As the school year continues, more and more schools and districts are offering up career and college fairs, try to be as specific as you can when asking questions. Write down your questions on a note card and keep it in your pocket. The college representatives will appreciate prepared questions and prepared students. Ketchikan High School, Alaska counselor Robert McClory, a finalist for the 2010 School Counselor of the Year, submitted the ideas seen below:

PROGRAM RELATED QUESTIONS

I am very interested in pre-dental programs. Do you have many students with such plans?
I was considering a biochemistry major or perhaps a biology major with a biochemistry minor. Are those options available at your school?
How strong is your chemistry department faculty?
Are your chemistry teachers regular staff majors or are they adjunct professors?
Are teaching assistants a big part of your instruction for freshmen classes?
How accessible are your professors to students? What do students say about your faculty?
Do you consider your school more of a research or a teaching college?
Are there opportunities for research, paid or otherwise, at your school for students going on to dental or medical school? Are those available on campus or in the summers?
How has your placement record been for students seeking admission to dental school upon graduation? Do you have any special relationships with any particular dental schools?

ADMISSIONS AND SCHOLARSHIP QUESTIONS

What kinds of test scores do you look for in freshmen? Are SAT and ACT regarded equally?
If someone has not taken the SAT Subject test, will that be a problem?
How many freshmen applications are you expecting? How many freshmen will you have?
How many undergraduates do you have all together?
Do you have Early Action? Is it Single Choice Action? Are there advantages to your Early Action?
Are there advantages in electronic submission of applications?
I plan to use Common App. (the Common Application is a common, standardized first-year application form that is accepted at about 400 colleges and universities in the nation.) Will that be a disadvantage in receiving consideration for any merit scholarships at your school?
I plan to use Common App. Do you have a supplement I will need to complete?
Does your school offer any full tuition type scholarships that require a special application in addition to the regular application? Are there any special deadlines for those?
Do you have any special scholarships for students of diverse cultural backgrounds?
Do they require any special applications for those scholarships?
What are the deadlines about which students need to be concerned?

STATISTICAL DATA AND EXPECTATIONS FOR INCOMING STUDENTS

From where do the majority of your students come?
How would you characterize the type of student who apply to and decide to attend your school?
What percentage of your freshmen return as sophomores?
What percentage of your freshmen graduate in four years?
As an incoming freshman, what general education courses would I be expected to take?
What is the size for most of your freshmen classes? What about upper division courses?

STARTING OUT FRESHMAN YEAR AT YOUR SCHOOL

How and when do students register for classes? Is getting into the sections you want difficult?
What dorms are available to freshmen? Which do you recommend?
How are roommates selected?
Can I apply to be a resident assistant as a sophomore? How are RAs compensated; do they receive discounted or free room? How about board and meals?

GRADUATE INFORMATION

For which undergraduate programs is your school best noted? Graduate?
What kind of reputation does your school have as an undergraduate school?
How many graduate students attend your school?
Do you have any fast track programs like a 4 and 1 bachelors’ and masters’ programs?
When would someone need to apply for those? How hard is it to get into such a program?
In general, do you have many students pursuing graduate degrees? How successful are they?

TYPE AND LOCATION OF CAMPUS

Where do a lot of your students go when they have a free weekend?
Is public transportation easily available and accessible? Is there easy access to airports or trains?
Are bicycles recommended at your school?
How safe is your campus? What are the crimes people may experience there?
Are jobs or work-study available to anyone seeking it? Are services available to find openings?

ACTIVITIES AND SPECIAL PROGRAMS

What kinds of activities and concerts are available there?
If someone has been very actively involved in dance, will there be many opportunities to stay involved in dance either through classes or clubs?
Would there be any point in submitting any materials showing any dance skills we have?
Are there any dance programs available on campus? How about dance minors or classes for credit?
Does your campus feature plays or shows? Are they student generated or visiting performers?

COST OF ATTENDANCE

What is the cost of tuition there annually?
What kind of annual increases in tuition should I expect annually?
How many credits can you take if enrolled as a full-time student?
What are some of the fees I should expect to pay?
What is the cost of the dorms on campus?
Are there apartments nearby? Do many students choose to live there?
Would transportation be required for someone choosing to live off campus?
How much might someone expect to pay for that off-campus housing?
What meal plans are available? Are there many restaurants on or near campus?

Feel free to share this with your students or copy into your newsletter.

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