<p>i want to attend info sessions for my fav colleges but what would parents recommend doing at these sessions? I mean its a very valuable time to get across your passion for the school...but the question is HOW</p>
<p>any help? I'm getting nervous already! :(</p>
<p>Information sessions are generally NOT a good time to convey enthusiasm for the school.</p>
<p>They are usually large group meetings in which a person from the admissions staff makes a presentation, and then people ask questions.</p>
<p>All you need to do is listen, and if you want to ask a question or two, try to make sure that it's something that would be of interest to at least some of the other people in the room. It's really irritating when all the questions pertain to highly specific situations involving only the questioner.</p>
<p>If you anticipate you'll like the college, you might see if you can schedule an interview for that same day. Give it a breather, for example: go to the info session, take the walking tour, then go eat or something with your folks to talk over what you perceive. Formulate some good questions. THEN, go to a personal interview (must be arranged by prior appointment, see if it can be scheduled now for your weekend.) At that interview is the place to communicate enthusiasm. You needn't fawn over them, either; it's still "enthusaistic" if you end with a few focussed questions that show you're also weighing and comparing, seeking good fit, reflecting. </p>
<p>Sometimes we did the info session and tour one day, stayed in a motel overnight, then the student went to the interview scheduled for the following morning. Then, we drove on to the next campus during lunch., in time for their afternoon tour if possible. THe more information (from website, info session, tour, and spending your own time around the campus) you bring to a personal interview, the better equipped you are to demonstrate your enthusiasm in a productive way. </p>
<p>Don't be nervous. First off, the info sessions are group experiences and nothing you say or do will be noted. You sign up to show interest in the school, but after that it's like a crowd watching a show. So even if you (or your parent, oh no) asks a lame question at an info session, don't think it dashes your chances of acceptance there.</p>
<p>The reason to ask something of general curiosity in the group session is just as courtesy to the others on tour. Nothing will count against you. </p>
<p>Questions during your interview should NEVER be something that could have been answered on the college website! Show you've done your research and only ask something if it wsn't already answered on the group data session, tour or website. </p>
<p>That interview would be where you can say things like, "I see that Amalgam University has a great offering in music, with your 27 practice rooms, concert series for travelling tuba teams and resident composer! Would my skills in (x instrument) have opportunity for development here?" Or, "I read about the professor who won an award for his research on eels. I'm interested in squid, so far. Could there be research opportunity for me in that department if I become a major?" Stuff like that. Not just "ooh, I love the perennials and people here are so smart and famous." THey've heard all that.</p>
<p>So for info sessions, just relax and learn. For the later personal interview, do your research, prepare 2 or 3 focussed questions answered nowhere else, and then BE YOURSELF throughout the interview.</p>
<p>Ah, thank you! Much better responses than my other thread in the "College Admissions" forum :)</p>
<p>But wait..question</p>
<p>If these info sessions are just regurgitations of the college website, what is the purpose of attending? (I'm referring to the info sessions that are on an adcom's US tour, for instance)</p>
<p>And here's another question. Is it worth an extremely busy student's time to attend these local sessions? Is attendance noted?</p>
<p>auxsoleil, There will be someone from the admissions department who'll come out and make a formal presentation. Much will be recognizable from the website, but
there will be more. Most sessions I witnessed included other students who asked things that were strategic concerning admissions to THAT college, or all colleges of that ilk. For example, I heard this one repeatedly: What if my h.s. doesn't offer all the AP's? and the AdCom answered, "We're looking for students who make maximum use of their school's resources and don't hold it against a student if they attend a school that offers few or no AP's. We'll ask the GC whether yours is the "heaviest" or "heavy" WORKLOAD in YOUR school, so take all the AP's you can...." Stuff like that was reassuring to hear right from the AdCom's mouth. </p>
<p>Then there were questions about that school that were interesting, such as, "Which other schools do you find students also apply to when they apply here?" Something like that would never be discussed on a website.</p>
<p>That said, I've also read a few laments on CC that the info session and tour disappointed. It's not exactly Broadway but I hope if you go, it'll be worth your while. We attended many for our older two kids, and had no time for a single campus visit for youngest because he skipped llth grade. </p>
<p>I much prefer having the time to visit campuses. A minority opinion on CC says that campus visits are vastly overrrated. One thing was, with my youngest kid, when he got rejected we thought it might have been because we didn't know the place cold or hadn't signed in to any sessions to show interest. Where he got accepted, it was hard for him to decide within the month since he'd never set foot on any of the campuses and there was no time to visit then. Ultimately he had to choose between one near NYC and one in California, and we couldn't afford to send him to California for a "look-see" visit in April, simply because budget plane tickets require more advance notice. Had the two places been close, he could have squeezed in an "accepted students" visit to both in April. </p>
<p>End of story: he went to California, sight unseen until the day he moved into the dorm (a few weeks ago). He's exceptionally happy so far. So his entire search was done by Internet, coupled with leftover family wisdom from elder sibs (but he didn't apply to any of their places, so it was just application process wisdom, not campus specific). I also discovered CC in time for his search and not the others; big help TO READ these forums. He never read any, but I did/do. </p>
<p>I'd say: if this is your first time applying from within your family, try very hard to visit campuses. Don't hurt your senior year coursework, but try hard to fit in some weekend visits. Most schools excuse you for a campus visit on a weekday, so ask your GC about that. </p>
<p>You'll just feel that you know the school better after a visit, and it will be reflected in your application responses if they ask things like, "Why do you want to go here?" or "What can you contribute to Mega University?" If you visited the place, you can work that into your essay in a phrase, and it's positive to do so. </p>
<p>mammall-- I don't know what the "local sessions" are. Perhaps another parent can help!</p>
<p>By local sessions I assume you mean those offered at either your high school or a nearby venue. This can be helpful because they are usually given by your regional rep. If you introduce yourself and chat, the rep. will probably remember you (D or S I mean) when admissions decisions are made. In fact, this is a perk you can't get if you visit on site.</p>
<p>That said, we found the on site visits extremely helpful. For example, one school gave info. session in fancy room, another in a more basic room. S liked the simpler presentation; others may feel just the opposite, but how formal, how studied, how fun etc. everything is gives a student an idea of what is valued at each college.</p>
<p>Other examples: one school dissed other schools, a no-no. One school kept stressing a very minor point to prove it was better than other LAC's. One school basically said we're so cool that an info. session is not important so we'll just tell you how to get intern money. Another school talked about jokey nick names their students were called. For every kid who likes the approacj the school takes, theirs another who hates it. You can gauge more than you think. Of course impressions can be misleading; as a friend of mine used to say, "The final evidence is never in."</p>
<p>By local sessions, OP may have meant one of the touring road shows. Colleges that Change Lives do this together in the fall, and Lutheran colleges of the Midwest as well in our area. Quite useful to meet the area reps, and ask questions, as a table is set up for each school, as well as a few general interest sessions on financial aid and the like. Later, when they come to your school, some may be able to do interviews, and it is good to set those up in advance.</p>