The College Search Process: Part 1

This past spring break, my family and I went on a college trip. It was not our first foray into the college search process. In the year we have been visiting colleges, we have discovered important strategies that have helped us better understand the schools we consider and visit.

Our first few visits almost don’t count. They didn’t teach us as much about the schools as they served as introductions to how to go about this process. Our visits consist of several key elements: the obligatory information session and tour, a meal in a student dining hall, and usually a conversation with alumni from our high school. The information session is the least valuable part of the trip and our time with a grad from our school is the most important.

Frankly, all of the college presentations we have seen are similar. One must sit through them, but their usefulness varies from not at all to a bit. They are a marketing pitch at best and an obligation at worst. We do our homework and rarely do these sessions provide new information. Often a young admissions officer gives these presentations. The quality will depend on that person – and that can vary widely! Many of these admissions officers are in their mid-twenties. They have only a few years (or less) on the job and may not be graduates of the college. I have asked myself, is this person qualified to read my child’s application?

The presentation might identify some of the institution’s priorities. One school began its presentation talking about the social atmosphere of the campus and didn’t deal with academics until twenty minutes in. Another began with the reason for the school’s founding and the values of the founders. About half of the presentations will involve a student. About three quarters will have a PowerPoint presentation and/or a video. The presence or absence of the screen has not, we have found, made the presentation better or worse.

Two of the schools we visited were very clear about the values that sit underneath their universities. This clarity of purpose was central in the presentation and, in both instances, overshadowed mediocre presenters. While this purpose may or may not fit our child (one did and one didn’t), they became one of the primary items on our search list. We wanted to ascertain what where the underlying values of the university. Just because you can’t clearly see them in the presentation doesn’t mean they aren’t there.

Student voices were more important to our understanding of the school than the adult pitches. The main value of the tour is for the information from the guide rather than seeing the campus. Most campuses are pretty in some way. Libraries are libraries. Dorms are dorms. Nice dorms are great to have are not deal breakers for us. The tour guide is the first (and sometimes only) student we have a chance to meet. His or her commentary, experiences, and answers to questions are often far more telling than the tour.

We have found it important to spend a meal on campus in a student dining area. This experience gives a more authentic feel for the social character of the campus. We note how kids interact in the dining area. On one campus, they were slobs. On another, they were sitting in pairs or by themselves. On another, they lingered in groups and the dining area was clearly a social center. Yes, the quality of the food matters, but like the fanciness of the dorms, it is not as important as what goes on at mealtime.

My daughter tries to sit in on a class on each campus. This has been minimally important. Some of these classes were interesting. Some were not. Some of the professors were welcoming and warm, while others were indifferent. Sometimes students interact with her but more often they do not. However, she gets to see what “class” looks like on the campus. She gets a tiny taste of a college schedule and how it might feel to go to school there.

The most important piece, for us, is the contact with alumni from our high school. Having an individual ambassador who knows where we come from provides as much information as all the other parts of the trip combined. Over and over, this has been the most important part of the visit. These kids have graciously told us their stories, taken us into their dorms, given us the “other” tour of parts of the campus where the admissions tour does not go. We often have a meal with these students and talk to some of their friends. Their words have rounded out the “official” line and allowed my daughter to really try on being a college student at that campus.

Using these strategies during our half-day on each campus allows us to better understand the unique qualities of each college. Frankly, the colleges are far more similarities than different. The goal is recognize schools – and there are many –which are a good match for our daughter.