The Genius of the College Visit

"Go to college!"

Students hear this all day long from teachers, parents, grandparents, older siblings, and random strangers.  The advice is handed out like free candy, "Go to college!"  But here is a little nugget of wisdom that you don't always hear:  you will do much better IN college when you are 19 years old if you go TO college when you are 14 or 15 or 16 years old.  I'm not talking about being an early-college student, though that is a great fit for many students.  I'm talking about simply getting ON a college campus, touring a department, and seeing an actual college class.  I'm talking about going on a college visit, which too many students and parents overlook.  This little post will explain why the college visit is gold, and why you should definitely consider coming on every college visit you can.  

It's important to understand there are two types of college visits.  The first is where you take a tour of a college from the outside:  you are hosted by a student ambassador around campus, seeing the outside of buildings.  This is somewhat useful:  you get to know where buildings are, but not much about what classes look like, or what you would actually do as a college student.  The student ambassadors know a little bit about each program, which can be helpful for an overview.  So--should you go on a general college tour?  The answer is yes; however, there is a second question.  Should you also go on other tours or specific college departments?  The answer is a very large yes.

These second type of college visits are very focused on a specific area of study within a College or Department.  The only difference between the terms is size:  a large university will refer to these as "colleges"; a small college will refer to these as "departments".  For example, Weber State has several colleges, including the College of Health Professions, the College of Engineering, Applied Science and Technology, College of Performing Arts, College of Education, and several others.  Each "College" or "Department" offers various degrees and programs.   A visit to these smaller "colleges" or "departments" helps students explore degrees and programs, meet with professors, see actual classrooms and labs, and understand what a college student would actually do on a day-to-day basis.

The difference is that the first sort of visit gives a big overview of the campus; the second visit gives an up-close snapshot of a college experience.  In my experience, both are valuable...but the second is priceless.  If you are only going on the first type of visit, you might choose where to study based on the size or architecture of the buildings, the student ambassador's winning (or not so winning) personality, and if you liked the free water bottle they give on the hour-long tour.  The problem with this is that the size and architecture of a building do not determine whether the classes and programs taught inside are thoughtful and personal.  The student ambassador might be awesome, but they are not the person that student needs to approach for help.  They need to see if the professors at the college are approachable, and this only happens by actually meeting the professors.  Last of all, you will get more loot from a Department tour than a single water bottle.  The loot I'm talking about:  department funding and scholarships.  The type that aren't posted on a website--they are simply known and advertised by the people in the program.  And the sooner you make contact with the Professors, the Secretaries, the Recruiters of that department (who are the exact people we meet on these college tours)...the sooner you have a chance at applying and winning these scholarships.  Better than a water bottle?  Oh, yeah.

Are you convinced yet?  No?!?!  Alright...here's some cool things that have happened on our various trips to specific colleges at Weber State this year:

• At the College of Visual Arts, we learned about scholarships that are available to students for volunteering with art shows.  This is not advertised anywhere on the website, and the opportunity to receive funding ranges from half-tuition to full-tuition.  ($$$$$$)
• At the College of Visual Arts, each student learned about what an art portfolio should contain, by the professors who would be judging them for scholarships.  (Helpful Info)  
• The Head of the College of Performing Arts gave us a personal tour of the Browning Building, and gave the students his personal card.  "You can contact me if you have questions," he told an 8th grader.   (Networking)  
• We learned about ALL the degree and career options offered by the College of Health Professions, not just the well-known nursing program.  There are many options for careers in the Health Professions, that many students would take if they simply knew about the possibilities.  (Career Exploration)
• The recruiter from the College of Education walked us around campus, showing us out-of-the-way spots for great studying, free food, and cool resources that most students never discover.    (College Savvy)  

Remember:  you can just say "go to college" and hope that things will work out...OR you can help your student get to campus throughout their junior high and high school years.  They will explore the buildings and departments, visit with professors, learn about their options, and understand what it means to "go to college".  Parents, if you want your students to go to college, support them to come on a college visit.  And by the way, you are invited to come too!  We would love to have loads of parents join us!  Students, make these college trips a priority and come on as many as possible.  Even if you don't see yourself in a particular field, still come and explore!  Many students who don't see themselves in the medical field as a doctor or nurse, might be interested in a field as a Health Administrator.  And you don't usually hear about these careers except on a college tour, so come and explore all the possibilities!

Hope to see you on our next College Visit:  The College of Engineering, Applied Science and Technology on May 20th from 12:30 p.m. -  3:30 p.m.  It's going to be awesome!  We get to tour labs, meet with professors, and explore degree and career options!  Pick up a permission slip in the counseling department this week and get it turned in by May 18th!
Email brooke.krim@davinciacademy.org with any questions.