Over the past few weeks, I’ve discussed creating a list of colleges to visit and when to go. (If you missed these posts, click here.) The next step is to determine what information you want to learn while you’re there. What questions are you going to ask to evaluate the schools effectively? Questions that will truly tell you and your teen about the college experience.
First, create a running list of questions you have. Post a piece of paper where you and your teen can both contribute to the list. Doing this is helpful when you randomly get inspiration for a question that you don’t want to forget.
Some good questions to get you started are:
- What are the class sizes both for general studies and in your chosen major?
- What percentage of freshmen live on campus?
- How accurate is the net price calculator on your website?
- What percentage of freshmen graduate within four years?
To ensure you get a complete list of questions, break them into categories. What do you want to know about:
- Professors
- Financial aid
- Campus life
- Student body
- Career services
- Housing
- Food services
- Auxillary services – safety, library, medical, tutoring, counseling
The key is to not skimp on asking questions. Don’t worry about asking too many. College is a huge investment of time and money, and you want all the information to help you make an informed decision that puts your teen on the path to success.
To help you and your teen get started, we’ve created a list of Campus Starter Questions. Should you need more guidance with planning campus tours with your teen, I’m happy to help. Schedule a complimentary call with me here.