GUEST STUDENT OF THE WEEK: Rohan is a freshman at Dartmouth (and loves it) having gotten in ED for the Class of 2023. He's here to debunk myths regarding admissions and student life at his school. ASK HIM ANYTHING!
Make sure to check out our May Checklists for HS Juniors and HS Seniors. Consult these quick resources to get you started on the process this month.
As we work to adjust to the current reality, make sure to check out these dedicated COVID-19 resources: our directory of virtual campus tours, our directory of extended deadlines, as well as the list of schools going test optional this fall.
Replies to: Summer visits-where are you headed, any tips?
We did that the summer before my eldest entered 9th grade. She was invited to fly to a basketball tournament in SoCal. During some downtime at the tournament, I drove all three kids (entering 6th, 7th and 9th grades) to USC, UCLA, the 5 Cs (Pomona, Claremont McKenna, etc), Pepperdine, UC San Diego and then rounded off what was missing on that trip by visiting a couple of local colleges in our area when we returned home.
Warning: NEVER take an impressionable youngster to Pepperdine. As we pulled up to the security gate, my soon to be 9th grader said, "I am pretty sure this is the college for me." The 7th grader chimed in, "Yes, me too Papa."
I retorted, "You didn't even meet the security guard, let alone step foot on the campus or even know a single thing about this university."
Also, does anyone else's high school offer their own college tours? Our school does..they usually do one to the East Coast and sometimes the Midwest. They've also added tours to the Bay Area and Pacific Northwest (due to popular demand). The parents do have to pay for these trips and they're not super cheap. The college counselors and a few other teachers go as chaperones. From my D's class about 8 kids went. From my S's class about 5 went. I know some years they don't do the trips because there isn't enough interest..they cancel the trips if less then 4 kids sign up. If anyone's school offers these they could be way for your kid to get a visit in, if you can't take them yourself. But, there are cheaper ways to go and tour colleges. Our kids never went, primarily because it was way too expensive and they weren't interested in the any of the schools on the tour. Most of the schools they visit are the super selective ones...our kids aren't in that range.
We are not doing a lot of visits this summer because she's a sophomore. But, we hope to visit one school she is very interested in because of two particular majors - the University of Akron. Not a household name on this forum, but very good for what she wants to study. I have a ton of cousins in Akron, and spend a lot of my childhood visiting, so it's almost like a second home to me.
There is not a lot on the forum about UA, so if anyone has any thoughts feel free to PM me.
Just some stuff to keep in mind..
So far, we have toured UCLA (fantastic job by our engineering tour guide), USC (general presentation only, superficial, should have done the engineering tour, but we were newbies then), UCSB (son not thrilled, however I was so taken by that campus I will be attending in the Fall of 2020 - I WISH), UCSD (very poorly executed presentation and tour), U of Miami (Ohio) (well done!), U if Michigan (okay, I get it. U of M is the best university in the world); U of Rochester (engineering presentation got my son’s wheels turning, big time; had to peel him out of the labs); and Cornell (just magnificent; no other word will do).
Next....OSU (this is what I am rooting for! Go Bucks!), Vanderbilt, Northwestern And Notre Dame.
Some of these schools are on his list, some are parent picks.
The Fall has a few more on deck, as his list his evolving as he learns more...but all of the potential ED picks are scheduled or done and will be vetted by Aug 1, when the Fall sport begins and the first app (safeties go first) can be prepped for the send button.
One thing which has not changed, at all, through all of the tours, is what he focuses on. He pays no attention to the look and feel of the campus; the other students could be from Mars for all he cares. Dorms - zippo concern. Student activities (no matter, he will find something he likes); urban/suburban/rural - who cares? Weather? It is only four years, I can take anything for four years. Okay, he cares about the hockey rink, but that’s pretty much it.
We thought that seeing such hugely different schools would make him think about quality of life issues. Nope. Not one bit.