<p>I am a reporter from Associated Press. I am writing a story about how colleges are doing more these days to emphasize ways in which they help students build careers - job placement, internships, alumni networks, mentors. I have a lot of information from colleges about programs they've developed in this regard since the recession. I'd like to hear from parents about this topic. I'd especially be interested in hearing from parents who went on college tours with an older child in 2007, '08 or '09, and again with a younger child in the last year or two, who might have noticed a difference in approach pre- and post-recession in presentations by colleges. You can post here or send me a private message. </p>
<p>A poster in an earlier thread said her daughter was a tour guide, 2008-2012 - I would love to hear from your daughter! Curious to know if questions from parents changed, as some colleges told me they changed their presentations because parents were asking more questions about post-college jobs.</p>
<p>(This is an approved post by a verified reporter. We limit these to avoid excessive solicitation in the forums and to protect our members’ personal info.)</p>
<p>I’m a parent with kids who graduated HS in 2003, 2006 and 2011. I think I understand what you are asking, but I have to say that unless you have kids that were looking at the very same colleges with the same job objective, that would be very hard to know if a college changed. I can only think of one college that all three of my kids looked at and since the younger two visited it without me (oldest was attending or had graduated from it), I can’t really say if it changed much. </p>
<p>I think you have to give us parents some credit to know what’s just marketing and what is an earnest effort to give the grads good tools to be able to find a job. Also, I think that a lot of the career search has to be self-motivated. It’s the students responsibility to find a job - not their parents and not the college. I think making an internship mandatory and then partnering with a wide variety of companies is the very best career help.</p>
<p>Agree with kathiep. I had kids start college in 2008, 2011, and 2013. None of them looked at the same schools. I don’t recall in 2008 hearing much specifically about jobs, although her school is in the middle of DC, so they do brag that kids can get lots of internships during the semester, and that was true. She graduated in 4 years and has a good job. </p>
<p>Boy (2011) attends a mandatory co-op school, and we did have a discussion with the program director about employability after graduation. </p>
<p>Youngest is heading to an LAC that expects all students to graduate in 4 years. They provide help with internships and can also provide stipends to students in unpaid situations. Many students head to grad school and we did not ask specifically about jobs there. I don’t recall many parent questions in info sessions at these (highly ranked) LACs either about jobs. I don’t think that is the main reason people are looking at those types of schools. There were questions about grad/med school acceptances.</p>