Why Visit Colleges?

Before heading to New Mexico last week to visit Santa Fe University of Art and Design (SFUAD), I checked the weather report.  My image of a temperate southwestern climate was quickly dispelled when I read the forecast:  snow showers.  I put away the t-shirts and packed the parka.   Thanks to weather.com I was not at all surprised to see the snow covered peaks as the plane began its descent.  Yet other revelations were in store. I was already familiar with Santa Fe’s reputation as an artist haven, yet it never occurred to me that it was also a destination for filmmakers and winter enthusiasts.   In fact, the city, at 7,000 feet, is a short drive to several challenging ski areas and sits at a higher elevation than Denver.   So much for preconceived notions; many of my assumptions about attending college in Santa Fe were tossed before I even stepped foot on the campus.

Seeing is believing, and getting to know a college is no exception.  Visiting is the one sure way to get a feel for a university and to imagine oneself as part of its community.  Do your research before a visit so you have some idea of what to expect, but be open to a few surprises.  A trip to a college is the best way to get to know a university, its offerings, student body, campus feel and surrounding community.  If you are the type of person who needs to experience things firsthand, all the more reason to plan a visit. 

When I scheduled my trip to SFUAD, I did some online research in advance to ensure that I wouldn’t arrive on campus clueless about its programs.  A college’s website is the obvious place to start any search in order to gain an initial sense for whether a school has the right academic fit for a student.  Sites like Unigo and College Prowler can also be helpful in providing the student perspective.  However, nothing can replicate the college visit. It would have been easy for me to make assumptions about SFUAD, a southwestern college in transition, which had been the College of Santa Fe in a recent former life. Today a re-born SFUAD, supported by an outside investor and the city of Santa Fe, has emerged as a niche liberal arts program focused in the fine and performing arts. On paper (or more precisely, online), its offerings sound similar to many other art colleges.  Yet the collaboration, not only among students but also departments, makes for a truly interdisciplinary artistic experience.  How do I know?  I saw it firsthand:  theater majors auditioning for film student productions, musicians involved in multimedia projects, and visual art students exploring every medium the studio art program has to offer.

Answers to questions such as ‘what type of student thrives here?’ and ‘what makes this college unique?’ begin to get to the essence of who might do well on a particular campus.  Yet the ‘being there’ impression is as important as the answers offered, if not more so.  A college may sound perfect from the description in the glossy view book, but it’s the campus visit that will confirm or dispel one’s preconceived notions.

How does one get the most out of a college visit?  With an open and inquisitive mind.  The feel is not just about physical beauty.  It’s also about the intangibles which are sometimes more difficult to see at first glance.  A few years back I visited a small Midwestern college that did not make a compelling first impression; the campus looked tired and downright sleepy. My colleagues and I reassessed our plan:  say a quick hello in admissions and leave as quickly as possible.  Three hours later, we were still there...by choice!  The students we spoke to were smart, passionate and genuinely fired up about the many cross-disciplinary opportunities available to them and about the exceptional faculty mentoring.  We left applauding the college’s decision to choose the intellectual investment in the faculty and students over building a more sensory appealing state-of-the-art athletic facility.  Our focus had shifted from observing the physical setting to seeing the less tangible environment where possibilities abounded.  So take the time to get out of the car even if the grass is parched from an extended drought.  A college experience should be more than skin deep. Classroom environment, student engagement, career services, academic rigor, social scene, and opportunities in one’s chosen major…these are just some of the many areas that can and should be explored.

Reflecting on my trip to SFUAD, I am reminded that finding the right fit college is an art, not a science.  Getting to know my students and understanding the vibe of the colleges I visit are both essential to my assessment for which schools would be appropriate for each individual.  However, the decision in the end rests with the student and family.  It is an important decision which warrants as much firsthand knowledge as possible.  So whether your child sees each campus before he or she applies or just prior to making a final choice, don’t under estimate the value of a road trip.  

Cycling My Way through a Tour of Colleges

The lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer are officially here, which for me means the three “Cs:” colleges, cycling and camaraderie. The beginning of summer has become my time to venture to a new region of the country or revisit a familiar one to tour colleges by bike.  I look forward to what has become an annual journey of discovery with my two-wheeler colleagues, an energetic group of school counselors and independent consultants who share a sense of humor and our love for cycling and colleges.  This year our trip takes us to western Michigan, Indiana and Chicago.  The colleges on our list comprise an eclectic group of household names and lesser known gems: Calvin College, Hope College, Kalamazoo College, University of Notre Dame, Valparaiso University and Northwestern. And if time allows before our tour officially begins, I will fit in two more Chicago schools, regretfully by means of public transportation!  In all, we will cover 255 miles in five days.  We are not a wimpy group; we transport our own gear in panniers and hope to get some rest after long days of cycling and college touring, retiring most nights in campus dorms on extra-long, well-worn twin mattresses.

I should mention that barely nine months ago I toured half of the colleges on my upcoming trip.  The campuses were teeming with students and showing off the colors of their brilliant autumn splendor.   Yet “been there, done that” was no excuse to take a pass on this year’s bike trip. It’s not just about my love for cycling and the camaraderie of being with summer biking pals.  I relish the opportunity to revisit, even the campuses I have walked before.  The schools, no doubt, will be more tranquil in July than during the school year, and I expect that they will show very differently under the haze and humidity of early July.  No college can be captured in just a few snapshots; nor should that be the sum total of my experience on a particular campus.

The first trip to a college is an opportunity to get a feel for the landscape.  I want to see the big picture:  the essence of the academic experience, the social life, the character of the student body and the feel for the surrounding community.  A return trip allows me to delve deeper.  Every time I see a campus, I discover something new, an unusual major I had overlooked before or some specific aspect of the admission process that may make a difference for a particular student.  Building upon what I already know reinforces my understanding of what makes a college special and who would thrive in that environment. 

I sometimes stop to ponder what I love so much about what I do.  Today I would state my job description this way:  my role is about discovery.  Whether it is getting into the mind and soul of each student or uncovering the unique qualities of a particular college, I am challenged to find matches that will enrich a young person’s life over the long term.  Next week I will have another opportunity to pursue that mission:  on a bike!

Study in Ireland - A Hundred Thousand Welcomes!

Céad míle fáilte romhat! A hundred thousand welcomes to you! Our group of 21 college counselors touring the seven Irish universities discovered the sincerity of this welcome and the true meaning of Irish hospitality. We were on a mission in early March to learn all that we could about higher education in Ireland. After a week visiting the seven campuses, I understand the appeal of studying in this country so rich in culture, history, scholarship and generosity.

The charm and splendor of the universities mirrors the radiance of the Irish people. Even in early March, each campus showed well, flowers in bloom and several sporting brilliant shamrock green quads…three weeks before the official advent of spring! However, my objective was to leave Ireland not only with the digital and mental pictures, but with a deeper appreciation for its approach to higher education, the essential differences between a U.S. and an Irish university experience, and an understanding of the mindset of the American student who decides to venture to the Emerald Isle to live and study.

Our journey began on the east coast in Dublin, where we spent two days touring Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin and Dublin City University. We discovered, among other things, how much better Guinness tastes on the other side of the pond and the sheer beauty of traditional Irish music when performed by a cappella voices in perfect harmony. The next stop was National University of Ireland Maynooth, located in the eponymous medieval town just 30 minutes west of Dublin. Spending the night in a monastery was a personal first, only to be topped by a photo opportunity at dinner with members of the Irish national rugby team! After a three hour drive the next morning we reached the west coast and the picturesque city of Galway, home to the National University of Ireland Galway and a center for theatre and art. On our final two days we headed southeast to the University of Limerick and then on to the University College Cork before returning to Dublin. Both universities regaled us with traditional Irish music and dance performed by students in their acclaimed music programs. If you are ever in Cork, take a page from the Ireland itinerary of Queen Elizabeth II and be sure to savor the tastes, smells and bustle of the English Market!

Getting the flavor for life in and around the university locales was an integral part of our education. Yet most of our time was spent on the campuses, learning about the literally hundreds of subjects offered, the undergraduate entry programs in disciplines that are exclusively graduate level at home such as medicine, law, dentistry and veterinary medicine, Co-op programs similar to those in the U.S., the difference between a society (student club) and a club (a sport), the student union (an organization, not a place!), tutorials (the Irish equivalent of a U.S. university lecture review session), joint honours degrees (a double major), study abroad through the Erasmus programme (a student exchange program), and a whole host of other features, some of which needed to be translated or explained for American educators.

Much of what we heard from faculty, staff and students about the appeal of studying in Ireland came as no surprise. Americans students seek the international experience and global perspective that living in the gateway to Europe offers; yet they know they will still have the familiarity of hearing and speaking their native English. It’s a cultural immersion that feels a little less foreign. Yet there are some significant differences in the educational experience in Ireland that attracts a special type of international student.

Studying in an Irish university is more about depth than breadth. The emphasis on pursuing one or two subjects rather than exploring a true liberal arts curriculum means that students graduate with a genuine expertise in their fields. (University College Dublin offers a program that is an exception, having developed a Liberal Art & Sciences Program modeled after U.S. higher education which allows students to explore various disciplines before declaring a major.) The more common Irish approach is focused, but not narrow. In fact, many programs are inter-disciplinary. A course (major) in European Studies will delve into the history, philosophy, arts and sciences, religion, psychology and linguistics of the region, thereby providing an education that can, indeed, look very much like one pursued at a U.S. liberal arts college.

Those from the United States who do choose to study in Ireland might be surprised by the degree of responsibility placed on students to budget their time and self-pace their studies. One or two exams during the year is the norm rather than continual assessment throughout the semester, as is common in the U.S. Professors do not regularly provide progress feedback in the form of tests or papers. Yet students are not left to fend for themselves. Irish universities provide dedicated support for international students to ensure that they succeed academically and adjust to their new social and cultural environment.

Attending a university in Ireland means being part of a larger community. The notion of town-gown is not part of the mindset in Ireland; students easily mingle with residents and feel very welcome as part of the local community. The warmth, hospitality and welcome of the Irish people is unmatched. Go into an Irish pub or shop and don’t be surprised if you are drawn into a conversation.

“School spirit” as we know it in the U.S. is a bit of a foreign concept on campuses in Ireland. Instead, students connect and feel part of the university by joining societies and clubs or team sports, many of which are competitive. Involvement in these cultural, academic, social and athletic organizations is viewed as an important dimension to the university experience, and furthers a mission to educate the whole person. On Irish campuses, students rule. All societies and clubs are student organized and run. Every university has a union comprised of student-elected representatives who take a year off from their studies to oversee many aspects of university life.

Those who choose to attend an Irish university know they will have the best of both worlds: a university campus endowed with state-of-the-art academic, research and athletic facilities which is either located in or within a short distance from a major city, yet easily accessible to the magnificent countryside for which Ireland is well renowned.

I returned from my visit to Ireland convinced that self-directed and motivated American students willing to think broadly about higher education options would do very well to consider any of the seven Irish universities for a degree program that’s highly regarded worldwide and a great value. I would be remiss if I made no mention of the cost. Though tuition and fees vary by program of study, the cost of attendance on average is the U.S. dollar equivalent of about $30,000 per year, a bargain when compared to private colleges and even some public options in the U.S.

For the adventurous, directed student seeking an international and cultural experience that cannot be replicated in the U.S., consider Ireland. Céad míle fáilte romhat!