1. REGIS JESUIT BOYS DIVISION LUNCH GROUPS OCTOBER 5, 2011 College Visits and College Fairs

2. Why College Visits? A college visit allows you to see first hand the environment and evaluate the academics, athletics, housing, and the social life of a particular school. It is not uncommon for a student to think that a college is right for them based on all the promotional literature, but then find that it is not a right fit. (you can make anything look good on paper and online)

3. Two Types of College Visits “Drive-by”- informal visit  This type of visit begins early in the college search  The summertime and spring break are ideal times to check out the campus  This type of visit can be made without a lot of hype and pressure (i.e. walk around, check out bookstore, eat in the caf, etc.) Scheduled Visit- formal visit  Includes tour, information session, interview, class visit and maybe an overnight stay  Best to visit when the college is in session and students are on campus  Ideally, you will want to talk with more than just the admission staff. Stop a few students during your stay and ask them what they like and do not like about the school. If you can talk to a professor or two, even better.

4. Questions to Ask on a College Visit Academics:  How much time do students typically spend on homework?  How much writing and reading are expected?  What is the average class size of introductory classes/upper-division courses? Academic Perks:  What opportunities are there for undergraduate research?  How many students participate in undergraduate research?  Do you have a learning community or other freshman experience? Financial Aid:  What is your average financial aid package?  What is the typical breakdown of loans versus grants?  What is the average merit award?  What is the average college debt that students leave with?  What work-study opportunities are there?

5. Questions to Ask on a College Visit Continued Graduation Track Record  What is your four-year graduation rate?  What is your five-year graduation rate?  What percentage of freshmen return for sophomore year? Academic Support  What type of tutoring program do you have?  Do you have a writing center and how do I access it?  What kind of learning disability resources do you have? Outside Opportunities  How many students at the college get internships?  What percentage of students study abroad?  What type of career services do you have?

6. Questions to Ask on a College Visit Continued Student Life  What kind of dorm choices are there?  What percentage of students live on campus?  Do most students go home on the weekends?  What percentage of the student body belong to a sorority or fraternity?  What activities are offered to students?  What clubs do you have on campus?

7. Why College Fairs? Going to a college fair gives you the chance to talk to admission counselors and receive information on everything about their colleges. Fairs can introduce you to new colleges and help you narrow down your college list. They can be very informative and even fun!

8. College Fairs Before the Fair  Be attentive and always ask your school counselor when and where college fairs are being held at your school and in your community. Plan to attend as many as possible. What to Bring  A pen and small notebook to jot down any information you want to remember about the college, questions you have to ask the admissions counselors, and a bag to hold all the college brochures and information you can pick up. During the Fair  Review the list of colleges at the fair and plan to visit the colleges that interest you most.  After you visit a college’s booth, take a few minutes to write down what you have learned.  Try and leave some additional time at the end to browse through some of the booths you did not get to- you could stumble on a great college you had not considered.

9. Couple last things… Do some research about the colleges. Do not wait until the college visit or college fair to learn about the school for the first time. Decide what you will wear. First impressions are extremely important! At the college fairs, treat the connections you make with the college representatives as a preliminary interview. Set up a college email account. firstname_lastname@gmail.com. (123hotdoggitydog@gmail.com will not be cutting it!)

10. College Visits and College Fairs Questions? Comments? Concerns?