Parents of Juniors often reach the end of the school year a little frantic that they haven’t fit in all the campus visits they’d hoped. Even if finances aren’t a barrier, it can take a lot of time to add travel to a child’s busy Junior year between academics, extracurriculars, standardized testing and driving lessons. It’s a BIG year!
Let me tackle some commonly asked questions so that you can build a solid plan for your child’s Junior year:
WHEN should we start?
As long as it won’t stress your child out to think about College, you can stop by a campus on any trip during their high school years. Be sure to register at Admissions even if you’re passing through so that your child demonstrates interest. You can read an entire blog on why that’s critical HERE
I encourage families to plan at least 1-2 visits early Fall of Junior year before academics have ramped up. Late August, very early September is a wonderful time as campuses are abuzz.
It’s a good idea to set aside the Junior year spring break for targeted visits once they have a better sense for their list, and late spring for any last visits as the list is closer to final.
Is it worth visiting during summer when students aren’t there?
Visiting a college before applying ANY time is better than not visiting at all. While it is livelier to see all the students milling and classes in session, the info sessions and tour guides are well trained to give you a great sense of campus life any time of year.
WHERE should we focus our visits?
In your earliest visits, the kind of college matters more than the brand of a school. If you live in a concentrated area, plan day trips to an urban school, a more isolated school, perhaps a big school and a smaller school. Let your student develop a sense for the environment that they see themselves in before the weight of “but will I get in here” descends.
Speaking of that emotional weight. Parents, PLEASE please do not make 100% of your visits to reach schools. We rationally know the importance of a balanced list, and we try to say the right things to our kiddos, but if we tell them one thing, and then only tour the most selective schools, we’re sending a powerful and damaging message about their worth and our expectations. Not letting down their parents is often an added source of stress in this journey.
NOTE: It can be even more important to visit your child’s safer options. When it comes to demonstrating interest, if your child is well or overqualified, these are the schools that need the most convincing that you would enroll if invited. The child who applies to too many reach schools, and shows no love to their safety schools risks getting shut out at both ends of their list.
HOW do I make the most out of a campus tour?
Avoid settling for the real estate tour! What does that mean? The tour guide who walks around pointing at buildings and telling you what happens in each. You can see that on a map. These simple steps can make even the lamest tour a helpful learning experience:
- Do a little research before you arrive. Have a few questions around a specific program, club, dorm or the food in the cafeteria.
- Sit near the front in the information season. The Admissions Rep giving the presentation often knows exactly who’s in the room. If you sit up front, maintain eye contact (bonus if you ask a great question), that Rep might just remember your name come decision time.
- Go with the student tour guide YOU want to hear from. Sometimes you’ll be assigned, but there’s always a little chaos. If a student tour guide is taking your major, comes from your area, or just feels more connected to you – AND you can subtly make a change without hurting anyone’s feelings or looking like an entitled rule breaker, head to the tour YOU want to take. You traveled a long way!
- Stay up front on the tour. In between stops, ask the guide personal questions. You’ll get a lot more richness when you take them off script.
- What is their favorite tradition?
- Where do they like to study?
- Where’s the best food on campus?
- What clubs are the most fun?
- How do students let off steam during exam season?
- When you’re inside buildings, pause to look at bulletin boards. You’ll get a sense for campus events, activities and student life. Take a picture if you see a research program or club that interests you and do a little more research or follow the group on social for more info back at home.
- Observe the students. Are they walking and studying alone or in groups? Do they seem to be engaged in group work or solo, do they proudly wear their school’s merch? Do you see students making time for fun on the lawns or in the student center?
- Stay for a meal! Most cafeteria’s are open to the public and offer the best place to eavesdrop on student dialogue. Helpful bonus that you get to test out the food, after all you might be eating little else for 1 to 2 years.
- After the tour, don’t share your feelings immediately or jump on your student for their thoughts (this is harder than it sounds!). Suggest they spend time in the car after the tour making notes. Allow their feelings to percolate. Maybe take them for ice cream or a great meal and later, as much later as you can stand . . . ask them to share their thoughts.
I hope this has been helpful! As always, send me your questions, blog ideas or feedback. These college trips can be a wonderful time to connect and enjoy precious time with your child searching for their next ‘home’.
