The Golden Dome (Admissions Building) at University of Notre Dame, my alma mater.
By Laura Whitmore
Your son or daughter will spend the next four years of their life at college. It is important to make sure the college your family selects will be the right fit for them. Ask questions! Be thorough! Get as much information as you can to make an informed decision.
Below is a list of great questions to ask a school’s admissions representative:
1. Do you recommend I apply early or regular decision?
2. What merit-based scholarships through your school should I apply for?
3. How does your college differ from other comparable colleges?
4. What are your strongest undergraduate programs and majors?
5. How often will I be able to meet with a faculty advisor to help me with my program, major, and graduation requirements?
6. What undergraduate research opportunities are available?
7. Are the professors accessible outside of class?
8. Will most or all of my courses be in-person, or should I expect to take some online courses?
9. Can you speak to the strength of your alumni network?
10. What academic support services are offered to all students?
11. What is the average size of the classes I’ll be taking as a freshman?
12. Do you have semester abroad programs?
13. Are most students able to schedule the classes they want/need each semester?
14. What are some of the traditions or events that are unique to your school?
15. What percentage of your students obtain internships?
16. Do you have a career center that can help me obtain employment upon graduation?
17. Are all students required to live on campus freshman year? All years?
18. When must I declare a major of study?
19. What is your graduation rate?
20. What percentage of students obtain jobs within their first year after graduation?
Rule of thumb: Try not to ask too many questions that you can look up the answers to yourself online. Admissions officers are very busy so you may want to select the top 5 questions from this list to have on hand to ask them, should they need to cut your conversation short!
As always, I wish you the best of luck on your college hunt.
