Dumb questions about college visits

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A terrific resource for this and other questions about college applications is collegeconfidential.com. Sign in and explore the discussion threads of parents and students who've recently gone through the process.

College confidential is a bad idea. It is populated by Ivy-League wannabes who inflate their GPA and grades to be "chanced" into a school. It is a distorted view of the process at best.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A terrific resource for this and other questions about college applications is collegeconfidential.com. Sign in and explore the discussion threads of parents and students who've recently gone through the process.

College confidential is a bad idea. It is populated by Ivy-League wannabes who inflate their GPA and grades to be "chanced" into a school. It is a distorted view of the process at best.

+1

IMO College Confidential is like DCUM. There's a lot of useful information there, once you learn to sift through all the anxiety and self-promotion. You need to spend a little while on CC before you start to recognize helpful posters (unlike DCUM you have to log on and post with a username) and you start to realize that not everybody could have scored 2350 on the SATs.

[Anonymous]

As a parent, I found College Confidential very helpful. We found helpful tips about visits, the FAFSA, and information about the schools DC was applying to. Yes, there are a lot of "chance me" threads and the like, but there is a lot of good info from parents who have been through the process.

[Anonymous]

The chance me threads are silly because no one really can. They just reflect anxiety. But I have found some threads to be helpful. There is far less flaming than you see here at DCUM.

[Anonymous]

Some good advice on college visits --

http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/

Re College Confidential -- way more heat than light there. As a benchline check on value-added, take a look at the posts on a college you know well and ask whether they provide any useful information beyond what you can glean from, say, the Fiske Guide. The CC comments on the university my sons attend very, very rarely provide additional insights. Not worth the anxiety level.

[Anonymous]

College Confidential is a fountain of information (financial aid, merit scholarships, which schools give merit scholarships etc.). Ignore the Chance Me threads!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let your kid go by himself during the school year and stay with a freshman host in the dorm. There is o reason for u to go with him. I did all my college touring alone using the train and bus.

I think this is a great strategy for a senior narrowing down the list between a couple of schools, but it's not appropriate for a 15 year old sophomore, and in fact I think most colleges won't allow it at that age.

I think that touring local schools, or schools in an area where you're already vacationing with your child is a great way to start conversations and get them thinking about what they might like. Once you have a sense of that, sending your child off by himself to look at a distant school makes sense.

sorry but you are not correct. Many colleges have no problem having sophomores tour a college. We did this with local colleges including Georgetown and maryland. If you plan to apply early, the deadline s Nov 1 of your senior year. Very little time in senior year to see any colleges when you are trying to finish applications, do classwork and play a sport.

We started sophomore year because I knew my child would want to see as many colleges as DC could to see what really appealed to them. We used spring breaks and long weekends especially when they had open houses. There really isn't a lot of time to do this and junior year is very hard to take time away from studying for classes, studying for AP's and trying to keep up with your sport.

It really is important to see a school when the classes are in session. DC found that when they saw how the students were, it gave DC a much better feel for the school. DC could care less about the buildings and the lawns.

Another good hint, if visiting a cold weather school especially one with lots of snow go in the winter. Much easier to like a school when it is sunny than snowy. If they like it whenthe weather is bad, it is a good indication they like the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why it would be weird for a parent to sit in on a class. We're the prospective buyers, right? I ran labs in college, and I remember parents, including of enrolled kids, coming in to listen. That was at a SLAC.

My mom did many things wrong raising me, but fortunately she did tell me the college decision was mine. Good grief, this is their first major life decision. You're the buyer? Then let your kid pay for school with work, loans and scholarships.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let your kid go by himself during the school year and stay with a freshman host in the dorm. There is o reason for u to go with him. I did all my college touring alone using the train and bus.

I think this is a great strategy for a senior narrowing down the list between a couple of schools, but it's not appropriate for a 15 year old sophomore, and in fact I think most colleges won't allow it at that age.

I think that touring local schools, or schools in an area where you're already vacationing with your child is a great way to start conversations and get them thinking about what they might like. Once you have a sense of that, sending your child off by himself to look at a distant school makes sense.

sorry but you are not correct. Many colleges have no problem having sophomores tour a college. We did this with local colleges including Georgetown and maryland. If you plan to apply early, the deadline s Nov 1 of your senior year. Very little time in senior year to see any colleges when you are trying to finish applications, do classwork and play a sport.

We started sophomore year because I knew my child would want to see as many colleges as DC could to see what really appealed to them. We used spring breaks and long weekends especially when they had open houses. There really isn't a lot of time to do this and junior year is very hard to take time away from studying for classes, studying for AP's and trying to keep up with your sport.

It really is important to see a school when the classes are in session. DC found that when they saw how the students were, it gave DC a much better feel for the school. DC could care less about the buildings and the lawns.

Another good hint, if visiting a cold weather school especially one with lots of snow go in the winter. Much easier to like a school when it is sunny than snowy. If they like it whenthe weather is bad, it is a good indication they like the school.

Good points, but pp was saying that having a 15 yr old stay over night at a dorm may not be allowed or a good idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let your kid go by himself during the school year and stay with a freshman host in the dorm. There is o reason for u to go with him. I did all my college touring alone using the train and bus.

I think this is a great strategy for a senior narrowing down the list between a couple of schools, but it's not appropriate for a 15 year old sophomore, and in fact I think most colleges won't allow it at that age.

I think that touring local schools, or schools in an area where you're already vacationing with your child is a great way to start conversations and get them thinking about what they might like. Once you have a sense of that, sending your child off by himself to look at a distant school makes sense.

sorry but you are not correct. Many colleges have no problem having sophomores tour a college. We did this with local colleges including Georgetown and maryland. If you plan to apply early, the deadline s Nov 1 of your senior year. Very little time in senior year to see any colleges when you are trying to finish applications, do classwork and play a sport.

We started sophomore year because I knew my child would want to see as many colleges as DC could to see what really appealed to them. We used spring breaks and long weekends especially when they had open houses. There really isn't a lot of time to do this and junior year is very hard to take time away from studying for classes, studying for AP's and trying to keep up with your sport.

It really is important to see a school when the classes are in session. DC found that when they saw how the students were, it gave DC a much better feel for the school. DC could care less about the buildings and the lawns.

Another good hint, if visiting a cold weather school especially one with lots of snow go in the winter. Much easier to like a school when it is sunny than snowy. If they like it whenthe weather is bad, it is a good indication they like the school.

Good points, but pp was saying that having a 15 yr old stay over night at a dorm may not be allowed or a good idea.

http://www.admissions.umd.edu/explore/SignatureExperiences.php


Maryland has a program that rising sophomores, juniors and seniors can be take courses at the univ in the summer. Many other colleges do this as well.

[Anonymous]

One more point. Having started the college application process, colleges are much more aggressive in marketing to students regarding visits, summer programs etc. We have been inundated with mail and phone calls for admissions sessions, visiting reps and summer programs. Part of the reason is that my DC did fairly well on the PSAT but not a merit scholar level score.

Colleges are in competition for good students especially private colleges. The cost of tuition is through the roof and many students are turning to in state alternatives. They need out of state students to pay the higher rates.Private colleges need as many students as they can.

That is why so many are starting earlier and have the summer programs.To get a student to be interested early. Early decision by students is accounting for 30-40% of admissions at ivy league and competitive colleges.

The state of admissions is changing so quickly. what held as advice even 5 years ago really does not apply anymore.

Here is some info that came from a newsletter about college admissions for 2013.
"2013 has been a very interesting, and for many, a very challenging year. Discussions with our colleagues and postings from the list serve demonstrate that colleges have created large wait lists, often times larger than the admitted class, in anticipation of reduced yield (number of students accepting offers of admission). There was also increased activity in the financial aid office, additional budget cuts resulting in reduced or suspended capital improvements, adjunct faculty replacing full time professors, and more attention given to a student's ability to pay during all or some stages of the admission process. From the consultant's perspective, there was more interest in public universities and colleges that offer merit awards, increased negotiations with financial aid officers, a shift towards pre-professional programs (engineering, business, architecture, technology), exploration of social media and internet tools (blogging, Facebook, Zinch), and increased attention to student demonstrated interest (college visits).


The biggest story this year concerned early admissions programs. To increase yield and manage student enrollment (and to fund budgets) many colleges admitted almost half of their freshman class during the Early Decision round. In addition, the ED admit rates were often double the regular decision rates. Some examples include: Barnard (42.6% ED vs. 17.9% Regular), Brown (18.54 vs. 8.07), Cornell (29.5 vs. 15.15), Duke (29.6 vs. 10.02), Emory (35 vs. 25.5), Johns Hopkins (36.7 vs. 15.28), Lafayette (53 vs. 32), Lehigh (54.9 vs. 28.2) Middlebury (35.3 vs. 17.4), Rice (24.8 vs. 15.5), Vanderbilt (21.6 vs. 10.9), Washington University in St. Louis (26.6 vs. 17.7). And here are the overall admission rates for the Ivy League's Class of 2016: Harvard 5.79%, Dartmouth 10.05%, Brown 9.16%, Princeton 7.29%, Yale, 6.72%, and Columbia 6.89%. College admission at the nation's most selective schools has become more and more competitive each year. To add some perspective, think about the fact that the parents of today's high school students applied to college 20 or more years ago. In 1991, the acceptance rate at U Penn was 47%. This year, it was down to 12.10%.


Another continuing trend is the use of the wait-list. If a college has spots left after admitted students decide whether to enroll, it will go to the wait-list. This usually happens in early to mid-May, but the process can continue through June. To boost one's chances, it is important for the student to send a well-crafted letter expressing their desire to enroll and highlighting their potential contributions to the class. Most colleges use the wait-list to boost their yield (percent of admitted students who enroll) because wait-list offers are typically one for one (one offer = one enrolled student). Colleges can also use the wait-list to meet their budgets because most students admitted off the wait list can pay the full cost of attendence. Some colleges offer wait-list spots to thousands of students (typically half to a third choose to stay active), and offer admission to anywhere from none, to a few, to several hundred. "

[Anonymous]

Useful info. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let your kid go by himself during the school year and stay with a freshman host in the dorm. There is o reason for u to go with him. I did all my college touring alone using the train and bus.

I think this is a great strategy for a senior narrowing down the list between a couple of schools, but it's not appropriate for a 15 year old sophomore, and in fact I think most colleges won't allow it at that age.

I think that touring local schools, or schools in an area where you're already vacationing with your child is a great way to start conversations and get them thinking about what they might like. Once you have a sense of that, sending your child off by himself to look at a distant school makes sense.

sorry but you are not correct. Many colleges have no problem having sophomores tour a college. We did this with local colleges including Georgetown and maryland. If you plan to apply early, the deadline s Nov 1 of your senior year. Very little time in senior year to see any colleges when you are trying to finish applications, do classwork and play a sport.

We started sophomore year because I knew my child would want to see as many colleges as DC could to see what really appealed to them. We used spring breaks and long weekends especially when they had open houses. There really isn't a lot of time to do this and junior year is very hard to take time away from studying for classes, studying for AP's and trying to keep up with your sport.

It really is important to see a school when the classes are in session. DC found that when they saw how the students were, it gave DC a much better feel for the school. DC could care less about the buildings and the lawns.

Another good hint, if visiting a cold weather school especially one with lots of snow go in the winter. Much easier to like a school when it is sunny than snowy. If they like it whenthe weather is bad, it is a good indication they like the school.

Good points, but pp was saying that having a 15 yr old stay over night at a dorm may not be allowed or a good idea.

http://www.admissions.umd.edu/explore/SignatureExperiences.php


Maryland has a program that rising sophomores, juniors and seniors can be take courses at the univ in the summer. Many other colleges do this as well.

Great program, there are tons of summer academic and sports programs at colleges. One of my DCs did them at 3 different campuses after sophomore year. But again not the same as sending a sophomore to do an overnight visit during the school year. The overnight programs are typically limited to spring of junior year and fall of senior year. An exception may be sports recruits, although I know some of the coaches are concerned about having kids too young and will bring recruits on Sunday nights to reduce the chance they will get into trouble.

[Anonymous]

I don't think it's too soon to get him thinking about it, because his choices in high school (does he want to take four years of French or opt for AP Bio?) will shape his options in college. It's ok if he doesn't want to make any big decisions yet about what he wants but it doesn't hurt to start the conversation and get him thinking about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let your kid go by himself during the school year and stay with a freshman host in the dorm. There is o reason for u to go with him. I did all my college touring alone using the train and bus.

I think this is a great strategy for a senior narrowing down the list between a couple of schools, but it's not appropriate for a 15 year old sophomore, and in fact I think most colleges won't allow it at that age.

I think that touring local schools, or schools in an area where you're already vacationing with your child is a great way to start conversations and get them thinking about what they might like. Once you have a sense of that, sending your child off by himself to look at a distant school makes sense.

sorry but you are not correct. Many colleges have no problem having sophomores tour a college. We did this with local colleges including Georgetown and maryland. If you plan to apply early, the deadline s Nov 1 of your senior year. Very little time in senior year to see any colleges when you are trying to finish applications, do classwork and play a sport.

We started sophomore year because I knew my child would want to see as many colleges as DC could to see what really appealed to them. We used spring breaks and long weekends especially when they had open houses. There really isn't a lot of time to do this and junior year is very hard to take time away from studying for classes, studying for AP's and trying to keep up with your sport.

It really is important to see a school when the classes are in session. DC found that when they saw how the students were, it gave DC a much better feel for the school. DC could care less about the buildings and the lawns.

Another good hint, if visiting a cold weather school especially one with lots of snow go in the winter. Much easier to like a school when it is sunny than snowy. If they like it whenthe weather is bad, it is a good indication they like the school.

Good points, but pp was saying that having a 15 yr old stay over night at a dorm may not be allowed or a good idea.

http://www.admissions.umd.edu/explore/SignatureExperiences.php


Maryland has a program that rising sophomores, juniors and seniors can be take courses at the univ in the summer. Many other colleges do this as well.

Yes, but still not what the top poster was talking about. The top poster was talking about having a sophomore participate in a program where they are matched with a current student, and stay as a guest in their room during the regular school year. Most of those programs seem to be limited to older kids. I know that when I did such a program years ago, it was after I was admitted and we spent most of the evening at a frat party. I'm not sure I'd want my 15 year old in that situation, even if the college allowed it.

Daytime visits, or on campus summer programs aimed at high school students, or even spending the night in the dorm with someone you know (a cousin, or a neighborhood friend) can be a great for 15 year olds, but I wouldn't send my 15 year old off to stay with a stranger.