How to Survive College Tours with your Stressed Out Teenager

Mar 8

Mar 8 How to Survive College Tours with your Stressed Out Teenager

College Admissions, Planning Ahead, 11th Grade

Make the Most Out of Every College Visit!

As you head out on college tours this spring, we want to help you anticipate how to get the most out of your trips (and maybe we’ll save you from some adolescent eye rolls in the meantime!). Follow our grassy path to a successful college trip:

1) KEEP AN EYE ON THE BULLETIN BOARDS & PICK UP THE COLLEGE NEWSPAPER
Bulletin boards and newspapers say a lot about life on campus. Are students politically engaged? More focused on intellectual pursuits outside of the classroom? Excited about social gatherings? What kinds of clubs are available? Are the boards full of exciting and varied events?

2) TALK TO STUDENTS ON CAMPUS, AND IN CLASS!
The tour guides will rave about their experiences, but what is life really like for undergraduate students? A school’s tour guide can offer a wonderful wealth of information during any campus tour, but talking to a variety of students on campus will give you and your child the best sense of what it’s actually like to go there! Many students are happy to stop and chat to prospective students, and sitting in on a class is another great way to get exposure to professors and students on campus.

3) LET YOUR KIDS DO THE TALKING
Try your best to hold off on “embarrassing” questions (we know it’s tempting!) and allow your child to drive conversations. Your children will thank you for it later!

4) THOROUGHLY DOCUMENT THE TRIP
College visits can quickly start to feel like a blur. Encourage your child to write down the names of tour guides, buildings, classes, professors, and anything else they observe, so that their admissions essays can be chock full of details when they go to explain why they are specifically interested in each of the schools on their list.

5) HAVE LUNCH...ON CAMPUS!
Many schools give you a voucher for a meal on campus. Eating in one of the student cafeterias means understanding how the student body interacts and allows for some good eavesdropping!

We know what a pivotal time this is in your child’s life, and we want to make sure you have all the support you need during this exciting time! If you have any questions in advance of your child’s college visits give us a call at 646.638.3504.