I’m going to a preview day for the college I’m attending (most likely) in the fall. What should I expect? They didn’t provide too much info on the pamphlets and such. I’m bringing my parents and sibling along with me, and my parents don’t have very good uh… etiquette? and my sibling just whines and complains about how they want to stay in the hotel room. Should I just leave them behind and go hang out with the other kids? Or do they have to go everywhere I go?
Not really sure what you mean by preview day. This varies from school to school. Some schools simply run tours and different seminars to learn, while others may have you shadow students or check out some classes. I would ask in this college’s specific forum.
Every school does it differently. Some schools have separate programs for parents, others do not. See if there is a program online.
Depending on the school, there may be combined events such as panel discussions, as well as separate events when students go one way and families another. I have never been to a school where parents or sibs were welcome to attend class, that was clearly only for prospective students. Your family should plan on spending at least some of the time on alternate activities – is there a children’s musuem, or parks, in town? If you are driving and the car isn’t jammed up, can younger sibs bring a scooter to ride around campus, something to keep them busy and active?
Preview Day is really for the accepted students. Schools may have events for parents but rarely do they have anything for younger siblings. Is there any way for one parent to stay home with the younger ones while one parent goes with you? That’s what we did last year. If the school is within 2 hours and you drive, is there any way you can go by yourself or with a friend? Many of D’s friends did that last year. The last thing to suggest is to drop you off at the school and the rest of the family go sightsee around the college and meet you at a certain time in a certain place. We did this for a couple of college visits.
Generally colleges separate parents and students…there will be activities for parents (Understanding Financial Aid and the like) and separate activities for you. This is for YOU to decide where you want to go.
I would encourage your parents that if one of them wants to stay at the hotel with sibling you are cool with that.
Go to your college’s website and google “admitted student’s day” and i bet you can find an agenda.
@SlackerMomMD We’re driving across the state (6 hoursish), so no can do with the putting them at home thing. And both of my parents both want to go (they pretty much insisted), and they’re only bringing my brother so he can get a free lunch. No one else in my school got into this school, so I don’t think I’ll have many friends to pair up with…
Make sure to call them and make sure the program they are promising is what is available. We flew across country and my kid spent the afternoon hanging out in the library and the cafe.