Have you ever played the board game, Risk^®?  I never won, nor fully understood the game.  But, I did recognize that a well-thought out strategy was important to winning. Much like Risk, strategy is an important component of the college search and application process. A college contact strategy is a vital plan to ensure that a college knows who you are beyond your college application and knows that you are serious about attending their institution.

Most college admissions offices have software that tracks your contact with them.  So, each time you place your college contact strategy into action, you should remember to inform the admissions department whom you spoke with, when and where—and be ready to explain why the meeting was so important to you—in order for your meeting to be tracked by the college. But remember, you can’t get tracked unless you have a strategy in place: Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: campus visits, college admissions, college contact, College Fairs
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Ladies and gentleman, it is finally here!  The college fair!  Granted, you may not find funnel cake and ferris wheels, but nonetheless, it is still an exciting fair.  A college fair is a gathering of colleges and universities (ranging anywhere from ten to hundreds of schools) in one convenient location. They allow prospective students to talk with college representatives to learn more about their specific institutions. College fairs are useful because they can help you learn more about a college you already know well, help you eliminate some from your list, or acquaint you with schools you never considered.  Your high school counselor is an excellent resource to find college fairs in your area. You can also review the 2010 National College Fairs Schedule to find a fair close to you. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: campus visits, college fair, finding the right college
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