Questions to ask colleges and admissions offices

Which houses have you visited, and what stood out at each?

Ask this warmly or it sounds like intelligence gathering. What they noticed tells you what they are optimising for, and it is often something nobody in your chapter thinks about.

From: Questions to Ask During Rush

How do you build a list, and how many schools end up on it?

Listen for whether the process starts with the student or with a template. A good answer describes a first conversation about what the student wants out of four years, then constraints such as money and distance, then names. Lists that arrive at the first meeting were not built for your child.

From: Questions to Ask a Private College Counselor

Who works with players on putting, wedge play and statistics, and what data do you keep?

Ask what is actually measured: strokes gained, proximity, up and down percentage. A program that tracks nothing will coach on impressions, which is fine for some players and useless for others.

From: Questions to Ask College Golf Coaches

What do students here most often get wrong in their first semester?

Orientation leaders and advisors have watched several cohorts and answer this candidly. The replies tend to be mundane, ignoring official email, registering late, waiting until November to ask for help, which is exactly what makes them worth hearing.

From: Questions to Ask at College Orientation

What is this school better at than its closest peers, and what is it worse at?

Asking for both halves at every school produces a comparison table nobody publishes. Interviewers who name a genuine weakness are giving you a more reliable answer on the strength as well.

From: Questions to Ask at a College Interview

How do students find research positions or internships, and when do they start?

The answer tells you whether opportunities are organized by a department or left to students to hunt down, and whether first-years are eligible at all.

From: Best Questions to Ask Colleges