Like a Good Neighbor…

In yesterday’s Chronicle of Higher Education, a short article commented on a new survey that examined the relationship between colleges and universities and their surrounding towns. The results were presented at the annual conference of the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities and top honors went to the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Southern California.
Why is it important for colleges and universities to have good “civic partnerships” with their surrounding towns?
Well, a town is an extension of a college campus. Students should not only feel comfortable on campus, but they should also be excited to explore the world outside of the campus gates.
Also, towns and cities can determine if a college or universities is allowed to complete certain campus improvement projects, such as new buildings or stadiums. If there is a poor relationship, sometimes those projects may be delayed.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, this survey recognizes schools that have given back to their communities. Community service is a great opportunity for any college student and it is great for students to see positive results right outside their front doors.
 
Katherine Price
Educational Consultant

College Interview Tips

a student sitting in a college interview in front of teachers

Fall is when most high school seniors have college interviews. The interview is an important opportunity for you to show the college certain things about yourself that may not come through on paper. Not every school allows interviews and it is important that you look at college websites to find out more about their interview policies. You also want to find out how the interview will be used in the review of your file. Often a summary of the conversation you had with the interviewer will be placed in your file and it is sometimes used in the admission process as a gauge of your interest in the college.

There are several different interview formats out there as well. Some schools offer a traditional, one-on-one conversation with an admissions officer, student who works in the admissions office or with an Alumnus of the college or university. You should be professional no matter which person you interview with. Just because you interview with a student does not mean you should let your guard down and be unprofessional. You may have the opportunity to meet with an Alumnus in your area if you are unable to visit the college campus at a time when interviews are offered.

This is a great opportunity to talk to someone who attended the college and find out how being a student there has benefited them later in life. Another interview style that colleges use is with a panel (sometimes composed of a professor, school administrator, alumnus, admissions officer or student). This type of interview can be overwhelming, but it is a great opportunity for you to gain perspective about the college from several different people.

Some schools require you to participate in a group interview. During group interviews, evaluators are trying to determine your ability to work with others and what role you typically play in a group setting. While these types of interviews are somewhat harder to prepare for. It is a great opportunity to show some of your talents! No matter what type of interview you participate in. It is important to keep in mind that this is an significant piece of your college application.

Here are a few things to consider when interviewing with a college:

Time is important:

Make sure you schedule an appointment for your interview. Do not assume you will be able to get a time slot the day you happen to be on campus. Most schools will not conduct interviews on weekends either. Also, be on time. Everyone understands that things happen and you may be late for your interview. If this is the case, be sure to call the office and let them know. Finally, the interviewers schedule may be tight, so make sure you say what you feel is the most important thing for them to know about you in the beginning of the interview.

Do your research:

If you do interview with a school, make sure it is one that you are really interested in. Ask well research questions about specific programs or activities offered at the school. Remember this is also the time for you to find out if the school is a good fit for you. The interviewer will also ask you why you are interested in a school or a specific program at the school. Make sure you have thought about your answer ahead of time!

Be professional:

You don’t have to wear a suit for your interview, but make sure your appearance is appropriate. Most interviewers understand that you are touring college campuses before or after your interview. So most are not expecting high heels and three piece suits. You should however, not be wearing your sweatpants or short shorts. Also, make sure you are not wearing too much perfume or cologne. Strong smells can be really over powering and a distraction for the interviewer. Finally, make sure that you cell phone is off or leave it in the lobby with your parents. Even having your phone on vibrate can be a negative distraction.

Watch your language:

You are not having a conversation with your friends, so watch how much slang you use and no profanity! If you are a person that uses the word “like” every other word, then practice having conversations without it!

Ask yourself some questions:

The interviewer will ask you questions such as, “How would you describe yourself?” “How would your teachers describe you?” “What is your favorite subject?” “What are you interested in studying in college?” Make sure you have some good answers.

Write a thank you note:

This shows the interviewer that you appreciated him or her taking time out of his or her day to interview you. You want the note to be grammatically correct and remember- it will probably end up in your admission file and resurface at the time your file is reviewed.

Katherine Price
Former Interviewer

Chapman University is Creating Global Citizens

Earlier this week  I had the opportunity to visit Chapman University in Orange, CA.  Not only was I impressed by the beautiful campus and updated facilities, but the discussion of their Global Citizen initiative also caught my attention.  Chapman has included a Global Citizen requirement in their general education curriculum.  Students can fulfill this requirement by studying abroad or by completing related courses on campus.  Chapman not only has the goal of increasing the number of students who study abroad, but they also want all students to be exposed to course work related to global study.  Basically being a “citizen of the world” is a big deal at Chapman.  Something that might be worth mentioning in an essay or in a discussion with an Admission Officer.  Most colleges and universities have similar types of initiatives on their campuses.  Whether it is increasing diversity, educating students to be socially responsible or adding an ethics requirement to the curriculum, find out what the initiatives are at the schools you are applying to.  It might be interesting to see what direction your favorite college or university is headed!
Katherine Price
Educational Planner
 
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Campus Cuisine–It's Not Your Standard Cafeteria Fare Anymore

One of the most important stops on a campus visit is the dining hall.  While I try to remind my clients that education the primary “service” they are purchasing when they look at a college or university, it is true that they are also choosing a home for the next four years.

So residence halls are important.  Will you be comfortable?

And dining halls are also key.  Will you find a pleasing, nutritious, and varied diet?

In the past decade or two, dining halls have undergone an overhaul. In part, this is because the consumer–kids–have developed more discriminating palate.

Gone is the usual rotation of Salibury steak (a.k.a. “mystery meat”), macaroni and cheese, and breaded chicken cutlets with a slab of cheese (we used to call these horrifying things “elephant scabs”).

Now it’s Vietnamese pho (noodle soup), mini-samosas, goat cheese salad and chicken mole.

Check out what these colleges are doing (courtesy of an article in the Associated Press) to offer more flexible dining options:

  • Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn., offers recyclable takeout containers called “GustieWare” in the dining halls.
  • This fall, Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, N.Y., will offer students on its meal plan a chance to pick up groceries in the cafeteria as an alternative to a cooked meal.
  • At Pitzer College in Claremont, Calif., food waste from the dining hall is used as compost for an organic garden where students grow lettuce, peppers, corn, kale, squash, carrots and other vegetables.

So as you visit campuses, make sure to ask about various dining options, and take the time to have at least one meal in the primary dining hall.  You should even ask students (I  nab ’em while they are standing in line) what they think of the meals on campus, and what the other options are) how they feel about the food.   Before you rush to judgment, keep in mind that any institutional food will become overly familiar to the student who eats in a dining hall day after day, semester after semester.

And also keep in mind that all these dining options do cost money.  One of the biggest cost jumps in college costs in recent years has been increases in the cost of “room and board,” with board being that Vietnamese pho, goat cheese, and premium organic groceries.

Mark Montgomery
Educational Consultant

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Visiting College Campuses: A Tour Guide Shares Tips

Sometimes campus tour guides go above and beyond.  While on the University of Alabama campus recently, I was treated to a private tour by a polite, knowledgeable, and good humored young gentleman.  He gave me the grand tour, and fielded my penetrating questions very well.  So I asked him whether he thought it would be sufficient for a student to get a complete picture of life at Alabama by taking his tour.  “Absolutely not!” he insisted.  So I asked him to elaborate.

In this short video, Andrew explains his strategies for visiting a college campus.




Mark Montgomery
College Consultant



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College Visits: Remember Three Important Features

When I visit college and university campuses, I try to search for a few distinguishing features that will help me remember what makes this particular institution stand out from its peers.  Often I will start by asking admissions counselors–who are, after all, in the business of marketing–what they see as the three most important things I need to remember about a school.  Sometimes admissions officers are exceedingly helpful in identifying those unique features.  Sometimes not.

When I was on a tour of Connecticut colleges recently, I asked a representative of the University of Bridgeport to identify the three most important aspects of her campus.  This is what she said.



Mark Montgomery
College Consultant


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Visiting College Campuses: Observations by a Professional Tour-Taker

university of manchester

I spent a few days in Minnesota last week visiting colleges. My itinerary included (in alphabetical order) Augsburg College, Carleton College, Macalester College, University of Minnesota, and St. Olaf College.
Why do I spend so much time and money investing in college visits? So I can help you find the best college for you. I’m a matchmaker, spend time to learn about you. I spend time learning about colleges. And I can match you to the right place.
But the subject of today’s post is not about me.

It’s a list of observations that can help you get more out of your college visit.

ASK QUESTIONS

When I was at Macalester, it was preview day for admitted students. Scads of families wandering around campus in groups of three (one student, two parents). And tours left from the admissions office constantly all morning. So at any one time, I could run between this tour and that one, listening in on the tour guides’ patter and make some comparisons. I must have followed six different tours. Despite the constant refrain from the tour guides (“Do you have any questions?”) virtually nobody asked any. If you don’t know what questions to ask on a campus tour, look at this post of things you might consider asking.

DON’T LET THE PARENTS DO ALL THE TALKING

A word to the wise, folks. It’s not a good idea for parents to ask all the questions. It makes the students look dorky and shy. It makes it seem that your parents are making this decision for you. I know it may feel uncomfortable in a group environment, but show some curiosity! You are considering investing four years of your life in a college, and to just follow a tour passively without engaging yourself is really a waste of time.

TAKE NOTES

I am constantly amazed that virtually no one on a college tour (except me) takes notes. This is a perfect job for a parent (let the student ask the questions, and the parents can be the silent scribes). Often I ask parents how many colleges they are visiting, and many cite double digit numbers. How can they keep it all straight? How can they make meaningful comparisons if they don’t write down their impressions and discuss them afterward?

No one can possibly retain all the information divulged in a tour. While I do know that picking a college can have a “gut level” aspect to it, it’s important to take notes to give yourself a “gut check” after the tour is over.

IGNORE THE WEATHER

It was raining in St. Paul the day I visited Macalester. Dreary. Cold. The weather can affect our moods, and it’s important to keep that fact in mind when visiting a campus. Of course, you will want to consider the climate when picking a college. For example, Minnesota’s winters are not the same as Florida’s.

And you will want to take into account how the college is integrated into the environment (for example, St. Olaf has lots of skylights and enormous windows that let in tons of natural light–even on a frigid, winter morning, while Carleton–two miles away–has fewer windows, more classic “collegiate” architecture, and a less airy feel). But don’t let the weather on a single day dampen your enthusiasm for a college that seems perfect in all other respects.

DON’T KILL (or HUG) the MESSENGER.

Tour guides can be wonderful. Or awful. I really enjoyed my tour guide at St. Olaf. He was a funny, intelligent young man who showed his pride for St. Olaf without showing off. A few hours later, at Carleton, my tour guide was equally enthusiastic but spent a good portion of the tour talking about herself. She came off as smarty pants and was much less helpful in communicating interest in her college. For example, when one prospective student declared her interest in art, the tour guide just pointed to the building.

When the prospective student asked if we could take a short detour inside, the initial response was “It’s not on the tour.” But since she was the only student and I was also interested, I convinced the tour guide it was worth a quick look. It turned out that the tour guide had never been in that building before, and had never even looked into any of the art studios. The point is, some tour guides are great, and others are lousy. Don’t judge the college by the quality of the tour guide.

TOURS ARE CAREFULLY CHOREOGRAPHED

It was fun to compare tours at Macalester. I could just hang out in the foyer of the library and wait for new tour groups to shuffle through. And for each tour, the guide’s patter was virtually identical. Maybe the order in which the information was presented was different. But each guide used the same phrases. The same script. Keep in mind that every building, every stop on the tour has been carefully chosen by the director of admission to pique your interest and to show off all the positive aspects of the college.

At all times you should be asking yourself, “What are they NOT showing me?” and “Why did they pick this building and not that one over there?” The point is not to trip up the tour guide and hijack the tour. But once the tour is over, spend the time to investigate the corners of the campus you did NOT visit on the tour.

For example, it’s always a red flag for me when a tour does not stop at the library. Ordinarily, it should be the centerpiece of the intellectual life of the college. If the tour does not stop there, I know something is up. Perhaps it’s ugly. Perhaps it’s never used. Perhaps there is not enough study space. The point is that you have to look beyond the script and the choreography if you’re really going to get the most out of your college visit.

I love visiting colleges. I learn a ton, and get a good feel for the campus geography, the “vibe” of the student body, and a sense of what it might be like to attend. But visiting is work, folks. Don’t be a passive recipient of the college’s party line. Investigate! Inquire!

Mark Montgomery
Great College Advice