Do admissions depts. frown on getting calls or emails from parents as opposed to students as the first point of communication? We’re trying to map out some schools to visit during spring break (my D is a Jr.) and I want to get some info. from each on best timing, appts. etc. My D will be mailing resumes, letters to those schools before we make the visits.
I would not be mailing resumes etc. to any school prior to applying.
Your daughter should be taking the initiative. If it’s a school she ends up liking, it will show demonstrated interest. However, I don’t see the point in mailing a resume. That will be on the application and she isn’t even a senior yet.
No letter of introduction is required for a campus visit. Some colleges ask for you to register in advance so they can put the big tour days in a big room, vs. a tiny classroom when it’s just 10 people visiting. And sometimes registering is the only way to get free parking (not a bad incentive here). But they don’t need anything beyond your kid’s name, name of his HS, and the date of graduation (they don’t like to combine seniors with juniors- seniors may be visiting because they’ve already been accepted so those tours have a different focus).
Blossum is correct. Most schools have sign ups on line for all of this. I will say though, at a couple of schools last year, we needed info since one tour was filled, and I did call, saying that my son was in school, and he “gave me a list of things” to ask. They had no problem with that. BUT, no resumes, they will go in the trash, and emails are better than calling, because they all get back quickly, and then you can email as your daughter if need be.
I made most of the initial calls before my kids’ college visits. I didn’t think this was even an issue. I did make sure my D signed up for optional things, susbscribed to the schools’ social media feeds, etc. Most of the time I registered online using her name. If I had left all this to her she would not be going to college. 
thanks everyone, all good advice. I guess my thinking regarding the resume was based on someone saying that it’s good to make early contact with someone at each school so that they remember her.
OP - they will not remember her from the resume or the tour. Unless it is submitted as part of an official package, it will probably be discarded. So don’t spend a lot of time on that. But, I will say that I agree with the posters that say if you are just calling for logistics, then you can call yourself. If I wanted to contact a school, I usually did it via my D’s e-mail. A lot of schools have a link on the website to schedule an interview.
Quick story - I remember scheduling one on campus and my D coming to me telling me weeks later that it was going to conflict with her volleyball team going to the Championships (which of course she did not know about when we scheduled the on campus interview). This was about 9"oclock one night.
I went online to the school to cancel the interview and saw that they were almost completely booked. The only one still open was the next afternoon. Well, I clicked on that one quickly. Went downstairs and told my H we were going on a road trip ASAP. No time for kennels for the dog. Must admit our poor German Shepard was put in the large bathroom with lots of food, water and paper and we left. It was a 5 1/2 hour drive. We left at 3:00 a.m. Up and back the same day. Trust me, I was exhausted.
I sometimes did the scheduling for my kids, but never via phone calls or emails. Most schools have online registration for tours. I would just register using their info. They chose the schools, but I handled the logistics of travel and timing. Some schools will also offer an option for an interview - if so, that is usually part of the registration process. I agree that sending resumes won’t accomplish anything. By registering for an interview the school (if it’s one that tracks interest) will start a record using the student’s email, and they’ll track contacts from there.
I planned all the visits. There was just too much my kid couldn’t have a Handle on. How long we were willing to drive per day…airfare costs and miles redemptions etc… I also called the school if I had a question about timing ( when things ended to schedule flights etc…) I often asked about closest hotels and what they’d recommend.
When we were planning my daughter’s visits during spring break, we had to coordinate tours, hotel stays, meetings with coaches, etc. We did that together. Tour schedules are all available on-line. We came up with a tentative schedule, she emailed coaches, shifted things around when necessary. I would not call admissions to ask anything that is available online. As Blossom said, in a few cases, the registration online resulted in a free parking pass being emailed to my daughter’s account.
After we agreed about what schools we wanted to see, I planned the actual visits (since it also involved finding hotels, knowing my H’s schedule etc) but I think I did that online for most schools. If you are going for group information sessions, I’d hold off on sending a resume. These visits are usually large groups and the admissions officer who leads it may not be the one who you sent the resume to – and I can’t imagine that any college would take the time to match up a resume with a person attending a group session. I wouldn’t send a resume at this point – right now admissions officers have piles and piles of folders of applicants for their next incoming class – they won’t be spending time looking at letters and resumes that are sent by HS juniors.
My D did bring her HS resume with her when she went for a one-on-one interview and handed it to the interviewer at the start of the interview. This worked well as it gave the interviewer a base to start a conversation. And I believe a resume can be added to the common application as well in the additional information section.
Yes - it looks bad. The Admissions Committee prefers to hear from the applicant, but it all works out in the end.
Agreeing with some others. Ime, you aren’t speaking to the admissions reps, at this point. You’re essentially anonymous, one of many who will come take a look-see. Some admin or a student worker will answer the phone; there is no file opened for a kid, just for a visit. A student will lead the tour. If you’re in an info session and happen to ask a question, you’re still just one of a crowd. The time for personal impressions comes later.
And imagine the overload if the hundreds or thousands of kids who come by were leaving a resume. As a junior, hers won’t even be complete- much less, perfected (or refined, for that college.) Give her (and yourself) a chance to get to know what these colleges like and want to see, before considering that.
We made the scheduling calls.
If the call is about travel logistics for visiting the school, the admissions reps probably do expect to hear from a fair number of parents. Most HS students are unable to book an airline ticket, rental car, hotel.
No need to send or bring resumes, at all. While of course you never know who’s who, I never got the impression at any school that I was dealing with anyone who was going to be making a decision. The people at the front desk are administrative, the tour guides are students, and there’s just little way to “impress” an adcom giving an info session unless you want to stand out like an ass.
At this point, it doesn’t matter who signs up for the campus tours/visits. Most are online sign ups/registrations anyway. We coordinated our efforts. After we figured out a schedule, D registered for the campus tours and I did the hotel stuff. It was not about what looked good, it was about having D learn basics in dealing with bureaucracies on her own. This was a very simple task; and, when we had to change visit dates, she knew who to call and how to reschedule. It was also about me not having to do all the work.
No resumes needed unless your child is interviewing. Even then, it’s optional. D took her resume to an one-on-one resume. Two copies, because she used it to kick start her memory (sometimes she draws a blank when asked unexpected questions)
thanks everyone, you’ve all straightened it out for me! That said, when do we start making contact with “the right people” at the colleges to show you’re very interested and want to make an initial good impression?
First - determine if the school tracks interest. The most elite schools don’t care if you visit, email, send flowers, whatever. Once your child has decided which schools to apply to, then you can find out who your admissions officer is (usually done by region). Make sure they’ve registered for information on the school web site. Make sure you provide the email address when visiting (usually done when registering online for the tour). If your child has a question about the school that isn’t answered on the web site, email the admissions officer. If you visit, have your child send an email to the admissions officer including something that particularly stood out during the visit (if faculty or staff were especially helpful, mention them by name if possible - we’ve wandered in to academic buildings and had faculty take us on impromptu guided tours). If the school does interviews, sign up for one if possible, and be sure to follow up with a thank you (not all schools do interviews, some are informational only, some will only interview students that have already been admitted - this should all be on the web site).
There’s no need to send the school resumes or the like - they’ll get all that in the application. If there are online chat sessions, participate. You can follow the school on Twitter and like them on Facebook. Just be sure to use the same email address at all times, as that’s what the school will use to tie all your touches together.
I don’t think it matters who makes the appointments for on-campus interviews. Also, some of the on-campus visits that our DD made were “unannounced,” i.e., without a prior appointment. Whether there was an an appointment or not, she always had a 1-page summary sheet to hand to the interviewer, with basic background. Something that could be skimmed by the interviewer – not an essay.
I think this kind of preparation was appreciated by the admissions staff (some volunteered as much).