This One's for You, Juniors [Spring Edition]

College Search

Scroll down for links to the previous articles:

#HowIHowTo: Build a College List with affordability in mind
In-State for Out-of-State—How to find Tuition reciprocity / discount agreements
College Club Teams—How to find colleges if you don’t want to play at varsity level, but still want to play your sport competitively

College Research

College Websites

Every fall, I see seniors frantically doing research to find something meaningful to include in their “Why College?” or “Why Major?” supplemental essays, or suddenly realizing the major they’re interested in requires a portfolio, and every school has different requirements. I can’t overstate the value of doing intentional research on colleges earlier, during the list-building phase. Treat this like a class. Set aside time every week. Spend time on college websites looking at the details behind majors, campus life, values, and mission statements. What jumps out? Take notes.

Supplement college website research with in-person campus visits, virtual campus tours, college fairs, and portfolio reviews for visual arts students, all free. Here’s the TL;DR:

Campus Tours

In-Person Info Sessions & Tours

Look under Admissions or Visit on the college’s website; or use the website search tool.

Virtual Info Sessions & Tours

Look under Admissions or Visit on the college’s website; or use the website search tool.
Check if they have an episode on The College Tour
YouVisit used to offer freely accessible virtual tours. They were bought out by enrollment services giant EAB in 2019. The tours are now hosted by EAB’s Appily brand, which requires students to sign up for an account. YMMV

College Fairs

NACAC

The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) hosts free college fairs, both in-person and virtual, throughout the U.S. Here’s NACAC’s spring college fair schedule.

WACAC

The Western Association for College Admission Counseling (WACAC), the California and Nevada regional affiliate of NACAC, hosts free college fairs throughout California. Here’s WACAC’s spring college fair schedule.

Other NACAC Regional Affiliates

Check here to see whether, when, and where they host college fairs. They will likely also be free.

Scroll down for a How to College Fair guide with tips on getting the most out of the experience.

Portfolio Review

For students applying for creative majors requiring a portfolio, the National Portfolio Day Association hosts free National Portfolio Days from Sept. through May where student artists can meet with college representatives to get advice on developing their portfolio for application submission.

If you live near an arts-focused college, you can also check their Visits and Events pages to see whether they also offer free portfolio review. e.g.,

Go Beyond the TL;DR on College Fairs

How to College Fair

College fair tips that I give to my students for making the most of what can be an overwhelming experience, even for counselors like me who do this as part of their professional development.

College fairs sound like the ideal opportunity to get to know many colleges, conveniently all in one place. The reality is there are hundreds of tables at college fairs, or an overwhelming number of overlapping sessions at virtual fairs, and even more students and parents all competing for the attention of the college representatives. Here are some tips to help you make the most of the experience, whether it is an in-person or a virtual college fair.

Before

Both In-Person & Virtual

Create a professional email address for all of your college communication.
Register online, if available.
What is important to you in a college? Here’s a free self survey to help you identify the most important factors. Be a little flexible; start with fewer must-haves.
What do you want to find out about each college that is specific to your interests? Make a short list of questions that can’t be answered easily by looking on the website or in brochures.
Look over the list of colleges who will be there. Pick several must-see colleges.
If your parents are planning to attend, arrange for them to let you do most of the talking. Consider letting them focus on financial aid questions.
Be sure to check out information sessions and sign up for any that might be helpful to you. This is another option for parents to participate.

In-Person

Bring: Paper, pen(cil), a bag or backpack for brochures and other materials you pick up.
Many college fairs have gone electronic. When you visit with a college, make sure they scan your badge before leaving.
- Otherwise, write your name, address, phone number, email address, high school, and graduation year on address labels to make it easier and faster to complete a contact card.

Virtual

Sign up for sessions that include your must-see colleges.
Keep an open mind and learn more about the other colleges in those sessions.

During

Both In-Person & Virtual

Be patient and considerate of others asking for more information.
Take notes!
Collect business cards or contact information from the college representatives. If electronic, they’ll likely send you a follow-up email.

In-Person

Find a map of the fair that shows where colleges are located. Take a few minutes to plan the best route to visit colleges on your must-see list.
Be bold! After you meet with your must-sees, choose one or more college you’ve never heard of and learn more about them.

Virtual

Figure out a location that will be the least distracting for you and for others, and that has a reliable wifi signal.
Attend as though you are in a professional meeting—neatly dressed, sitting upright, with your camera on (if it might be distracting, blur the background if possible).

After

Both In-Person & Virtual

Find time to look over your notes and read through the physical or PDF brochures you picked up or received.
Revise your college list based on whether you still find those colleges interesting.
Write down any additional questions that you might want to follow up on.
Sign up online to receive more information from the colleges that still interest you.
Sign up for in-person or virtual information sessions and/or tours for those colleges.
Consider sending Thank You emails to the college representatives whose sessions you attended. If electronic, they’ll likely send you a follow-up email.
Check your professional email every day! Learn more about colleges that interested you by clicking on links in the emails.

College Search—previous articles

Subscribe to my Substack, Admissions Tidbits, for more tips and guides.

#College Admissions #CollegeList