Isla Roen, Features Editor
Photos by Isla Roen
It’s that time of year again. A chilly breeze carries red and yellow leaves across town, while the smell of pumpkin spice drifts from coffee shops and bakeries. But for the Class of 2027, fall brings more than changing leaves and seasonal treats. It is the season of personal statements, supplemental essays, and deciding when to hit submit on college applications.
To help seniors navigate this experience, the College and Career Center is hosting more than 130 college visits through November. At these visits, representatives give an overview of campus life, specific academic programs, and the admissions process.
College and Career Center Coordinator Susan Carroll has been scheduling and overseeing the visits. “The representative’s advice is extremely helpful, especially when they’re talking specifically about the application process,” Ms. Carroll said. “Most of the representatives will also be the first reader of our applications.”
To make the most of these opportunities, Ms. Carroll discussed the role of preliminary research. “One of the best websites for college research is called the Common Data Set. It has all the information about how a school decided on their freshman class.”
Beyond admission statistics, University of Miami Assistant Director of Admissions Aja Depass asks students to consider what they personally value in a college. “With over 4,000 universities across the U.S., there are many choices, and not every university is the right fit for everyone,” she said. Ms. Depass added that academic programs, class sizes, hands-on learning opportunities, campus location, student life and financial aid are also important factors to consider.
Texas Christian University Regional Director of Admission Caitlin Provost encourages students to consider another factor: life after graduation. “Some students are really focused on the four years they’ll spend at school and aren’t necessarily thinking ahead,” she said. “I like to highlight how TCU is preparing students for graduate school and jobs.”
Researching these factors can also help students discover comparable schools they might have overlooked. For example, both the University of Iowa and the University of Wisconsin-Madison offer the experience of a large Big Ten university, yet Iowa’s visit drew far fewer students than the 45 who attended Wisconsin’s. “Both are amazing schools,” said Ms. Carroll. “Students should spread their reach a little wider and look at things a little differently.”
Some seniors take that research in less expected directions. “It’s also interesting when kids are brave enough to pull themselves away from a huge state university to go to a smaller school that is more niche,” Ms. Carroll said. “Last year, we had a couple of kids go to SCAD, Savannah College of Art and Design, which is a very unique school. We also had a few students choose Bentley, a business school.”
In addition to exploring unfamiliar colleges, students can gain a better understanding of campus life through conversations with representatives. “The visits help you get a feel for the overall community of the school, something you can’t always tangibly read on school websites,” Ms. Provost said.
If you set authenticity as your objective, I think uniqueness follows suit very naturally.
Matthew Avara, Wake Forest University
Once students identify schools that interest them, college visits also offer a chance to explore their specific programs more closely. For example, seniors at the TCU college visit asked questions related to engineering majors, ThinkPads, and entrepreneurship programs. “During visits, I get many traditional questions like ‘Can you talk to me about studying abroad? Do you offer internships? What percentage of your campus is Greek life?’” Ms. Provost said. “But I also get some uber-specific questions about a program a student is interested in.”
Sometimes, those questions are directed toward the applications themselves. “The most common question I get is, ‘How can I make my application unique?’” Wake Forest University Assistant Dean of Admissions Matthew Avara said. “My answer is, I don’t think that should be your objective. I believe authenticity is more valuable than uniqueness, and that when students set uniqueness as their objective, they leave authenticity behind.”
“If you set authenticity as your objective, I think uniqueness follows suit very naturally,” Mr. Avara said. “Being yourself should be your objective, and you should have faith that you’ll stand out pretty naturally if you are just trying to be yourself.”
Even after the visits conclude, seniors can continue seeking guidance from college representatives throughout the application process. “Ask me for the representative’s contact information if you can’t find it online,” Ms. Carroll said. “Sending a representative a note that says ‘I enjoyed your visit, and if I have any further questions, I hope you don’t mind if I reach out to you’ is always a good idea.”
