<p>Need some advice on how other Parents have handled scholarship/interview weekends. DD got invited to one. She will be 18 by then. University has reserved a block of rooms at a hotel chain 5-10 minutes from university with full shuttle service to/from airport and hotel. There are no activities planned for parents. I have seen university before. My feelings now are that I dont want to send her alone being the kids are staying at a hotel, not at the university. Dont even think 18yo kids can stay in a hotel by themselves? Thought they made you be 21? Anyway, I would appreciate your insights.</p>
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I have booked and stayed in hotel rooms by myself when I was 18…</p>
<p>Sent son by himself. He handled it fine. If they can’t handle this as high school seniors, when do you plan to ready them to be able to be in college by themselves? Scholarship weekends are wonderful practice for being in college, including their being able to travel in college – whether or not you know they are traveling</p>
<p>How does your D feel about it? I think mine, while mature enough at 18 would still like the fact that we were back at the hotel room for support and all. To me, the hotel is just part of it. There’s the drive (or flight) there and back, and the whole stress of the interview, mixing with the other kids, etc. that come into play. I see it as a stepping stone - yes, they will go next year on their own and have to “make it” - but it’s not next year yet, and if you are just there - in the background so to speak at the hotel - and all goes well, then she will have even more confidence when she makes that step next year by herself.</p>
<p>Has she traveled other times by herself? Not in a group, but by herself? All things to consider.</p>
<p>No, she has never travelled alone. While she is fine with going alone, I am on the fence. Would send her in a heartbeat if she was staying on campus. Off campus hotel and the need to scrounge a meal or two by herself is giving me pause.</p>
<p>my understanding of scholarship weekends is that they are very organized ie a schedule with meetings, tours, meals, interviews etc…so i doubt she would have much alone time. The university probably has it all organized so no student would be left wandering around</p>
<p>My daughter is going to one (1 1/2 hours away) Where the parents can go to some of the first day activities. (tours and stuff) Then there are kids only activities in the evening, then kids only lodging on campus, then an exam the next day. I can’t decide if I should attend the first day tours, our let her do it alone to meet people and get her own feel for it. I kind of want her to go alone, but I don’t want everyone else to have parents there. Thoughts?</p>
<p>It would depend on the university location and surrounding neighborhood where my child would be staying. Probably wouldn’t let her go to Tulane and do this, but SMU in Dallas would be okay. </p>
<p>I would also find out if someone from the college will be on-site at the hotel to help students manage things. </p>
<p>If either of these is a negative, I’d probably book a separate room for myself ONLY if my daughter were seriously interested.</p>
<p>When S went to a scholarship weekend, most students came alone. Later, he learned that the college was taking a close look at the students to notice their independence and maturity. This included noticing if students were on the prowl to attempt to get alcohol. The students who interviewed were not there just to make the scholarship finalists feel comfortable or so the scholarship finalists could ask questions only students could answer. The students who interviewed were also assessing the applicants, and scholarship applicants who asked students things like, “Where can I get a fake ID?” didn’t get scholarships.</p>
<p>Been there. Done that. My kids never attended a scholarship weekend that didn’t have the same level of supervision as a high school trip. Of course, that is not necessarly enough. The university understands they are responsible for minors. Meals were always provided. I am in favor of you attending if she wants you to. Some kids really do want and need that support. BUT stay at the airport hotel out of sight and unknown to the scholarship decision committee just in case it impacts their decision.</p>
<p>JMHO</p>
<p>edit: agree with northstarmom. Students are being evaluated the whole entire time… anything they do may go in an official report… no matter what is said to the contrary.</p>
<p>What if the parents are invited to attend? Is is still better to go alone? (parents are invited , but cannot stay with the students.)</p>
<p>Excuse my naivet</p>
<p>Students are invited to a school to compete for a scholarship. There are presentations about the school and it’s programs, then maybe a test or maybe interviews etc. (I assume it varies)</p>
<p>spring, I think she should go it alone.</p>
<p>DS is a senior who this fall went to an overnight visit on the rural college’s dime. He was by no means a world traveler, having flown alone only once before. He called within minutes of me leaving him curbside, telling me his flght, arranged by the college, was delayed and he would miss the connecting flight. I turned around and from the front desk tried to get him on another flight. I had to keep calling him (he was already past security and couldn’t come back to where I was and I couldn’t get to him without a ticket) and tell him how to advocate for himself how to get on another flight, etc. It was quite the learning experience. It was good for him to know that if he really wants to attend this school, this is the kind of stuff he’s going to have to learn to negotiate himself. It’ll be difficult because there aren’t a lot of flights into that area, winter weather will be an issue, etc. He survived and had a great time. This scholarship weekend is a great opportunity for her to spread her wings and see if she can negotiate it all. Additionally, I bet some of the kids will be 17 and the school is probably going to be careful to keep tabs on the kids.</p>
<p>Does a specific type of school offer them (public or private)? How do you find out about them?</p>
<p>gourmetmom, various schools will offer, usually there is a specific application for the scholarship (some the school will invite you to apply to, some the student can apply if he meets certain stats) . a large number of people may apply, there is a selection process, usually based on grades, stats, essays, lor’s etc, then a percentage will be invited to an interview, and then the final selection will be made from among the students interviewed.</p>
<p>I’d call the admissions/fa ppl and ask.</p>
<p>Something like, “My daughter is very excited to come and I am thrilled for her to have this experience/opportunity but could you please answer some question that will help me sleep a little better while she is there.” I am sure they field queries from anxious parents a lot as many of our kids are not experienced solo travelers.</p>
<p>Congratulations!</p>
<p>sureofsomething: I was not invited to any scholarship weekends. If I had been, and if I wanted to maximize my kid’s chance of success, I would have gone and done my best to be as enthusastic as possible about the school without overshadowing my kid in any way. Probably I would have sent my husband who is much less chatty.</p>
<p>This is my take on it all. I am no expert, so take it with many grains of salt. But my kids did get scholarship offers.</p>
<p>To maximize chances make it as easy on the kid as possible. If they need help with travel to lessen the stress of the experience… I say to do it. Instruct your kid to be as enthusiastic about the school as possible without committing. Mine said, “I really want to go here but my parents are very concerned about money.” If there will be interviews, practice and role-play in advance. If the scholarship committee sends a list of questions, be sure the student can comfortably talk about the answers they sent back. Talk about the fact their dorm/hotel behaviour with current students is being judged. Role play that if you believe it necessary. Maybe they need to know how to gracefully turn down an offer of a night of partying. You will know what to advise your own kid in those circumstances.</p>
<p>even if you don’t think your kid will want the scholarship, it may be a negotiating tool later at another school. maybe. </p>
<p>If you absolutely know in your heart a school isn’t right for your kid, be aware these weekends are very seductive and perhaps not a good idea if you don’t want your kid to attend.</p>
<p>sorry if this is TMI</p>
<p>Congratulations and best of luck to all!</p>
<p>*Does a specific type of school offer them (public or private)? How do you find out about them? *</p>
<p>These scholarships are usually mentioned on the scholarship pages of the schools that offer them.</p>
<p>I am not a big fan of them, unless the school pays for visit and/or the odds of getting a scholarship is good. Many times, these competitions involve missing class time and spending a lot of money on a tiny chance of being awarded anything.</p>
<p>The schools that invite as many as 500 kids to compete for 2-20 scholarships (without providing transportation/lodging) are just using the opportunity to get smart kids on their campus (at the families’ expense) so that the schools can sell their school.</p>
<p>When my kids got invited to such scholarship competition, they declined them because they already had assured scholarships in their pockets from other schools. We got a few phone calls asking why they declined, and my kids politely told the schools that they weren’t going to miss class, spend hundreds of dollars on a small chance of an award. They also mentioned that other schools had awarded them assured scholarships based solely on merit. </p>
<p>Someone on another thread like this suggested that if these school were to offer something like…everyone who gets invited and attends will get at least a $15k/yr scholarship and will compete for full-tuition scholarships, then it would be worthwhile.</p>
<p>Are the weekends for students (seniors) who have already applied to the particular college?</p>