by Calli Christenson
Founder and Lead Consultant
CLC College Prep Services
Calli Christenson, CLC College Prep Services
We are so fortunate and excited to introduce our newest LubbockForKids.com contributor: Calli Christenson with CLC College Prep Services. Calli and her team at CLC assist high school students across the country, and internationally, with the ever-changing college prep process… and they are based right here in Lubbock! Calli will share education and college prep tips with us from time to time, starting with her first guest blog that features great info for families who may be hitting the road over spring break to visit potential college campuses.
Welcome Calli!
Spring Break is right around the corner and provides the perfect time for high school students and parents to visit college campuses.A strong campus visit is the single best way to determine if a school is the right fit, and will ultimately help your child to narrow his or her college list. Amidst the many tasks that high school students juggle – studying for college entrance exams, completing school assignments and filing college applications, to name a few – it is important to prioritize this piece of the college search and application process. College visits during the sophomore and junior year of high school can prove to be very beneficial. As you and your child get ready for this exciting time, here are a few tips to help you make the most of upcoming college tours:
Plan Ahead and Prioritize.
As you prepare for college visits, do your research and prioritize campuses you and your child want to see. The reality is that you simply won’t be able to visit them all. A good rule of thumb is to visit no more than two schools in one day. This should provide enough time to not only experience each campus, but to also get a taste of the surrounding neighborhoods and gain a better understanding of area safety, social life and job opportunities close to campus. Include your child in the planning process and use sites like Goseecampus.com or the College Board’s Campus Visit Guide as resources to help with planning.
Photo provided by CLC College Prep Services
Make it Official.
Although it can be tempting to do a campus “drive thru” and call it good, students and families who participate in official visits gain a greater understanding of the university as a whole. Typically, short information sessions are offered on the front or back end of a student-led campus tour. The info session presents a “highlight reel” of the campus and allows participants to ask questions. The campus tour is a way to see and experience, first-hand, the very best of each school’s facilities, traditions and culture. This information will reach far beyond what you might pick up from reading the school’s website or skimming a brochure you receive in the mail. Due to the high volume of visitors during popular travel times, it is important to register for these events through the school’s website, or by calling the admission office at least a couple of weeks in advance.
Take Advantage of Special Opportunities.
Many colleges allow prospective students to sit in on a class, tour a specific department, eat lunch in a dining hall or participate in an overnight visit. Don’t hesitate to inquire about special programs available. The opportunity to speak with a current student or meet with a faculty member can be a terrific way for students to experience life at the college and gain a better understanding of how and where they may fit at each school.
Document Your Visits.
As you take in each campus, encourage your child to document their thoughts through writing and taking pictures. By the time senior year rolls around, it will be difficult to keep all of the colleges and information neatly organized in your brain. Campus notes and pictures will help students quickly recall their overall impressions. Furthermore, as your student begins writing college essays, many schools will ask for detailed reasons for why they have chosen to apply. The ability to remember specifics from each school can make all the difference in essays that stand out from the crowd.
Let Your Child Lead.
As difficult as it might seem, your visits will likely be much more enjoyable and productive if you let your child experience them as the maturing adult that they are. There is a lot of value in parents visiting colleges with their kids, but the reality is that most teenagers want to feel in charge, confident, and self-sufficient – especially when surrounded by their peers. Encourage your child to engage, but don’t be disappointed if he or she doesn’t seem overly enthusiastic. This is all part of the process, and as your student moves closer to choosing a college, you will likely begin to hear more about their interests, dislikes and likes of the campuses they’ve toured. Simple steps like letting your child set-up the campus visit or allowing them to ask the majority of questions will show your child that you not only trust them, but you also support them on this exciting journey.
Photo provided by CLC College Prep Services
Calli Christenson is an Independent Educational Consultant and founder of CLC College Prep Services. Prior to college consulting, she worked in undergraduate admissions, most recently serving as the Director of Undergraduate Admissions and Recruiting at Vanguard University of Southern California. Calli is a Professional Member of the Independent Education Consultants Association (IECA) and holds a Certificate in Independent Educational Consulting from the University of California, Irvine. She is a member of the Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA), Texas Association for College Admission Counseling (TACAC) and a 2011 graduate of the IECA Summer Training Institute at Swarthmore College.
Questions for Calli? Just comment below or she can be reached at calli@clccollegeprep.com. Follow her on Twitter @clccollegeprep and on Facebook at clccollegeprep
