The Campus Visit Experience and College Search Process Parent Perspectives: The Campus Visit Experience and College Search Process Megan Hutchins Georgia Southern University M. Ed. Higher Education Administration Practicum Experience Field Supervisor: Merideth Ray

Practicum Experience Overview Why the is the parent perspective important to campus visits? The campus visit experience is critical during a student’s college search process. Many times students are making their college choice based on the visit experience. Parents are major influencers in the college choice decision-making process and are often accompanying students on their college visits. The main objective of this practicum experience is to evaluate the Georgia Tech parent visitor experience and identify areas in which Georgia Tech could better serve prospective parents. Main activities included: Compare Georgia Tech’s visit experiences with other peer and aspirational schools Assess Georgia Tech’s post-visit surveys Collect feedback from parents on our visit programs Present survey data & make recommendations for improvement

Georgia Tech Visit Opportunities and Parent Interaction Daily Visits and Tours, College Visits Parent attends with the student Overnight Experiences & Preview Days Parent attends most sessions with the student, parent programming available when students are interacting with current GT students Admitted Student Programs: information sessions, overnights, alumni meet n’ greets and send offs Parents welcome to attend information sessions, meet n’ greets and send offs. Parents included in most programming for overnight visits.

Examples of Visit Offerings Hosted by Peer & Aspirational Schools Programs Similar to GT Visits Information Sessions and Tours Overnight Experiences Open House Events College Visits/Information Sessions Programs GT Does Not Offer Opportunities to attend a class Interviews Opportunities to meet with faculty Activities for parents planned by Parents Program on admitted student days Recommendations Offering the option for students to sit in on classes could solve a few different complaints: meet with faculty, tour specific academic department, and interact with students Send parents logistical information and separate feedback survey

The Parent Visitor Experience Survey Objectives Collect parent background info: Hometown, students grade level, college visit plans, and level of experience with the college search process Understand the college visit planning from the parent perspective What are their expectations and who is driving the process? Understand parent expectations when it comes to communicating directly with colleges Collect quotes and advice for other parents going through the search process with their students

The Parent Visitor Experience Survey: Results 19 States Top Five States Florida Tennessee North Carolina Ohio Texas 24 Cities in Georgia Top Georgia Cities Atlanta Marietta Suwanee

The Parent Visitor Experience Survey: Results

The Parent Visitor Experience Survey: Results 75% of instances, parents are involved in the planning process

The Parent Visitor Experience Survey: Results

The Parent Visitor Experience Survey: Results

The Parent Visitor Experience Survey: Results Top Five Factors that Make a Pleasant Visit Experience Good Tour Guides Student Interaction Helpful, Welcoming and Friendly Staff Student Stories Pre-Visit Communication Factors for a Poor Visit Long PowerPoints Large Groups Long Walks through Open Areas Building Names w/o explanation of what goes on inside Rain!

The Parent Visitor Experience Survey: Results Expectations for Daily Visits vs. Overnight Events Daily Visits Overnight Events Overview of Campus Life (facilities, landscape, location) More in-depth Exploration of Academics Admission Process Experience Dorm Life Academics First-Hand Feel for Student Life Financial Aid True Assessment of Student “Fit” Student Life (student interaction, residential and dining options) Helps to make Final Decision Used to Narrow College Choices Chance for Question & Answer Session Open houses seem unstructured. Daily visits – efficient way to get basic information and facts. Helps the student narrow down college choices and decide if they need to continue pursuing GT.

The Parent Visitor Experience Survey: Results Most Influential Factors in Final Decision

The Parent Visitor Experience Survey: Results What information do you look for on college websites, related to visit planning or otherwise?

The Parent Visitor Experience Survey: Results Did Georgia Tech’s website meet your needs?

The Parent Visitor Experience Survey: Results Do any colleges communicate directly to you, the parent?

Parent-to-Parent Advice On Starting Early… “Start visiting colleges in 9th grade- both large and small, even ones you would never consider as real options. It helps kids begin to know the basic things they want: big or small, private or public, urban or rural.” On Letting the Student Drive… “If it's done right college search is a self search. It will provide parents a rare insight if they are willing to allow their 18 year olds to explore. Hear their thoughts or silence and give them time to digest and reflect.” On Staying Involved… “Go with them. Ask questions. Visit all types of schools then narrow your search. Once you have narrowed your search to a few schools it is wise to have your child sit in on a class and spend the night at those colleges." Keep it all in perspective. Don't fall in love with any one school. If this is the first child going off, form a book club around the book: "Letting Go: A Parent's Guide To Understanding the College Years" and share experiences and send care packages.”

Conclusions from Survey Results What Parents Care About Financial Concerns Application deadlines for admission, financial aid & scholarships Reputation, ROI, academics, and potential careers Overall fit for their student How Parents Want to Engage Email communications: pre and post visit, as well as logistics Most claim they want their student to drive the decision-making process, but parents want information, too, in order to assist with the process. Recommendations Support parents of prospective students by making sure they are receiving the same messages as the students when it comes to practical matters (deadlines, scholarships, financial aid). Ideally for visit events we could copy parents on confirmation/reminder emails, but would need to capture parent info when a student completes the registration form.

Current Georgia Tech Post-Visit Surveys Types of questions asked: Overall ratings for info session & tour, pre-session communication, info session most & least helpful, tour greeting, tour favorite/least favorite, improvement, tour guide feedback, and general comments Who is completing the survey? Not always clear whether it is the parent or the student Suggestions: Perhaps asking who is completing the survey: parent or student Taking the opportunity to ask what type of follow up contact and information the student/parent would like to receive in order to enhance the visit follow up.

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