collegeplanning102: Navigating the Financial Maze

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When and how should I start the college search process?

It depends on where you see the process beginning. According to some folks, like Robert Dunn III '70, who worked in the New Jersey education system for the past 36 years, 15 of which he served as a guidance counselor at Cedar Grove High School, the process begins almost immediately upon entering high school. By this he means that, as early as their freshman year, students should be thinking about the courses they need to complete in order to be competitive in the application process.

Because college admission has become so competitive, Dunn says, many students – often at the behest of their parents – are enrolling in more Honors and Advanced Placement (AP) classes, which makes for a more desirable admissions profile. “Sophomore year is the key year, but a lot of students need to start planning as freshmen. Honors courses and AP courses for admissions have to be on track from the freshman year,” Dunn says.

Sean Lewis '05, assistant director of undergraduate admissions at George Washington University, agrees that college admissions need to be in the back of students' minds all through high school. “The fall of senior year is a little too late to be kicking it into gear,” he says. He suggests that students sit down with their parents and guidance counselors by the spring of their junior year to discuss the college search process.

However, Herr says he sees more students beginning their preliminary research of colleges in the sophomore year. To that end, Herr recommends attending a local or regional college fair to gather information about a variety of schools. “If you already know you are interested in a school, go to their Web site and see what they have to offer. It's a great way to gather more information,” he says.

Students should not discount their school guidance counselors either, according to Herr. “Guidance counselors can provide some good insight into various schools,” he says.

 

How do I narrow the pool of colleges so that I'm left with a manageable number to consider?

Once a family has fine-tuned a set of goals, our experts say they should use every available resource, from Web sites to word-of-mouth, to help them construct a short list of schools for consideration. That being said, some higher education professionals, including Lewis, are reluctant to recommend such commonly used sources as the U.S. News college guide and Princeton Review .

“Despite their appeal of objectively ranking schools, it is the stories behind the numbers that really matter. As such, do look at them, but view them as parameters and not as educational measuring sticks,” Lewis says.

By far, the most crucial step in the college search process is the campus visit, according to our experts. “Campus visits are very important, and you should begin visiting colleges before applying so that you can figure out what you want in a school,” Markle says.

Herr agrees, calling the campus visit “the most important and influential factor in determining the right school.” He suggests students begin visiting schools during their junior year to obtain some answers to basic questions about the size, location and type of school that might best fit their needs.

One way of doing this is by taking advantage of the many learning opportunities colleges offer high-school students. For example, Susquehanna's Writers' Institute and Leadership Institute for Entrepreneurship (LIFE) offer week-long summer workshops for high-school students interested in creative writing and business. The university also hosts five different Action Days, during which prospective students can spend time in faculty-led sessions on the arts, science, writing, business or liberal arts. Other opportunities include a special spring open house specifically designed for sophomores and juniors just starting the college search.

Another, perhaps more traditional way of visiting a school is to arrange for a campus tour through the school's admissions office. Arranging an interview at that time is also a good idea. However, as Lewis points out, hectic family schedules and the cost of travel makes visiting a slew of schools difficult. He recommends that families trim the search down to the top five to seven schools (others say six to eight) on their interest list and visit them before applying – a point Markle also stressed.

“Many schools keep track of when and how often a student visits,” says Lewis, “and given the competitive nature of college admissions, some schools can be reluctant to extend an offer of admission to a student who has demonstrated little interest in the school. As such, visiting (and if you have the opportunity, interviewing) can be a great way to get a leg up on the competition.”

VISITING HOURS: How to Make the Most of Campus Tours Faculty and academic facilities: Access to professors and to specific learning and research spaces is crucial to the time and effort spent learning at any college or university. What's the average class size? The faculty to student ratio? Are the facilities, equipment and research space accessible to first-year students? Residence halls: This is going to be a home away from home, so give it a thorough inspection. Is housing guaranteed all four years? Who has access to the dorms and how? Are all residence halls co-ed? Dining facilities: These are very important as they will be the major source of nourishment and mealtime fun with friends for the next four years. Try to eat on campus during your visit so you can get an idea of what cuisine is typically dished up. What are the hours for each meal? Athletic facilities: Is there a variety of modern, safe equipment for all students to use? Is there a pool students can use? What sorts of fitness classes are offered? Are club sports and intramurals available, in addition to varsity sports?

Some bonus tips: Computer labs : How many labs are there and where are they located? How many workstations are available for student use? What hours are the labs open? Are they all staffed in case there is a need for troubleshooting?  Are there fees to use any of the services? Career development : Yes, even before you settle on a college, you might want to give some thought to your eventual career. What special career development services does the school offer? What is the placement rate for recent graduates? What percentage of students complete internships and how do they find these opportunities?