Posts Tagged ‘college visit’

When Should I Visit a College?

Thursday, February 24th, 2011

Good for you! You’ve figured out that seeing a college in person is a really good idea. Now the only question that may be on your mind might be when you should actually start physically looking at colleges? This depends a lot on your future plans but, as always, My College Guide has a few tips for you to keep in mind as you think about making the college campus visit!

When is the right time to make the college campus visit?

linkway88

Up and At ‘Em! – Do you have a lot of colleges on your list? Don’t wait! Even Sophomores can benefit from visiting colleges. If a school doesn’t feel like the right college fit for you, you can cross it off of your list.

On the other hand, if a school is a maybe, you can always revisit later when you know whether you are a good academic match and if it still feels “right” as your high school career draws to a close. Starting to make visits during your Sophomore year can help you get through more schools if you aren’t really sure what you want or if you want too much!

SAT or ACT Scores – After you receive your standardized test scores, you can be a lot more proactive about the college visit process. You will know what colleges and universities generally take students that have an academic background that is comparable to your own. That doesn’t mean you are guaranteed a spot, but at least you have some way of figuring out your reach and safety schools and can adjust the schools you were considering visiting to fit this new knowledge!

Money Matters – It’s not cheap to visit a college. Your parents may need to take off from work, there may be traveling involved, and depending how far it is, possibly an overnight stay somewhere, too. By getting started early, you can spread out the financial burden of visiting multiple colleges and universities. Not only that, you have more time to fit in those schools that you really want to see—without doing a lot of last-minute cramming!

Don’t visit a school just to visit a school. Do a little background research before you visit a college first to make sure it has the programs and majors you think you might be interested in. You should have some idea as to whether or not you are an academic fit so you don’t waste your time visiting a bunch of reach schools and never check out schools where you have a better chance of becoming admitted!

Who We Are: Information you can trust. For 20 years My College Guide has produced an annual magazine chock full of free college info for high-achieving high school sophomores. Check out our participating colleges. If you’re a student, enter for a chance to win an Apple iPad or iPhone or cash!

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Posted in Choosing a College, College Campus | 1 Comment »

Don’t Just Sit There, Interact! Saint Michael’s College Interactive Campus Tour Video

Friday, September 24th, 2010

My College Guide has seen plenty of campus slideshows, photos, and video on many a college website, but what we haven’t seen before is an interactive campus tour via YouTube! Instead of just watching a ho-hum video on YouTube, Saint Michael’s College let’s you choose your own adventure – it’s just like the books (but there’s no wrong choice and frantic page-turning here!).

While no campus video (awesomely interactive or not) can replace the traditional college campus tour, it is worth noting that it is a beneficial new tool to not only aid you in your college hunt but to get you excited about the college process. We know it seems like a whole lot of work but, trust us, it all pays off in the end! You may even learn a few things about a campus that you didn’t know before. College tour videos can also show you various campus buildings that may hold particular interest to you (Theater major? How does that auditorium look?). At the very least, you can’t help but get psyched about college life – and that can go a long way in ensuring your college success! Watch St Mike’s Interactive Campus Tour on YouTube or below.

Special thanks to Saint Michael’s College Twitter account for bringing this fun interactive video to our attention!

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Posted in Choosing a College, College Campus, College Life, Fun Stuff, Social Media | No Comments »

Great Books Colleges: What It Means and Who It’s For

Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010

Do you live and breathe books?  Does the thought of a traditional college setting not feel like the right fit for you?  You, my friend, might want to take a look at a Great Books program.  We spoke to Jon Daly, the Director of Admissions at Thomas Aquinas College, in Santa Paula, California, and Cecilia Corrigan, the assistant Director of Admissions at St. John’s College (which has locations in Annapolis, Maryland and Santa Fe New Mexico).

There are no textbooks here; our students read almost exclusively from the seminal works of Western civilization. Through all four years and in every course — from philosophy, theology, math, and science to language, music, literature, and history — they study the greatest written works in those disciplines, both ancient and modern...

ANiceCupofTea / Jan

Great Books, or classic books, replace textbooks, discussion replaces lectures, and all that is required is a love of and respect for the written word.  No majors, no minors, and no electives – nothing gets in between you and the current book, whatever classic that may be.

What kind of student would benefit from a great books program?
Thomas Aquinas: Students who love to read, who want to develop the skills of critical thinking, who want to explore the full range of academic disciplines, and who long to search for truth and real understanding would benefit from our great books program. The program challenges students to a disciplined scholarship in the arts and sciences that is indispensable for critical judgment and genuine wisdom.

Instead of attending lectures, Thomas Aquinas College students gather around tables for careful inquiry in small tutorials, seminars, and laboratories. They engage in conversation with their peers under the guidance of a full-time teaching faculty member, which enables them to become highly engaged in their own learning. The Socratic Method, as this form of learning is called, nurtures habits of independent thought. Students learn to think clearly, analyzing positions in terms of their component parts and underlying assumptions, and they learn to articulate their thoughts in a logical manner, offering support for their conclusions.

St John’s College: Great Books programs are designed for students who are often referred to as Renaissance men and women: students who enjoy making thematic connections between disparate categories of study benefit from a historical approach to math, science, literature, theology and political science. Students who believe that the world has much to offer appreciate seeing it portrayed through many diverse perspectives.

When you re-read a classic you do not see in the book more than you did before. You see more in you than there was before. Clifton Fadiman St John's College Randall Hall

Larry Miller / Larry Miller

What do you think makes the great books program a good choice?
Thomas Aquinas: One mark of our program’s success is the variety of professions and careers graduates enter. Nearly half of our alumni attend graduate and professional schools in a wide array of disciplines; among them, philosophy, theology, law, and the sciences are most often chosen.  This versatility stems not only from the great books, but also from the way in which the great books are taught here.

St John’s College: A great books program is a good choice because, in order to feel like a thoughtful, confident participant in one’s own life, it is essential that one know how to navigate through the bombarding conjunctions of instinct and reason. Through the analysis of great books , students gradually learn when to be flexible and when to be insistent, how to distinguish the essential from the superficial, and how to extend the consequences of a given point of view beyond what has been made explicit by an author or a classmate.

Any advice for students considering attending a Great Books College?
Thomas Aquinas: Any student considering Thomas Aquinas College should come visit the campus and/or attend the College’s Great Books Summer Program. Two weeks long, the Summer Program introduces participants to a selection of the Great Books. They attend classes twice daily, and these are run in just the same fashion as the College’s regular classes.

St John’s College: Try to think about what you want out of a college. What is important to you? How do you want to be different after four years? Visit the colleges you are interested in and try to picture yourself there.

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Posted in Choosing a College, College Campus, College Classes, College Life | No Comments »

VEISHEA: All That and a Cherry Pie

Tuesday, April 27th, 2010

Every college has something unique and special that you just won’t find anywhere else.  For Iowa State University, VEISHEA is definitely it!   Named by college Professor Frank D. Paine, Department of General Engineering, back in 1922, VEISHEA is an ISU classic, like apple pie, or in this case, cherry — more than 10,000 cherry pies are sold throughout the week-long event!

Part of the fun at Iowa State University's VEISHA!

Sam Ose / Olai Skjaervoy / Sam / Olai Ose / Skjaervoy

What is VEISHEA?  It’s an acronym that stands for Veterinary Medicine, Engineering, Industrial Science, Home Economics, and Agriculture, the colleges offered at that time.  Today, VEISHEA is on Facebook and Twitter (a great way to keep tabs on events) — even Iowa State University Twitters.  VEISHEA is definitely what we would consider event-FULL!

Past events have included hypnotism, a carnival, BMX Ramp Riders, a battle of the bands, 5K Run/Walk, Campus BBQ, Cyclone Idols (American Idol for ISU), guest speakers, and a two hour parade, to name a few!  Iowa State University’s large variety of international organizations puts on a huge International Food Fair, there’s also a Taste of VEISHEA, not to forget other fun activities like flag football, laser tag, and various basketball tournaments that make up a very small part of the week long event!

As if that wasn’t enough, the different college departments and student groups host various activities.  Search for things at the scavenger hunt (hosted by the Agriculture & Life Sciences Student Council), tinker with the Cyclone Amateur Radio Club equipment (one of the oldest student groups on the ISU campus, it dates back to 1913), or purchase a hissing cockroach of your very own from the ISU Entomology Club – even the Wiki says the hissing cockroach is a popular pet! Who knew?

You know how important it is to make the college campus visit – why not make sure it’s a good one?  There is no rule that says that you can only visit a college campus once.  If you are having trouble narrowing down your list of colleges, why not make a second (or third), visit when something really big is going on, so you can associate with actual students and, like the case with VEISHEA, even the community.  It might just be the perfect opportunity to see how you think you’ll fit in with the college — and the community — at large!

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Posted in Choosing a College, College Campus, College Life, Fun Stuff | No Comments »

To be or Not to Be: The College Interview

Friday, February 19th, 2010
The College Interview

madabandon

Considering ditching your college interview? DON’T!  Your grades, test scores, extracurricular activities, essays, and recommendations tell admissions a lot about who you are – but many colleges want to know more!

The college interview process, though often optional,  is a great way for you to get your questions answered, put a face to a name, and explain any bumps in your high school record face to face.  We’ve mentioned before that students who vocalize their desire to attend a particular college increase their college admittance odds – what better way than during a college interview?  Show college admissions how much you want that letter of acceptance and it could help you get in!

Not every college or university has the staff (or the time) to conduct college interviews but for those that do (or if you happen to snag one)  – it can be a great way to get a little one on one with someone whom the college trusts, especially if you aren’t sure yet which college would suit you the best.  Some colleges ask you to hit up the campus (not a bad way to make a second campus visit), interview by phone, or, at some schools – they come to you.

Many colleges and universities (think Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Connecticut College, and Vassar College) utilize their college alumni, reaching out to students who live far from the college.  There may be just one – or a panel.

Colleges do value what these volunteers have to say so they should still be treated with the same respect you would show the admissions counselors themselves – and they can still give you the information you are looking for – and from the point of view of a student which could prove invaluable!

While colleges and universities like to say that the college interview isn’t a major deciding factor (the rates for college acceptance are roughly the same with or without the interview) – it’s still not something to be taken lightly and, if at all possible – go for it!  Standing out from the crowd (in a good way), can only help you get in!

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Posted in College Admissions, College Interview | 5 Comments »

Don’t be Fooled by the Glossy Brochures: Schedule a College Campus Visit

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

Friendly faces, lush landscapes, and the persuasive tone of a college brochure can make every college seem like it’s the one.  Photos, especially the gorgeous glossy photos in a college brochure, tend to paint happy pictures of every college campus.  How can you choose?  Easy: does it fit you?

What is the campus atmosphere?

jeremy.wilburn/Jeremy Wilburn

When it comes to a college campus: you need to see the whole picture and not just a carefully composed snapshot.  You should get a feel for the general atmosphere, the classrooms, and the students, things you can’t glean out of a college brochure.

You are potentially going to spend four years of your life (and plenty of money) here: make sure it’s a good fit — and that what’s portrayed in the brochure is what’s actually happening in real life.

A college campus may boast of its sprawling acreage or comfortable size, but what does that mean?  Are the classrooms that you need in convenient and close proximity to one another or will you need a car to get around?  Does the campus make you feel safe and protected?  Is it well-maintained?  If you crave the bright lights of the city, make sure that your college of choice isn’t under-estimating it’s distance to the action.

It can be hard to tell from a brochure just what a college campus is really like unless you actually take the time to check it out.  Get the real story – and keep our tips to remember when visiting a college campus in mind.  In this case, seeing is believing.  Schedule a campus tour when college is actually in session.  Skip the campus visit and you may strike out!

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Posted in Choosing a College, College Campus | 2 Comments »

How to Increase Your Odds After Sending in Your Application

Monday, January 11th, 2010

mailOnce you’ve sent in your college applications, you might think that there’s nothing else you can do to sway an admissions counselor in your favor. But that’s not always true. Here are a few ways to help your odds in the college admissions game.

While you’re waiting, visit the school and get involved. Schools like to know that they’re more than just a back-up option, so if you take the time to sign up for a school tour, talk with faculty members, take part in campus activities, and participate in an interview, admissions counselors will appreciate the fact that you’re eager to become a part of their community.

Interact with the college community online. In some cases, admissions officers manage their colleges’ profiles on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. Become a fan of the school, and start corresponding by asking relevant questions about the academic programs you’re interested in, or sending a note of congratulations for a recent award the school may have won. Don’t use this method to check on the status of your application, or to promote yourself as a candidate—but by engaging with the school community, you may be more likely to leave an impression on the admission officer who makes a decision on your application.

Send updates of recent awards or important activities. While you don’t want to get in your admissions officer’s face too often, if there’s something buzz-worthy going on in your life that didn’t make it onto your college application, by all means, let the school know about it. If the officers haven’t made a decision about you yet, finding out that your school science project just won a national prize might sway the odds in your favor.

Double-check with your high school that all necessary information has been filed. When an entire grade is going through the college admissions process, it’s easy for important materials to get lost in the shuffle—and just because you did your part doesn’t mean that your application is complete. To make sure that the colleges you’ve selected have all the right information on file, ask your high school’s college advisor to make sure that transcripts, recommendations, and other important details have been sent off.

Be creative. Don’t go overboard, but sometimes sending an original postcard or newsletter can help you stand out. Just keep it fun and friendly—resorting to bribery or doing anything that reeks of desperation is bound to turn admissions counselors off.

Do nothing. At many ultra-selective schools, admissions officers are sorting through mountains of applications, and don’t want to be bothered with more information after the stated deadline. Depending on the school, going overboard can actually hurt your chances of getting in—so, before sending in additional materials or a letter, have a look at your top school’s admissions guidelines, and see if it says anything about their perspective on materials sent after the deadline. In most cases, following up won’t cause problems, but it would be a shame if your hand-decorated letter went straight into the trash bin.

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Posted in College Admissions, College Applications | 4 Comments »

Beyond the Campus Tour: 7 Signs to Look for When You Visit a College

Friday, December 18th, 2009
Photo by Chaval Brasil

Chaval Brasil

As the time to choose a college approaches, you’ll probably want to visit as many schools as possible to get a feel for which one is the best fit for you. But sometimes, visiting a school is more of a distraction than an answer. After all, the tour guide is bound to show you the nicest dorm rooms (which you probably won’t have a chance of getting), but will she tell you which professors are the human equivalent to Nyquil?

To get the true scoop on college life, it’s important to get beyond the tour script and ask the tough questions. When you go, here’s what you’ll want to check out to see if the school’s worth applying to.

Sit in on a class. Don’t just take the tour guide’s word that the professors are fantastic—go sit in on a class in a field that you’re interested in, and find out for yourself! You’ll probably need to get the college admissions office’s approval to sit in on a course, but they should be able to help you find one that coincides with your visit, if your tour is during the regular school year. Check out ratemyprofessors.com to find out what regular students think of your lecturer.

Find out what students do for fun. Is most of the activity focused on-campus, or off? Is the Greek scene a big part of campus life? Does the whole campus go crazy for football, or do the students seem more artsy and independent? Depending on your interests, you’ll want to make sure that the school has what you need to thrive socially.

How’s the food? OK, maybe it’s not the most important thing, but you’ll be eating food from the college cafeteria every day for at least your first couple of years, so you’ll want to make sure it’s edible. Take a swing by the cafeteria for lunch to try it for yourself.

What sort of sports and outdoor activities can you take part in? If you love to run, take a look at the track. If swimming’s your thing, you’ll want to check out the pool facilities—and if you love mountain biking, then see how far you are from nearby trails, and how easy they are to get to. Some schools in beautiful areas, such as Colorado College, offer students the chance to take outdoors excursions every weekend. If you’d be interested, ask a student who’s attended one of the events about what it’s like.

How’s the library? You’ll probably be spending plenty of time there, especially during finals week. Is it well stocked? Is it quiet and comfortable enough to study in? Take a look at the students there—if they all seem incredibly stressed, it may not be the best place to spend four years of your life.

What’s off campus? At some schools, you’ll have enough to do that you’ll rarely want to leave campus—but when you do, what will you find? Is the college located in an interesting city with lots of cheap restaurants and nightlife options? Or are you an hour or more from any place worth seeing? While location isn’t everything, it can play a big part in your college experience, so it’s worth considering. (Check out our list of great college towns for some ideas of places to consider applying.)

How easy is it to get home? Obviously, this isn’t something to ask your campus tour guide—you’ll answer this question yourself when you make the trek there. If getting back and forth between home and the dorm seems like a huge hassle, it may not be the best place to set up shop for four years.

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Posted in Choosing a College, College Campus, College Classes, College Life, Housing | 13 Comments »