Evaluation of the Tour by the Minnesota Counsellors

Transcription

1 Minnesota Schools Counsellors Familiarization (FAM) Tour to Manitoba November 7-9, 2011 Evaluation of the Tour by the Minnesota Counsellors 1. What were your objectives in participating in the FAM Tour? To see the colleges in Winnipeg; See Winnipeg! Learn more about the tuition reciprocity arrangement between Manitoba and Minnesota; Meet and learn from other MN high school counsellors. I was totally unfamiliar with Canadian schools. In fact, Canada in general was a mystery. I felt that since our students were willing to leave the state of MN for university studies and travel to places all over the US, I should learn as much as I could about Canada and what they had to offer our students. To learn more about affordable postsecondary options for Minnesota students. To learn about Winnipeg colleges so that I could share more information with students. Also, to meet the admission representatives at the colleges and invite them to our school to visit. To learn how the international reciprocity works, learn about college admission requirements and scholarship/financial aid assistance that Minnesota students could capitalize on as a way to broaden and enhance their educational opportunities. I wanted to learn more about the reciprocity benefits for MN students in Manitoba. Page 1 of 5

2 2. To what extent do you feel the tour helped you meet your objectives? Completely! I knew nothing about studying in Manitoba before the tour, and little about Winnipeg, and left feeling confident about talking to my students and their families about the college opportunities there. The tour was very helpful. I met all of my initial objectives! The tour was excellent. It was jam packed with what I needed to see. All of the people involved were so friendly and helpful. I felt I learned something about the Canadian people, culture, the city of Winnipeg, some very interesting schools and that going to university in Canada could be a good choice for the right student. I had no idea we had reciprocity with Manitoba. It was especially helpful to actually see the schools and meet a couple of Minnesota students who were going to school there. Very well! We were able to talk at length with the admission reps. The tour was very well planned. It provided me with a great crosssection of educational institutions from which students could choose. Each of those institutions was accommodating and entertained many of our suggestions. My objectives were met fully. I learned very much and met wonderful people. The tour was wonderful and I loved being able to visit so many campuses. 3. In what ways could there have been more done/offered to assist you meet your objectives? None, it was all wonderful. Page 2 of 5

3 The tour included a nice balance of college visits and city information/destinations. I liked the fact that we were given a chance to see the Leo Mol Sculpture garden and the Manitoba Legislative Building. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting the MN students on the tours. More time with them one on one would have been excellent. Because of my student population, I was most interested in the technical college and was pleased to know that it was part of the reciprocity agreement. I thought it was an excellent tour. I think every contingency was covered pretty well. I particularity liked that we were to talk to other Minnesota students to get their perspectives on their experiences and how they handled the transition. I felt like I was treated like a royalty! Please provide additional comments. Many, many thanks for providing us with single accommodations!! 4. How did you hear about the FAM Tour? invitation. MACAC College Counselling Institute. Promotional material at the National College Fair. Presentation at the State Counsellors Retreat in the spring and presentation at district wide counsellors meetings. I think it would be especially important to get the word out to counsellors in northern MN, since Manitoba is so close to them. I saw information about the tour at the national college fair in Minneapolis, MN. Also, at a NACAC conference at the University of St. Catherine in St. Paul, MN. Page 3 of 5

4 5. Would you recommend Manitoba s post secondary institutions to your students? Absolutely! I already have a student who has applied to a university in Manitoba!! Absolutely! Especially the 3-2 engineering program at the U of Winnipeg and the U of Minn. Most assuredly. I am encouraging my own child to look at Manitoba s program. Yes! I am already working with several students; two for St. Boniface and more for the engineering at U of W & U of MN. Also, St. Boniface should really develop a relationship with Edina s French Immersion Program. These kids would be very interested in Université de Saint Boniface. 6. Are there study programs or additional incentives which would increase numbers of Minnesota students to Manitoba? I think the money is the major incentive. Also, particularly for Université de St. Boniface, the summer programs sound great. The most obvious incentive is the cost. I am surprised more Minnesota students and their parents aren t aware of the Manitoba alternative! 7. Please use the space below for any additional comments/suggestions. This was an excellent opportunity for me to learn about colleges in Manitoba, as well as to spend time with counsellors at other schools, which we don t get much time to do. I have already been speaking to students and staff, and a few parents about the opportunities offered there, and how I think that it is important that we make our students/parents aware of them. We were treated like royalty by all of the people who planned this tour, as well as everyone at the colleges we visited. Thank you to all of you! Page 4 of 5

5 Many thanks for the opportunity to participate in this year s Manitoba FAM tour. Thank you so much for having us! I really enjoyed the whole experience and appreciate getting the opportunity to see the schools and meet with admissions representatives. I think the schools we saw could be a great option for Minnesota students, especially students looking for lower tuition rates. The population I work with tend to go on to technical and community colleges. I think there are a lot of benefits for them to go in Manitoba (price, international experience yet still close to home, practicum, opportunity to stay and work in Canada). I thought the tour was organized very well. Great communication and it ran very well. Thanks again for the great experience! I appreciated the hospitality accorded our group and enjoyed my visit for the following reasons: o Not only did a representative accompany us on our travel to and from Manitoba, but we were met and additionally accompanied to all of the colleges and universities which were included in our tour. o It was also great that we had an opportunity to hear from or met college representatives prior to visiting their institutions so that we had a sense of them before we went to their institution. I particularly liked my visit to CMU because the director made himself so available. o The schools took our questions/concerns seriously, which enabled me to see firsthand that Manitoba is serious about this collaboration. I thought that the tour was well organized and extremely informational for us. I greatly appreciated your warm and generous hospitality. I believe that Manitoba s university system is quite attractive for MN students. We just need to get the word our more. Thank you for sharing your time with us. The trip was wonderful and well worth it. Page 5 of 5