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March 12, 2010
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Columnist, The Friday Flyer
Question: There are so many colleges to choose from, how does a student choose the right one?
Answer: Road trip!
Personality, subject areas of interest, grade point average and budget will enter into this equation. But, if you are able to pin down three to five colleges of interest, a simple visit will let your son or daughter know if they can see themselves on a particular campus. Parents beware: it’s not about you!
Spring is the perfect time to visit these colleges, especially for junior or senior high school students. Sometimes seniors will apply to a college without actually visiting the campus. They are accepted by several colleges and can’t make a decision. Visiting and touring the campus can make a huge difference in making that important decision.
Last year, when my daughter Anna was a junior and son Matt a senior in high school, we took a family trip to Northern California during spring break to visit and tour several college campuses.
We designed the trip to tour all of the colleges both kids were interested in attending, leaving some free time at the end of the trip to hike around the beaches and redwood forests near Trinidad, California.
This was a trip where we became familiar with Holiday Inn Express hotels. Because my husband Clark travels a lot for his work, he was able to accumulate points towards free stays using the Priority Club. These points equaled free nights and savings, which enabled us to extend the trip for an entire week. Another selling point: Holiday Inn Express offers a free breakfast with many choices, which is great for families!
On our first night in Monterey, we walked through Cannery Row and the wharf area. We sampled many of the clam chowders and settled on a smaller restaurant for fish and chowder and many visits (next to the window) from hungry sea gulls. Acting like the tourists we were, I purchased yummy caramel corn on the wharf that we snacked on for the next two days.
Our first college stop was a visit to the newer Monterey Bay State College. It was a beautiful, sunny day and there were plenty of prospective students there for the tour. At the time, Anna loved the newer, smaller size campus, its global studies major and its location. It offered great bus transportation to town and around campus. We were most impressed with the brand new library, including the fresh coffee bean smell wafting from its own coffee shop.
With miles to go to San Francisco, we hit the Pacific Coast Highway, enjoying the dramatic ocean views and stopping a couple of times to stretch our legs and wander on a couple of the beaches. Night two found us staying about two blocks from the beach in outside San Francisco!
We had a busy day scheduled, touring San Francisco State University in the morning along with Dominican University in the mid afternoon. It was pouring rain as we drove to the college; however, the tour went on as planned and we were very thankful to have a couple of umbrellas. There were students and people everywhere. All of the buildings were huge, some older and looking a little worn. After the tour, Anna knew right away this college was just too big for her to navigate.
Campus tours are available through the admissions departments of most colleges. You don’t have to apply for admission to take a tour. We found tours were available twice a day (morning and afternoon) and often on weekends as well. Led by students, the tours wind through academic buildings, college libraries; many include dormitory views. The tours usually include the history of the institution and provide an opportunity for visitor questions and answers from a full time student.
When you finish the tour, if it is near lunch or dinnertime I suggest trying the cafeteria food. When we toured at Humboldt, they offered a discount on meals for tour takers. We found the food was very good, offering a variety of choices, including organic and vegan meals.
After getting wet earlier, we had some time to kill before heading over to San Rafael and Dominican University. It had stopped raining and we were near the Golden Gate Bridge, so my husband decided it was time to take a walk on the bridge. The noise from the vehicle traffic was deafening and, as we walked on the sidewalk, the swirling water below looked cold and menacing. It was kind of scary but fun at the same time.
For lunch, we found ourselves in Sausalito, a town with fabulous ocean and marine views everywhere. After lunch, we were on our way to Dominican University.
San Rafael was a short drive north on the 101 in a neighborhood setting enveloped in mature trees and older buildings. I had toured this campus with Matt earlier in the year, and this college was one of his top choices. At the time, he was hoping to play basketball here and was going to do a workout today with the team.
With some time to kill, we walked through the eclectic downtown area, just a few blocks from the university. We noted the diversity of people and many interesting shops and restaurants. Matt was itching to get to the gym so we dropped him off and Anna and I went for coffee, while Clark took a walk through the campus and watched Matt.
A couple of hours later we were in the car again with a sweaty kid and more driving. Late that evening we found ourselves in the small town of Ukiah at another Holiday Inn Express. Continuing north, we took the 31-mile Avenue of the Giants scenic drive, which parallels the 101 Freeway. Every turn in the road offers magnificent redwood forest views.
I had reserved a housekeeping suite at the Trinidad Inn just 10 minutes north of Arcata and Humboldt University in Trinidad for the next three nights. Northern California weather in April was rainy and colder than we expected. The next day it was raining once again. We drove to Humboldt University for our morning tour and once again were glad we had a couple of umbrellas. Humboldt is a walking campus with lots of stairs and hills to climb! Our student guide was cheerful, noting this was “typical weather,” at Humboldt.
Anna was impressed with how classes were smaller at Humboldt and allowed hands-on, experiential learning. Science, biology and art are a few of the major fields of study available to students. We enjoyed the tour, and after a yummy cafeteria meal, headed to Arcata to check out the town.
We headed out early the last morning, driving 12 hours to have one day at home before work and school on Monday. Even though this trip involved a lot of driving, we enjoyed the family time and fulfilled the purpose of visiting several college campuses. It seemed to me that each campus had its own feeling or vibe and positives or negatives.
Now, looking back, it’s interesting to note that during this, Anna’s senior year, she changed her mind and decided she would like to major in environmental science. She has been accepted and will be attending Humboldt State University this fall. Matt, on the other hand, spent the last year attending and playing basketball at Johnson State College in Vermont. He will be heading back to California in May and will attend college locally. Such is life! One never knows what the future will bring!
Contact Mary at mariarh@yahoo.com with your comments or questions.
College deadlines are looming
College deadlines are looming for high school seniors and their parents! If your senior hasn't already heard from the college of their choice, their acceptance letter is hopefully on its way!
My daughter spent last Saturday morning taking her ELM and EPT exams at Cal State San Marcos. Seniors planning on attending a Cal State University this fall are required to take these tests to determine what level English and math class students will be placed in at enrollment.
Test dates continue through August; however, many campuses require these scores sooner. Check www.ets.org for more information or contact the college of choice for its deadline.
The other biggie deadline for incoming college freshmen is the dormitory deposit and/or choice of dorm. Many colleges will simply place freshmen in the freshmen dorms based on when the housing deposit is received. However, Humboldt, where my daughter is attending, has various kinds of dorms based on a student’s interests. Miss the date and miss out on the dorm of your choice!
Of course dorm choices are different for each college, but it’s best to know all of your seniors’ college deadlines so they don’t make costly mistakes before arriving on campus! Most housing deposits are refundable until May 1, but this may differ per college. College housing is at a premium these days with so many colleges impacted by budget issues and additional students needing housing.
One very important deadline for parents is to file the FAFSA (federal student aid) form online before June 20. Corrections to the form can be made online until September 21. Check on the requirements at www.fafsa.ed.gov
While some students may complete this form, it is based on parent’s income reported on federal income tax returns. Colleges have various deadlines for receiving these forms, typically before March 1. If income taxes are not filed until April 15 or later, you can check the “will file” box and estimate your income.
All students must file this form whether or not they are eligible for aid. All colleges require this form for their overall decision-making on federal aid and grants, including work study programs. Also, to apply for a government secured, low interest college loan, the FAFSA must be filed. So, there is no way in getting around filing this lengthy form, so just do it and get it over with!
Seniors need to complete the Cal Grant Aid form as well. It is a one-page form asking for their social security number and permission to send second semester grades to colleges who may have aid available for them. This form is available from their school counselor.
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