<p>Always a good move for the student to go see this person? On the surface, it sounds like a perfect "showing interest" opportunity, but I'm wondering if it could ever work against the student. Any stories in either direction? Who are the "reps", anyway? Actual decision makers?</p>
<p>Attending these events could count against the student if the student misses an academic class as a result and therefore falls behind in that subject and gets a lower grade.</p>
<p>My daughter didn't attend any of these events for just that reason. However, her first-choice college (to which she applied ED and was accepted) was not a "showing interest" school. Perhaps she would have made a different choice if it was.</p>
<p>The advantage is that the student gets to ask questions about the college in a small group or private setting. I don't think "how it looks" should be given as much weight as actually finding out about the school. There was a book about admissions that I read where the admissions officer talks about meeting specific kids through their schools and how that meeting put a face to a name when their applications came in. For small colleges, I think this would be an advantage.</p>
<p>Consider, too, the situation where the g.c. has worked to bring a rep to a school and wants a nice turnout. If your g.c. asks or recommends you attend, I'd do it partly out of courtesy to the person who'll be writing your recs and possibly pulling for you should you be WL at any school. If your school has many reps, it makes sense to be selective and only do the ones you're truly interested in. You're bound to learn something new about each school.</p>
<p>In addition to the other good reasons already cited for attending, the GCs at S1's school have stated clearly that they "talk up" the kids who attend, to the school reps. (Not that they fabricate positive things to say, but that they make the most of the opportunity to talk face-to-face to the rep about the students' good qualities.) </p>
<p>I do agree with Marian about missing an important class, though. S1's school considers these to be excused absences from class, but the kids are still responsible for making up the work.</p>
<p>Just talked with our college counselor about this recently. He says these talks are geared towards seniors who are applying as the college rep is usually the reader for our area and gets a chance for the kid and rep to meet face to face.</p>
<p>My Jr D is going to attend when she is able to miss a skippable class with teacher permission. They really don't encourage the Jrs to attend these at all, but I would like her to get some experience with the close contact with the reps.</p>
<p>Having been one of these reps on occasion, if it's possible for you to go, you should go. </p>
<p>It does show interest but, more importantly, it's your opportunity to catch the eye of an admissions rep and make an impression that might make a difference when decisions are being made. Try to engage the the rep in conversation (after the presentation if there is one) by asking questions and bringing something interesting about yourself to the rep's attention. (example: "I'm very interested in issues related to poverty, do you have a ONEcampaign chapter on your campus?") </p>
<p>When an applicant is on the bubble, and I remember the student and something interesting/special about him or he, it's easier for me to convince the others to admit the student than if the student is just someone on paper.</p>
<p>And I have no problem with juniors attending.</p>
<p>Meeting with the reps had a big impact on my D's college interests, and I am sure does not hurt admissions prospects. As ITB says, whenever a decision maker can connect a face with a name, it only helps.</p>
<p>There are also many stories around about misinformation corrected at one of these sessions, special advice being triggered (such as information on less well known programs) and such.</p>
<p>One thing to keep in mind, though, is that these visits take several forms, and can be done by different kinds of reps. If it is the regional reader, that is best. If someone else, try to understand the person's role, influence and angle.</p>
<p>Decent advisors (they do exist!) can help a student figure out which reps are worth meeting.</p>
<p>At our school, juniors and seniors can attend up to 10 sessions per year. My junior has done several, most with schools he already knows he's interested in and three schools we haven't visited but that one of us is interested in (I told him he had to go to one session he wasn't keen on because the school has strong academics and an auto admit program for which he'd qualify).</p>
<p>For junior year, I see them as strictly informational: Do the schools still sound good after hearing the presentation? Any you want to rule out? Find a hidden gem? When he's a senior, then I'll encourage him to press the flesh a bit. However, at our school, some of these session are huge (Rice, UT had more than 50 kids each), and I can't believe many kids would be able to make a real impression.</p>
<p>I learned too late that my son attended a session and missed part of his BC Cal class, so he had to rush through a test. I told him do NOT miss an important class again! :)</p>
<p>A thought and a question: If a kid gets one-on-one time with a rep, what would be some good questions to ask, making this time well spent? I'll have son restudy the schools he's interested in before they visit, but just thinking out loud here ...</p>
<p>A large number of colleges/universities make presentations at our school. Juniors and seniors are permitted to attend if they have a free period. Seniors who have a class during the scheduled meeting time are permitted to attend only when receiving written permission from the teacher. Juniors may not skip a class to attend. I do think these meetings can be valuable for the student for the reason previously given-it allows the rep to put "face to name."</p>
<p>Reps that came to my daughter's schools were regional admission rep. It is an excellent idea to meet them in person if you want to apply to that school. Most of them do the first pass of applications and make recommendations later. My daughter made a point of introducing herself after presentations. She also contacted them later in the application process. We know her ED school's rep pushed hard for her, even though it didn't work out. The rep kept the GC informed of where our daughter stood, that was very helpful.</p>
<p>THere are a bunch of reps coming to my daughter's school from colleges that she's interested in. She's incredibly fortunate that they always come the period before her first class, so she's gotten to visit a couple with a handful more coming up. FOr one of them, the rep asked if she knew what she was itnerested in and she explained what and why, and also how helpful a program at that college had been to her. It seemed to be a very nice meeting.</p>
<p>It is interesting that my D went to a HS with about 400 seniors, yet some of the information sessions for excellent colleges were sparsely attended, so she had what was practically a one-on-one with the admissions rep.</p>
<p>^^^ same as newmass dad</p>
<p>A rep from an Ivy visited our high school two years ago. Most students were too intimidated by the name, or felt they weren't competitive to apply, so didn't attend. The one guy who showed up, talked with the rep (who was also the reader for our region) was admitted. You never know how much these things will matter.</p>
<p>I have only skimmed the earlier posts, so my apologies if I am repeating advise already offered.</p>
<p>If the rep is a member of the college's admission staff (as opposed to an alum), s/he is most likely the "reader" for that aread. At a lot of schools, if a student is on the bubble, the admissions committee looks to the student's reader for additional info. For those bubble candidates, face time w/ the rep/reader is invaluable. For other candidates it is less critical, but still important because when the student's file comes up for discussion, there will be someone sitting at the table with first-hand knowledge (and hopefully a favorable impression) of him/her.</p>
<p>The reps know that visits scheduled during the school day will cause conflict with some students' classes and that some interested students will be reluctant or unable to miss class for the meeting. If you can't make the meeting, write a note and ask your college office to give it to the rep or send the rep a brief email expressing your interest. </p>
<p>Also, the reps are often on site 10-15 minutes before their visit/presentation. When D's classes conflicted with the rep's visit, I advised her to get to the college office 15min before the rep's visit, introduce herself to the rep, explain that she was unable to attend or stay for the full presentation, chat with the rep and then excuse herself. </p>
<p>Agree w/ riverrunner above - - you never know how much these things will or may matter.</p>
<p>At DD's school, seniors were encouraged to attend these sessions. D signed up to attend a presentation by a selective East Coast LAC only to find out that the school turned the rep away because of "lack of interest" (meaning D was the only one who signed up). May be if the GC had not misspelled the LAC's name in the flyer, more kids would have showed up :rolleyes: The GC called the rep and gave D the rep's contact information. D had an hour-long personal interview with the rep, who was very nice and even gave her many tips on what to emphasize in her application. I'm pretty sure the rep remembered my D, since she recognized D at an open campus when D attended. Fast forward a few months, D recieved a fat envelope from the LAC.</p>
<p>D is a senior and will only attend the sessions of schools to which she is applying - a total of eight.</p>
<p>D attended one visit (Rice) - pretty crowded and no personal interaction, but did learn some application tips. Well, not learn actually, but the rep emphasized a few things. She received a form letter from the rep about her interest in the school - so she is on some sort of attendance list.</p>
<p>U of Notre Dame rep came on an impossible-to-go day, so she stopped by before class and introduced herself and explained the reason for her absence. He talked with her for a few minutes and then she excused herself.</p>
<p>Keep in mind folks, that it is hard to tell if any of this stuff matters to the admissions committees.</p>
<p>While it seems to be common lore among CC parents that showing an interest in a college is important (indeed, some panic when they visit a campus and no one takes their name...), other than at a few LACs who are frank that it does matter, the impact at most places is unclear. What is clear is that, compared to grades, test scores, recs and essays, it is way down there among the importance of ECs, if that.</p>
<p>So if your kid can't go, and can't meet the rep, I doubt much is lost.</p>
<p>I generally recommend meeting admission officers as often as possible. The high school meetings asked about in this thread are good, as are general college information sessions open to the public </p>
<p>and college fair appearances. Whatever you can attend is worthwhile.</p>