Dear Devil’s Advocate,

I’m terrified of communicating and interacting with college representatives or tour guides. How do I make a good and lasting impression? Should I email them, or is that annoying? What questions should I ask? I need all the tips for college tours, rep visits and reaching out to admissions counselors!

Sincerely,

Anxious Applicant

Dear Anxious Applicant,

I hear you. When I was a junior, it felt like the Deans threw a lot of information at us all of a sudden, and I didn’t know how to interact with universities, so I’m here to give you the advice I wish I received before the college admissions process really ramped up in senior year.

Once you’ve made a list of schools, I would note which schools track demonstrated interest (meaning they keep note of if you’ve visited and reached out to see how likely you are to enroll if admitted) and try to visit all of them. You can try to visit all the schools you’re interested in, but touring every one will be exhausting, virtually impossible and the schools will eventually end up meshing together and you may not remember what schools you even liked. I recommend taking a week or two road trip to visit schools nearby and in preparation you should plan out your travel and schedule tours in one night with whoever you’re going with.

In addition to mapping out the trip itself, it’s often helpful to create a list of questions and activities to do while on that campus. One of my favorite things to do was find the school’s student newspaper and look through the articles. In doing this, you not only learn what happens on campus, but you also understand what types of things the students at this college are passionate about. Along with grabbing the school’s paper, try to get a bite to eat or a coffee on or near campus–this way you can see more of the student body and get a sense of how they go about their day off-campus and when they are not in class.

While on a college admissions tour, you might consider asking your guide questions about research opportunities, community engagement, student life and opportunities people studying your specific major pursue after graduating. The Princeton Review’s “60 Questions to Ask on a College Tour,” also suggests some key questions for everyone to ask on a college tour such as “Why did you choose this school opposed to similar schools?” and “What’s your #1 complaint about your school?” and “What do you do when you’re not in class?” Some more niche questions they offer up include “What options exist for service learning in the community?” and “Is it easy to get around campus?” and “Which clubs and student organizations are popular?”

Another way of showing demonstrated interest in a school and getting information about it, is through a rep visit. Rep visits are when a college admissions counselor comes to your high school to speak with a group of students interested in that college or university. The representative gives about 20-30 minutes worth of information along with answering the group’s questions. If the visit has a smaller group of students the discussion will typically be led by student questions rather than bigger groups that are more general information sessions. At these visits, the representative will most likely give everyone a pamphlet for the school, their business card and a card that you fill out with your information that you will then give back. Since the admissions officer has your information and it’s a closer knit environment, it’s more important that you research the school before the visit in order to ask thoughtful questions. The University of Richmond’s admissions page recommends asking questions about specific programs you’re interested in. Make sure to look at the programs the school has, what unique opportunities they offer, to show true interest and get the most useful information. After a visit, it’s always a good idea to reach out to the representative and thank them or ask a follow up question.

Lastly, reaching out to an admissions counselor is the best way to make an individual impression, but I’ve found that it’s also a part of the college admissions process that people rarely mention. Emailing your regional counselor is the best way to ask a personalized question without traveling or signing up for anything. A college counseling company created by Ethan Sawyer, the man behind College Essay Guy, notes that emailing an admissions counselor is the next step when your question is not answered on the school’s website or you have a personal/specific question about the application process to the school.

Throughout the college admissions process, College Essay Guy is one of your best resources. I recommend that you use his website for tips on your personal statement, building a college list, showing demonstrated interest in schools and anything else you feel overwhelmed by. Additionally, Poly’s Dean team is here to help you reach your full potential with as much support as they can offer. And don’t be afraid to talk about the process with your friends, and even your peers who may seem like the most put-together student. However, they are guaranteed to also be stressed, scared and tired, so don’t forget to rely on each other during this process.

Sincerely,

The Devil’s Advocate