Parent Prep for College Visits
Different Tracks for Parents on College Visits
In many, families the parent(s) handle the nuts and bolts logistics when it comes to planning college visits and multi-campus trips.
Yes, we all hope our teens will take the initiative to do the initial background research on different colleges and universities, and ultimately develop their own college list and their unique list of questions as they prepare for college visits. Yet, along with preparation for standardized tests, a daunting class schedule, and keeping up with extracurricular activities, it’s difficult to for them to take-on the added responsibility of planning college visit logistics.
More likely, the planning will likely fall to an adult / parent. In addition to travel preparation and tour/interview scheduling, it’s important for parents to prepare for each campus visit. Like your teen, you may want to review the websites of the schools you will be visiting, but naturally with a different eye.
If you can’t find the answers from the colleges web sites and materials, make sure to jot down the questions, so you’re prepared to ask them when you arrive on campus. These issues might have to do with:
- Campus safety / campus police
- Dealing with emergency situations
- Location of emergency rooms, nearby doctors etc
- On-campus healthcare
- Financial constraints/cutbacks based on the economy
- and more
Similar to the College Visit Student Journal, I suggest you take several copies of Custom College Visits’ College Visit Parent Checklist. While shorter than the student version, the Parent Checklist has a list of questions for you to ask, with plenty of room for noting the responses and adding any additional questions you might have.
Click here if you would like a copy of the College Visit Parent Checklist.
