This is the first of two posts about parent participation in admissions visits to colleges. The college visit is an important part of the college admissions process, but parents may not be sure how best to participate in and maximize that visit. This first post suggests some things parents should think about as they prepare for and make the college visit. Our next post offers some specific suggestions to get both parents and students started thinking about productive questions to ask during a visit.
One of the most important steps in the college admissions process is the campus visit. Your student will need to see and get a feeling for a campus before making a final decision about whether a school is right for him. Although the decision ultimately belongs to the student, as a parent, you also need to feel comfortable about the school. Asking questions during the admissions visit is a great way to gather some of the information that you need to feel comfortable. However, as with so many other considerations in the college process, parents walk a find line between being helpful and becoming intrusive.
Remember that the admissions process really does belong to your student. It is important that you have a certain level of involvement, and provide a great deal of support, but it is crucial that you keep reminding yourself that it is not your process. This is equally true of the campus visit. While it is important that you go along if possible, your student is the person who needs to make the final decision. What seems like the absolutely ideal environment to you may just not feel right to your student. There is a reality to the chemistry that happens when a certain campus just plain ”feels right”. However, even though you may be peripheral to this visit, there are some important ways in which you can be involved.