his heart.

My DD is a JR this year and she has done about 15 college visits. She likes a college that is very close to home. She likes another school also (one she has done overnights at) and will probably apply to 4 or 5 places.

I hope she gets her to go where her heart and head lead her but $$ will play a big part for us. My niece (different than Gettysburg one) had her heart set on High Point (NC) and they just could not swing it financially. She is at another school very similar to it and in her 2nd year and loving it.

Colleege will be here for us parents of JRs before we know it. Where did all the time go??!! I am very excited for DD. She's talked about college since 2nd grade. I just hope she likes it as much as she thinks she will. And I hope if her 1st choice lets her in, that they'll be able to run her off when the time comes, lol. Honestly, she adores that place as much as I love WDW.