The Zinch Report

As I look around the hall at the high school where I work, posters are going up about college visits. Your school year may just be getting underway, but your college and guidance counselors are busy planning out the days when college admissions officers will be visiting your school.

If these visits are not yet posted, check in at your college or guidance office because chances are, the schedule is taking shape...

Back when I worked in admissions, we always had our schedules set by mid August for which high schools we'd be visiting and when. Some high schools prefer to have all colleges visit during one night so students can go table to table meeting with admissions officers. Other high schools prefer to have admissions officers come during school hours to meet in a more personal setting with interested students. Regardless of what your high school does, it is important for you to attend those visits.

Sometimes students are unsure whether they can miss a class to attend a college visit. This is up to your teacher. What would be best would be to explain, in advance of the visit, that you would like to attend the meeting and that you will get notes from a classmate for the work you miss. Teachers are probably used to this so a) be understanding and respectful and b) don't attend every college visit. Check the list of visiting schools and plan accordingly.