Most parents would like to be involved in their child’s college selection process. Sometimes it’s hard to know how much is enough, though. From my perspective as a student, it’s best to monitor and advise, but not to invade.
I am the youngest of three children, so my parents were pros when it came to college admissions. If you are experiencing your first child going off to college, that’s a whole other ball game which may require more planning and research. No matter what, keep in mind that this decision affects your child more than it affects you, so let them make the final decision.
My parents had a tactful strategy. They had several early conversations with me about what I found important in a potential school. These aspects generally included a strong marketing program (my major), plentiful extracurricular opportunities, and a comfortable campus with an active & social student body. My parents would share their concerns, which included campus safety, finances, distance from home, etc.
Once they knew that I had listened to their point of view, I was free to research any schools I wanted. I came up with a list of around fifteen schools and eventually narrowed that down to the six that I would apply to. As soon as I had my finalists, my parents went into hyperdrive. They made lists, spreadsheets and poster board-sized charts about the benefits and drawbacks of attending these schools. They helped me rank my schools into ‘reach schools,’ ‘safety schools’ and the ones that fell somewhere in the middle. Finally, my dad accompanied me on a trip to the east coast to visit a couple of them.
Ultimately, I decided to attend Syracuse University, a choice that my parents and I were equally comfortable with. My mom swears that after all the time she spent looking into other schools, she “always knew I would go to Syracuse.”
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Adam Britten is a senior at Syracuse University majoring in Marketing Management. Follow him on Twitter @AdamBritten. Read his previous post on this blog, “The most important questions to ask a campus tour guide.”
When you are touring a school for the first time, you will have many opportunities to ask questions. Don’t throw them away by not speaking up; this is your chance to learn the real truth about the campus. Nobody knows the ins-and-outs of a school better than a student tour guide. While giving tours of Syracuse University, I’ve heard some interesting questions, and some that were downright strange. But the worst is when people don’t ask questions at all. Before you visit, brainstorm and prepare yourself. Don’t waste your time asking questions like “what’s the student/faculty ratio” or “how many people apply every year.” The answers to basic questions like these are usually readily available in the school’s online and offline publications. If you are about to tour a potential school, here are the questions you should ask.
