You’re ready to embark on this journey called the college search, right? You probably have lots and lots of questions.
Here’s a little secret about college admission counselors: We love questions. We love to talk about the college search process and the institutions we represent. And we especially love when students ask us questions beyond the basic three: location, size and available majors.
Chances are, the first place you’ll meet an admission counselor is at a college fair. College fairs are the buffet dinners of the college search process: You can taste many different options, but you can only digest a limited amount of information. So what information should you seek? And how?
Take advantage of admission counselors’ gift for gab! Scott Ozaroski, associate director of admissions at Hawai’i Pacific University in Honolulu, notes, “A brochure may list the majors offered at a school, but taking the time to talk to an admissions counselor can give you so much more insight. We can tell you what kinds of classes are included in the major, what internships might be available, who some of the interesting professors are, and what types of careers that major might lead to.”
So don’t just swing by the table of Interesting University to pick up a brochure and smile meekly at the counselor before shuffling away. Instead, walk up to the table and introduce yourself. If you don’t know where the school is located or what type of institution it is—public or private, large or small—ask.
If you know what types of academic programs interest you, ask if the school offers them. Then, if the school sounds like a viable possibility, ask the questions I call the “Fabulous Five.”
I wish I could say that I invented the Fabulous Five, but they were actually born of conversations I had with savvy students who knew how to mine the riches of a college fair.
Fabulous question 1: How would you describe the student body’s personality?
Each college campus has a personality, revealed through its student body. Of course, not everyone on campus has exactly the same personality, but a student body tends to value certain qualities.
For example, some campuses are politically liberal; some are conservative. A student body might especially value the arts, or athletics or community service. This question helps you determine if you might fit in well among your potential classmates.
Fabulous question 2: How is this school distinctive?
Each school has a unique story. In fact, most schools have
many unique stories. Maybe you’ll learn about a newly developed
internship program; maybe you’ll hear about an unusual curriculum or a special program for freshmen.
Because college administrators can’t include every extraordinary opportunity in publications or on Web sites, this question is one of the best ways to learn about them.
(Hint: If the counselor mentions a program or opportunity that interests you, make a note to follow up with an e-mail or a phone call to get more information.)
Fabulous question 3: How many students transfer to another school during or after their first year?
This question offers a glimpse of how satisfied current students are. You obviously want to attend a school where your peers are generally happy.
Sometimes a high transfer rate indicates that students aren’t finding what they thought they’d find at the school; sometimes a high transfer rate is related to a change in curriculum or financial aid. If the transfer rate is high, ask why and listen carefully to the response.
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