College Trip: Lessons Learned

  • Sign up for a tour at every school. You get to see inside buildings you wouldn’t otherwise, and you hear directly from kids about their experience.
  • Admissions counselor appointment optional (ours didn’t add much value…she didn’t even know Mary had submitted her application already)
  • After the tour, take a walk back through the campus. Helps get past first impressions
  • No more than two school visits per day. It’s not a race. To really consider a school, they need time to soak it in. If your child’s an introvert, the trip will be exhausting. After two or three schools, make space in a day for them to wind down.
  • Share observations; hold back opinions. Avoid “you should” statements at all costs.
  • Wait to ask them to share their thoughts until after you leave the campus. I usually waited until we were seated at a restaurant with food in front of us before asking Mary to share her thoughts (didn’t want the hangries to impact her perspective)
  • Spend time in the neighborhood surrounding the school. This is especially important if your child is like Mary and wants a school somewhat integrated into the town or city.
  • Is food important? Eat at a local restaurant so they can get a fell for the vibe and food options
  • Enjoy the attention. You’ll be their only company. They’ll want to share!
  • Don’t underestimate the stress they’re feeling. This is the biggest decision they’ve ever made. Provide words of encouragement; share faith in their thought process – they’ll second guess themselves throughout. They’ll feel better knowing you feel confidence in them.