WELCOMING COLLEGE REPS TO CAMPUS WITH A STUDENT HOST PROGRAM

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1 WELCOMING COLLEGE REPS TO CAMPUS WITH A STUDENT HOST PROGRAM Gabrielle McColgan - Director of College Counseling, Castilleja School Brittany Slaughter - Regional Associate Director of Admissions, Elon University

2 The High School Visit: What we Love Scheduling Online schedulers consider free versions like SignUpGenius.com, SetMore.com or YouCanBook.me also works well Prefer contact with member of the Counseling Office, or College and Career Center Consider student sign-ups Image:

3 The High School Visit: What we Love Best Practices Face time: office or volunteer structure Make scheduling a visit easy, be it via an online scheduler, or an informative landing page on your school website. Know what visit schedule works for your campus Be present to keep the peace if needed Morning visits during class time are usually the best. Lunch visits are tough because that's the one time each day that students have to eat and talk with their friends. After school visits can be tough because many students have activities or after school jobs and can't stay to speak with a college. I enjoy when a counselor is present to at least greet me and let me know where he/she is in case students are disruptive. Image:

4 From the high school side The College Rep Visit Can: Introduce students to options Facilitate connections between students and colleges Educate counselors about the admission landscape Develop strong professional relationships Introduce colleges to our high schools Help students take the lead in their college research and application process Image:

5 Benefits of a Student Host Program Student Hosts can: Welcome college reps when they arrive Serve as a campus guide Introduce college reps to college counseling staff Take notes during the college rep visit to share Help reps find their way out after a visit Most Importantly: Provide a personal connection to your school Develop leadership skills Image:

6 Case Study: one Student Host Program Who are Student Hosts: Seniors may volunteer - during free periods or with teacher permission Juniors may host during free periods only Students who request a hosting duty must also be available to host when asked Not an admissions advantage campus ambassadors Variation: Consider having a corps of volunteer student hosts who are trained for this role; perhaps you already have Student Ambassadors on campus - this can be another role for them to fill Image:

7 Case Study: one Student Host Program What does hosting entail? Greet the rep; Confirm that the rep has Profile and name tag Introduce yourself; Introduce our school; walking while talking! Take the easiest route to college counseling Introduce rep to College Counselor(s), manage time and attendance Take notes during meeting to share with students who could not attend (if needed) Thank the rep when finished, and point them in the direction of the exit so that they can find their way out

8 Case Study: one Student Host Program Who is in charge? College Counseling Administrative Assistant coordinates college rep visit scheduling and assigns student hosts communicates process to and trains students handles student hosting requests assigns student hosts sends weekly reminder to students Variation: Whoever coordinates college rep visits could oversee this process; a parent volunteer or student TA can assist; staff member handling requests promotes healthy privacy Image:

9 Students Hosts: Feedback from College Reps I have had a couple of outstanding experiences with student hosts who ask great questions and do their best to get an understanding of my school as well as articulate a description of their own. I've enjoyed it immensely. The student ed me before my visit to let me know where to park, and where I should meet them. The student gave me a quick tour of campus, and also got to share her insight on why she was interested in my school. Student pointed out bathroom to me, introduced me to college counselors I loved that she took notes during the session, because so many students were unable to attend due to an AP Calc exam. Image:

10 Students Hosts: Feedback from College Reps the best student escorts are outgoing and lead the conversation and are excited to talk about why they like their school. I already do enough talking in my day, so it's refreshing to be on the receiving end of a conversation. If a student is going to act as a host, it's important that they feel comfortable making small talk. They also need to know that we aren't salesmen - I won't try to push my school on him/her! I just want to know what it's like to be a student in that environment. there are many schools out there that educate their students on the purpose of a college visit, but some do not. Taking the time to teach students about what questions they might want to ask, making sure they are there to learn and not just get out of class, etc., can make a huge difference in the tone of the meeting.

11 Feedback from College Reps If you could give one piece of advice to high schools about how to improve their college visit program, what would you share? Counseling website with visit details Online scheduling process Visit confirmation and area details Friendly face vs. goodie bag Reconsider lunch visits Defy the name brand college stereotype Image:

12 Questions?