How to take a College Tour...

Last post, I wrote about fly-in programs and as an extension of that topic, I thought I would briefly touch on college tours in general. One of the comments that many of the students I work with have when they visit colleges is "Wow! People are visiting from everywhere. How did they get here?" We will be at a college in say, Connecticut, and there will be students from California, Texas, Alabama, etc. As I skimmed over in the last post, low-income students simply don't have the opportunities to visit colleges like their more financially well-off peers. It's a hard, but necessary conversation to explain to them that all those "people" have the money to travel and go on these tours from the time they enter high school. So, I try to help my students make the most of the tours that they are able to take when they enter the latter years of high school. And, this information is great for ALL students, but especially those for financial need. Knowing "how" to take a college tour can help a student have a much smoother college process.

First, students should do their homework. Most selective colleges aren't going to go through every statistic at a school. While, they may explain all of their professional schools or show a list of majors, they won't get into the fine print. Students should read what they can online from the school website and from sites like College Greenlight and the College Board. It will make what they say in the information session and on the tours make so much more sense.

Come with questions. Sure, this sounds easy, but I'm always surprised at how few questions students ask their tour guides (usually students) at the end of a tour. Come with a list and think of more as you go throughout the tour. Most importantly, the students should ask the questions. It's fine for a parent or teacher to ask a financial aid question here or there, but ultimately, the student is the one who will attend.

A tour is more than a tour. Got it?

No seriously, these days students can go to information sessions, sit in on a real class, spend the night on campus, and visit specialized schools (engineering, etc.). For students who may only get to visit a campus once, the should take advantage of those opportunities. A tour is just one person's opinion and perspective of an institution. Get as many opinions as you can and see the real stuff. Eat in the dining hall. Sit outside during the class change.

All of these pointers are just a starting point, but hopefully it gives students a better idea of what they really want and need to see in a college campus.

Fly-in Programs

When I started in the scholarship/foundation world, I was unaware of a number of things related to college advising. One of the most helpful pieces of information I have picked up on over the years is related to fly-in programs. While lots of college counselors at bigger schools now about these programs, I think many at smaller, particularly rural and/or less-funded schools are unaware.

A low-income, academic superstar wants to go to college. They start taking all the necessary steps. For their higher-income peers, one of those steps is to visit schools before they apply. Great idea, right? Sure, if you have the money for flights, hotels, etc. What is the other student supposed to do to make that happen? Fly-in programs are the solution.

Fly-in programs are programs sponsored by the institution for underrepresented students to visit. They often cover all travel and boarding, and usually include programming so that students can truly experience the campus. It often gives them a chance to meets more like themselves and get a sense of how an institution might serve a student like them.

College Greenlight has a great list: http://blog.collegegreenlight.com/blog/2014-college-fly-in-programs/. If a teacher or counselor wants to know about a certain school, the best way to find out is to contact the admissions office. Schools often have an email newsletter to which someone could subscribe. Not all students will qualify, but at least it is a starting point for leveling the playing field.

Fee waivers for standardized tests

People often talk about how expensive it is to actually take the ACT or SAT. Is that correct? Absolutely. However, the cost of a standardized test should not deter a student with financial need from taking a necessary step in the path to a four-year college.

$52.50 That's the cost of a single SAT registration.

$26. That's the cost of a basic SAT II Subject Test fee.

It's not cheap. However, students who fall within a certain income, essentially qualifying for free and reduced lunch, are able to get fee waivers from their school counselor. Here's where you can find information about these waivers specific to the SAT: https://sat.collegeboard.org/register/sat-fee-waivers.  Students can also use the waivers to send a certain amount of free test scores, which is really helpful.

The ACT with Writing is about the same price: $54.50. Again the ACT offers information as well about waivers: http://www.actstudent.org/faq/feewaiver.html.

Definitely have students talk with their counselors about obtaining fee waivers. If you are at a school with no counselors or a small staff, then contact ACT or SAT directly. Taking a standardized test is one of the first steps to applying to a four-year institution, and the cost should not be a barrier.

College. Hard to get there. Even harder to finish.

I'm lucky enough to spend my work life helping students do both. My first years in education were spent in the classroom as a high school English teacher and what I found out was that I really loved advising students. Teaching them about Huck Finn, the writing process, and new vocabulary word was great, but what made me really passionate were those conversations I had with students about their goals and hopes for the future. I loved helping them think about how to plan out their college essays and even as ninth graders, think about where they might want to be in 5 or 10 years. So, the short of the long is that I made a shift. Now, I work with high-acheiving low-income students and help them navigate getting to and through college starting in 8th grade.

For low-income students, the process of applying to and choosing a college is often more complicated than their more affluent peers. I'll be using this blog to write on topics that are about the resources that are out there for low-income students to apply to and successfully make it through college. While this tiny little space can't house all of the information out there, it certainly can provide others with some great ideas, opportunities, and resources that I have been able to come across during my work.

First stop in the next post: fee waivers for standardized tests.